HAVE YOU DISCOVERED... QUEEN OF HEARTS?

Alert! Alert! Brand spanking new and somewhat brilliant pop music! This week Queen of Hearts premiered her debut EP, The Arrival, which features the gorgeous lead single Shoot The Bullet.

The track was produced by The Sound of Arrows and is nothing short of fabulous pop mastery. I'm so very happy this one crossed my path. Do yourself a favour and enjoy the synth-pop beauty at it's finest.

Watch the video for Shoot The Bullet below.

But wait, more! You can also download for free Spanish Sahara, another great track taken from The Arrival EP, via the Soundcloud link below.

The Arrival EP is available digitally today [iTunes]

Spanish Sahara:



Shoot The Bullet:

HAVE YOU DISCOVERED... VOLTAIRE TWINS?

Western Australia is known for some of Australia's freshest musical talents (think Little Birdy, Birds of Tokyo, Eskimo Joe, Pendulum, etc); so you can imagine how excited I was to hear of another group from Perth with fresh new music.

Siblings Jaymes and Tegan form the band the Voltaire Twins and they've just unleashed their new single upon the world - the very cool pop gem Animalia. Like taking a page out of a Van She, Ladyhawke or Pnau book; the twins take us on an electro-synth journey that is both a familiar yet unique sound.

For a limited time the track, along with some sexy remixes by Lifelike and Purple Sneakers, is available FOR FREE from the groups website. I'm not quite sure it gets any better than this.

As a side note: the Voltaire Twins aren't in fact new to the scene - they were unearthed via Triple J's Unearthed Play At Parklife way back in 2008! Where have they been all my life?

Like what you see here? Check out their digital discography today [iTunes]

Welcome, Voltaire Twins.

HAVE YOU DISCOVERED... RD?

This London based girl group are the latest trio you need to be keepin' watch on. Troy, Martika and Chronz make up the newest, freshest ladies known as RD. To quote the girls bio, "RD are a nod back to the glory days when sassy girl groups - En Vogue, Salt ‘N’ Pepa, TLC and the like - ruled the roost."

Hell to the yeah.

Their latest track Got Me Burnin' has a distinct R&B feel, with a mix of today's pop - kindly brought to you by the fact that red-haired beauty Katy B wrote the track. Take a listen below and share your thoughts, do you feel it?

Got Me Burnin' will be released in the UK 25 September.

HAVE YOU DISCOVERED... ELEN LEVON?

By day she's a sweet, innocent school girl in Sydney's eastern suburbs; by night she's your next biggest popstar - I'm talking about Australia's answer to the next big thing, Elen Levon.

17 year-old Levon has been working tirelessly on her up-and-coming music career with producer Israel Cruz, singing to Ministry of Sound and getting ready to release her debut material.

Her debut single, Naughty, is set to be released on 23 September, but you can hear part of the track via the behind the scenes footage of her video shoot below. Can't wait to listen to the full track, Naughty sounds very promising. Not only can this girl sing, she can move.

Australia needs more pop beauties [WELCOME] Elen Levon.

HAVE YOU DISCOVERED... CHRIS SEBASTIAN?

Bursting onto the music scene can be difficult, especially when you share the surname of one of Australia's most successful pop artists of this generation. Chris Sebastian, brother of Australian Idol winner Guy Sebastian, knows just that.

After his famous brother went on to take the crown for the first series of the TV show, Chris was approached to audition. Wanting to find his own feet in the music industry, he declined. Chris then went on to work on his debut efforts, and here today we have the lead single off his debut album - F.L.O.W.

The single is a pop/R&B number with a very radio-friendly vibe. It's a little bit old school and a little bit cheese, but it works well and certainly shows off Sebastian's vocals talents. Inspired by artists such as Ne-Yo and Michael Jackson, Chris ignored the naysayers who told him that Australian R&B would never work. He’s stayed true to his family’s advice: “Do what you love.”

The track is promising and if local radio supports him, Sebastian could have a hit on his hands. I'm very interested in hearing what his album produces, so watch this space for more as it comes about.

