Song: Blood To Gold
Artist: Boy & Bear, Australia
Album: With Emperor Antarctica, 2010
Notes: Cool, young quintet based in Sydney Self-described as a "a combination of drivey indie folk and choral harmonies.' Opened for Mumford & Sons down under.
Song: The Salt Wound Routine
Artist: Thirteen Senses, England
Album: The Invitation, 2004
Notes: British alt-rock quartet from sunny Cornwall. Bit of a mystery as to why band hasn't taken off in the US, they release one terrific album after another.
Song: Can’t Get It Right today
Artist: Joe Purdy, Fayetteville, AR
Album: You Can Tell Georgia, 2006
Notes: Hard-working folk singer-songwriter who has already released 10 albums. Lovely ditty was used in a Kia Spectra tv commercial.
Song: Price To Pay
Artist: Melissa McClelland, Canada
Album: Thumbelina's One Night Stand, 2006
Notes: Once described as 'the female equivalent of Tom Waits', extremely underrated singer-songwriter from Toronto. Superb ballad.
Song: Under The Sea
Artist: Digby Jones, England
Album: Under The Sea, EP, 2009
Notes: Chilled-out bliss, way cool electronica. Mostly instrumental cut by British jazz/ambient whiz who also writes soundscapes for tv shows like 'CSI' and 'ER'.
Song: Ivy and Gold
Artist: Bombay Bicycle Club, England
Album: Flaws, 2010
Notes: Delightful alternative folk-rock from the east End of London. 'Flaws' was nominated as Album of the Year for the prestigious Ivor Novello songwriters Awards earlier this year.
Song: Ain’t No Reason
Artist: Brett Dennen, Oakdale, CA
Album: So Much More, 2006
Notes: Top drawer folk-pop from California. Dennen has toured with John Mayer, worked with L&F fave raves, Eric McCarley, Crosby Loggins and Pete Murray.
Song: Weight Of Us
Artist: Sanders Bohlke, Oxford, MS
Album: Sanders Bohlke, 2005
Notes: Winning track from obscure tunesmith with a fabulous A+ performance. More at www.sandersbohlke.com
Song: Comin’ Home
Artist: City and Colour, Canada
Album: Sometimes, 2005
Notes: Band name chosen by a singular artist, Dallas Green using his own name: the city of Dallas and Green, the colour. 'Sometimes' won Juno Award for Best Alternative Album.
Song: Spinning Wheels
Artist: Angel Taylor, Los Angeles
Album: Love Travels, 2009
Notes: More great music from best new female songstress out there. There's a good reason we play a song by Angel every week.
Song: Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters
Artist: Elton John, England
Album: Honky Chateau, 1972
Notes: Commuting in from nearly 40 years ago, timeless ballad and one of Sir Elton's personal favorites among his unending canon of work.
Song: I Surrender
Artist: Clare Maguire, England
Album: Light After Dark, 2011
Notes: Favorably compared to Annie Lennox, fabulous new track from promising pop-soul singer-songwriter. L&F first US show to ever feature Clare's music.
Song: Hit The Ground
Artist: Lizz Wright, Hahira, GA
Album: Dreaming Wide Awake, 2005
Notes: Slow, soulful folk-soul groove from gospel-trained daughter of a church minister, better known as a jazz performer.
Song: Fresh Feeling
Artist: Eels, Los Feliz, CA
Album: Souljacker, 2001
Notes: Fronted by mainman Mark Everett who calls himself simply, 'E', refreshing lost nugget. 'E' sometimes hands out free ice-cream to concert audience.
Song: Charlie Darwin
Artist: Low Anthem, Providence, RI
Album: Oh My God, Charlie Darwin
Notes: They use lots of different and odd instruments on stage and often open for the Avett Brothers. High, slow, cerebral anthem featuring haunting falsetto of lead singer Ben Knox Miller.
Song: Let Me In Your Life
Artist: Bill Withers, Slab Fork, WV
Album: Still Bill, 1972
Notes: Gorgeous, understated ballad from one of the very best soul singers ever. Check out extremely insightful new documentary film, "Still Bill".
Song: Backed Into The Corner
Artist: Amy Stroup, Boston
Album: Backed Into The Corner (digital single), 2010
Notes: Featured on one episode of 'Grey's Anatomy'. Taught herself guitar chords to Dylan and Jewel songs as a teenager in Texas, ended up in Nashville.
Song: Inside Your Head
Artist: Eberg, Iceland
Album: Voff Voff, 2005
Notes: Rather odd but remarkably rewarding dream-pop electronica rumblings of Icelandic composer, Einar Tonsberg.
Song: You Keep It All In
Artist: Beautiful South, England
Album: Welcome To The Beautiful South, 1989
Notes: Brief, playful slice of alternative pop from acerbic British combo fronted by Dave Heaton and Dave Hemingway, formerly of the Housemartins.
Song: Dream
Artist: Priscilla Ahn, Fort Stewart, GA
Album: A Good Day, 2008
Notes: Extremely rare live version of very first song recorded by stunningly talented half-Korean singer-songwriter from the deep South. A+.