Welcome, Chris Sebastian.

F.L.O.W. is available digitally today [ITUNES]

HAVE YOU DISCOVERED... LECTROLIPS?

Oh my - I have been meaning to write about these boys for so long, I almost feel guilty for not sharing their music with you! Forgive me, please? How about I tantalise you with their funky, electro sounds?

Leo Tarring & Antony Edwards make up the very talented duo known as LectroLips. Their indie-electro-pop sound is ripe, clever and somewhat cheeky. For me their name essentially provides a great definition of their music - electro pop honey that sits wonderfully on your lips.

If you're a fan of artists like Robyn, Röyksopp, Empire of the Sun, La Roux, etc - then these boys are for you.

You can listen to all of the boys brilliant work via their Soundcloud page (40+ tracks to listen to!); but below I have my favourite piece - Voyeur.

Welcome, LectroLips.

Voyeur by LectroLips

HAVE YOU DISCOVERED... RTI?

Straight out of South London come RTI - three very talented girls by the name of Raquel, Tina and Ivy. After meeting at their local church choir back in 2000, the trio have been working together with their eyes clearly set on the spotlight.

In 2008 the girls auditioned for the UK edition of X Factor, narrowly missing out just before the live finals. With their goals still set out on a career in music, the girls have worked tirelessly at perfecting their style and music - with this year paying off as the girls toured with Ne-Yo, Trey Songz and Chipmunk.

Now more determined that ever, the girls have released a track titled Cool It Off. If it's acting as a preview for what is yet to come off their debut album, then I like what I hear! It's a polished, sexy club/R&B tune that certainly gets your a$$ shakin'.

Great preview girls - can't wait to hear more.

Cool It Off is available as a free download off the girls Facebook page [SITE]

Welcome, RTI.

HAVE YOU DISCOVERED... PRINNIE?

Ex-Australian Idol contestant Prinnie Stevens, aka Prinnie, has released her debut single Lion.

The track offers a R&B/pop number with good beats and a sexy chorus (Imma make you roar like a lion!) that wouldn't be too out of place on a Jessica Mauboy, Rihanna or Beyonce album. Whilst it may not be as polished, it certainly is raw enough to show true talent.

Miss Prinnie needs no introduction to the industry either - she has an established career in New York and Singapore (where she featured as part of an all-girl group) and now is setting her sights back on Australia. Prinnie has featured on stage shows Rent and Footloose, and has also worked back and centre stage for artists such as Robbie Williams, Guy Sebastian and Ne-Yo... just to name a few.

So whilst I've only heard one track - I like what I hear. No auto-tune, real vocals, real music, with just enough attitude to bring it on home. Excellent.

Welcome, Prinnie.

Like it? Purchase Lion digitally today [ITUNES]

HAVE YOU DISCOVERED... VANBOT?

Oh - you know I love my new music, especially when said new music is as good as this. I'm talking about a track called Make Me, Break Me by Ester Ideskog, otherwise known as Vanbot.

Vanbot, yet another talented artist from the land of the Swedes, sounds a lot like a cross between Robyn and La Roux - the vocals of our other Swedish princess complimented with the pop-synth sound of Elly Jackson's group. Essentially, nothing short of a pure pop sensation.

On launching her debut single, in a recent interview with Pop in Stereo Vanbot cites some of her musical influences as Goldfrapp, Royksopp, Empire Of The Sun, The Chemical Brothers, Robyn, and Crystal Castles - clearly no surprises there.

Make Me, Break Me is taken from Vanbot's debut album which will be released globally in mid-April. Check out the audio below, and stay tuned for informaition on this new bundle of joy as I get it!

Welcome, Vanbot.

Purchase Make Me, Break Me digitally today [ITUNES]

HAVE YOU DISCOVERED... COCKNBULLKID?

Umm - do we need to talk about the name? Yes, the name. CocknBullKid is the stage name for a lurvely 25 year old singer/songwriter who hails from Hackney, England. Born Anita Blay (apparently too plain for some), she'll release her debut album, Adulthood, in May.

Having supported Marina & the Diamonds, Kele (of Bloc Party) and Janelle Monae on their recent tours all within the last twelve months, CocknBullKid has also found time to admit she'd kill a pigeon if she could. Ok, so that's a bit random I know - but it's something she said in a recent interview with Robot Pigeon and I thought it was funny.

As an artist CocknBullKid sounds a little bit like Santogold... that indie-pop-synth sound that is nothing short of pleasant to the ears. Others may think she's a little more MIA, but according to a recent interview with Paul Lester of The Guardian...

"...People put me in the MIA category, but I'm not grime and I'm not some 'ghetto princess'. I want to make pop music. The media put black people in boxes. It really irks me."

Ah, so there. No box putting please. In fact, Miss 'Kid cites her influences as David Byrne, Grace Jones, David Bowie and Kate Bush. A nice combo actually, and certainly nothing like MIA.

We were treated to One Eye Closed late 2010, and since then we've heard Hold On To Your Misery and her most recent single, Asthma Attack (my favourite - video below). The album, as mentioned earlier - Adulthood, will be released in the UK late May. Unfortunately no sign of an Australian release as of yet.

My final verdict on what I've heard so far - CocknBullKid offers a fresh, unprocessed, raw talent that will quite easily compliment an already great selection of new artists to arrive on the pop scene in the last 6-12 months. Let's maybe just do something with that name, shall we?

Welcome, CocknBullKid.

HAVE YOU DISCOVERED... GYPSY & THE CAT?

I can't begin to tell you how excited I am about the month of March. Apart from the obvious reasons like, ahem, it's someone pretty awesome's birthday (I'll give you a hint: ME, and it's today even!); March has produced some pretty amazing findings for my music collection.

I've discovered albums that are produced by brilliant singer/songwriters like Clare Maguire; been tainted by the beauty and talent of young Yasmin; and of course, finally got my hands on the outstanding follow up to a sensational debut album - Adele's 21.

So, let's talk about my next discovery. Welcome, Gypsy & the Cat.

Gypsy & the Cat are made up of two wonderful boys by the names of Xavier Bacash and Lionel Towers, who both hail from Melbourne. Over the last twelve months they have had a pretty whirlwind period which includes the following achievements:

+ Relocating to London, the boys were signed with UK record label Young & Lost
+ Their debut album, Gilgamesh, was produced by David Fridmann (producer for MGMT, Flaming Lips) and Rich Costey (producer for Muse, Franz Ferdinand)
+ They earned a nomination for the Triple J Unearthed J Award in 2010, narrowly missing out to Boy & Bear
+ Their first demo, Jona Vark, was picked up by Triple J and landed in at #64 on the Triple J Hottest 100 for 2010
+ Gilgamesh debuted in the top twenty in the ARIA Albums Charts late last year

AND - did I mention that these boys are only 21 years old? Same age as me!*

* so maybe I'm just a little older... shut up.

The sound of Gypsy & the Cat is a little bit of Empire of the Sun, with added acoustic folk. It's a little dream-synth, with added electro funk. And if you ask me, it's certainly a great sound - let's just say it's very 2011. Talking of very 2011, the guys have just been announced as Kylie Mingoue's support act for her Aphrodite Les Folies Tour 2011 here in Australia!

Whilst I'm yet to listen to the album in full, after hearing Jona Vark, Time to Wander and The Piper's Song; I like. I've attached a soundcloud set below for you to preview some of the tracks from the album...

Gilgamesh clips by Gypsy & The Cat

I think we have a winner here people... WINNING!

A video for Jona Vark was recently shot and released online only in the last couple of weeks (below). Take a listen and tell me your thoughts - do you like?
Visit Gypsy & the Cat's digital profile to purchase Gilgamesh today [ITUNES]

HAVE YOU DISCOVERED... YASMIN?