Song: Save A Prayer
Artist: Duran Duran, England
Album: Rio, 1982
Notes: Original studio version which was never originally issued as a single in the US - a live update made the charts in 1985.
Song: Familiar
Artist: MacKintosh Braun, Portland, OR
Album: Who We Are, 2011
Notes: Another winning but unfamiliar track from new synth-rock duo which is signed to strong roster, boutique Chop Shop Records.
Song: Love and Happiness
Artist: Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris, Scotland/Birmingham, AL
Album: All The Roadrunning, 2006
Notes: Simple, pure, melodic - two evergreen musicians at the top of their harmonic game. Lovely ballad from an album which was crafted over a seven-year period.
Song: Senses Working Overtime
Artist: XTC, England
Album: English Settlement, 1982
Notes: Uber-hip new wave combo sprung from the ashes of punk in the mid-70s formed by singer-guitarist Andy Partridge who delivers trademark vocals.
Song: I Come Home
Artist: Catherine Feeny, Portland, OR
Album: Catherine Feeny, 2003
Notes: Haunting lost gem from the sorely under-appreciated singer-songwriter. Great lyrics: "'I fear my heart is beating on the outside of my skin.'
Song: Beneath The Arcade
Artist: Katkhuda, England
Album: A Long Way From Somewhere, 2007
Notes: So original, extremely obscure but just wonderful, quiet alternative folk rock sound from band who came and went too quickly.
Song: Undress Me Now
Artist: Morcheeba, England
Album: Charango, 2002
Notes: Chill out, dreamy trip-hop with a retro chorus lovely lead vocals courtesy of lead singer, Skye Edwards. Steamy and stylish, rather androgynous video worth a peak.
Song: Nobody Knows Me
Artist: Lyle Lovett, Klein, TX
Album: Lyle Lovett and His Large Band, 1989
Notes: Quiet nugget from the king of Americana. One of Texas' favorite musical sons and best-dressed man in the state, given an honorary doctorate by the University of Houston in 2010.
Song: Sand and Water
Artist: Beth Nielsen Chapman, Harlingen, TX
Album: Sand and Water, 1997
Notes: Saddest song of all time, written about her husband, Ernest, who died from cancer in 1994. One of the best female singer-songwriters out there.
Song: Tragedy
Artist: Marc Anthony, New York
Album: Mended, 2002
Notes: Co-written by extremely diverse Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty. No rules of L&F - just a great up-tempo Latin swayer.
Song: The Ghost In You
Artist: Psychedelic Furs, England
Album: Mirror Moves, 1984
Notes: From perhaps their finest album, absolute classic rarely played these days. Covered by the likes of Duncan Sheik, Robyn Hitchcock, and Counting Crows.
Song: Rainbow Sleeves
Artist: Rickie Lee Jones, Chicago, IL
Album: Girl at Her Volcano EP, 1983
Notes: Serene, sublime, magical ballad written by Tom Waits and given to Rickie Lee. Divine strings arrangement by the great Johnny Mandel - who wrote the Theme From Mash, 'Suicide Is Painless'.
Song: Can’t Stop The River
Artist: Louise Setara, England
Album: Still Waters, 2006
Notes: Strong gospel-tinged unknown gem by Louise Setara written by Seal, but never recorded by him. Her last name, Setara, means 'little star' in Punjabi.
Song: The Man Who Can’t Be Moved
Artist: Script, Ireland
Album: The Script, 2008
Notes: Slow burner from debut album, only peaked at #86 on the Billboard 100 - but has since sold over 500,000 digital downloads.
Song: More Than Love
Artist: Los Lonely Boys, San Angelo, TX
Album: Los Lonely Boys, 2004
Notes: Uncomplicated, solid, old-school "Texican rock 'n' roll", strong harmonies, retro simplicity from brothers Henry, Ringo and Jojo.
Song: Jump
Artist: Aztec Camera, Scotland
Album: The Best of Aztec Camera (import), 1999
Notes: One of the best cover versions of any rock hit, Roddy Frame's quiet acoustic treatment of Van Halen's global rock smash.
Song: Maybe
Artist: Ingrid Michaelson, Staten Island, NY
Album: Everybody, 2009
Notes: Top-drawer New York-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Surprisingly co-wrote 'Parachute' a big hit in Europe in 2010 for ex-'X Factor' judge, Cheryl Cole.
Song: Once In A While
Artist: Madeleine Peyroux, Athens, GA
Album: Half The Perfect World, 2006
Notes: Too good for prime time, marvelous, soft bluesy tones reminiscent of Billie Holiday. She flies well under the radar, eschews publicity or any kind of media fuss - good for her.
Song: Cheaper Than Free
Artist: Stevie Nicks feat. Dave Stewart, Phoenix, AZ
Album: In Your Dreams, 2011
Notes: Strong lyrics, simple sentiment, old fashioned chops by two great musical veterans. Song title courtesy of actress, Reese Witherspoon.
Song: Caravan of Love
Artist: Housemartins/Isley Jasper Isley, England/US
Album: Now That's What I Call Quite Good, 1988
Notes: Nice segue of British combo's a cappella update of a golden nugget from Isley Brothers R&B trio offshoot.