It seems as though new talent is everywhere at the moment. There'll be periods of time when the music world is absolute crap and we're dying for something or someone fresh, new, exciting and full of life. Apparently however, now is not that time - and alas, we venture to the northern hemisphere once again for our next talented artist.

All the way from the UK, welcome, Yasmin.

Yasmin is a 22 year-old singer-songwriter/DJ who first found fame DJ'ing across London a few years ago in a variety of clubs and shows. After supporting UK artist Example on his tour last year alongside fellow artist Devlin, Yasmin pursued a solo career. Prior to that she collaborated with Devlin on his top 20 UK hit Runaway [VIDEO].
Yasmin kicked off her solo career in January with her debut single On My Own [VIDEO] - a good track which reminds me a lot of early Massive Attack. Great sound and equally great vocals. The track achieved top 40 status in the UK.

Finish Line is Yasmin's follow up single, which will be released in the coming weeks. From my point of view it has mega-hit plastered all over it. It's catchy and fresh, and shows off all of Yasmin's talents - both vocally and visually... the girl is absolutely stunning.



But wait, there's more. Not content with how great Finish Line is already? Well, let me introduce you to the Freemasons Remix. "No, not again" I hear you say? Yes - the boys have done it again.

The Freemasons Remix takes a great track and turns it into an ah-mah-zing track. The boys do for Yasmin what they did for Kelly Rowland in Work - some slight movement with just enough pa-pow to make you wanna listen to it non-stop for a number of hours (which may or may not be what I have done).

Because I'm super cool and super nice, I've included both videos for you to view. You'll see what I mean. In the interim, listen and look out for this girl - I'm very impressed with what I've seen so far - and I think 2011 is going to be a good year for Yasmin. Enjoy and much love.

HAVE YOU DISCOVERED... CLARE MAGUIRE?

For a land that hands out pretty crap weather year in year out, it produces some pretty amazing talent. Of course I'm talking about the dreary land of the United Kingdom. Apart from providing us with such visual and vocal beauties like Adele and Marina Diamandis (Marina & the Diamonds); it seems as though the UK has another princess waiting for us to embrace. That princess is Clare Maguire.

The 23 year-old from Birmingham, England, was recently announced by the BBC as one of the top five in the BBC Sound of 2011 list as being one of this years most promising artists.

Her sultry, brooding voice compares her to the likes of Sian Evans (from Kosheen) or Sharleen Spiteri (from Texas). Clare's debut album, Light After Dark, was released late February and achieved top ten status in the UK - a great feat for a any artist breaking into the industry with their debut album.

The Last Dance, Clare's second single to be lifted off the album, is her most successful single to date. Emotionally it's a strong track, and for me it calls upon the same heartstrings as Robyn's Dancing On My Own... powerful... it leaves you wanting more as the song finishes. Clare wrote the number after music legend Michael Jackson's death, in response to unjust comments from the media about his life.

Whilst I'm yet to finish listening to the album in it's entirety, from what I've heard so far it certainly is a strong, mature album - and something very different to what we're experiencing globally right now in the world of pop music. This is nothing like Ke$ha, Rihanna or Beyonce. We're talking more Stevie Nicks, Annie Lennox or even Chrissie Hynde.

Love, love, love what I hear. What a breath of fresh air.

Purchase Light After Dark digitally today [ITUNES]

HAVE YOU DISCOVERED... FRENCH HORN REBELLION?

 I'm so impressed with tunes this year, seriously. The good vibes just keep on comin'... and these guys certainly don't let me down.

Welcome to the French Horn Rebellion. Robert and David Perlick-Molinari are two brothers who originate from the US; who since 2007 have been making sweet, sweet music.

It was only on the weekend that I stumbled upon This Moment, and apart from being captured by the quirkiness of the clip, I was caught up in how awesome the actual track was. For me, This Moment reminds me a lot of Australia's Miami Horror - that same sexy house music that sounds like it's been influenced by cool lounge bars across the globe.

Jump onto their MySpace site and preview other tracks such as Brasilia Girl and Up All Night... however my favourite is definitely This Moment (below).

Love 'em! What are your thoughts?