Most music geeks will have heard of Clare Maguire, as she’s tipped to be ‘the next big thing’ in 2011 by many music critics.  One thing she definitely has going for her are some powerhouse bluesy vocals.  Her voice is full of soul and reminds me of Beth Hart, although she’s been compared to Stevie Nicks and Annie Lennox (which I don’t see at all).

Clare is seemingly playing the field by doing what many new artists are doing these days and releasing a few buzz singles, before probably releasing a full album later in the year.

She definitely has the full package of sexy looks, big vocals, and solid production..which is probably why HURTS took her on tour with them last year.

Check out her overproduced-Katie Melua-esque video for Ain’t Nobody, and keep your eyes and ears open for much more from Clare in 2011.

http://claremaguire.co.uk/

http://www.myspace.com/claremaguire

Polly Jean Harvey is on of my top 5 artists of all-time..She is either someone that you ‘get’ or you don’t..She’ll probably never have a top 10 single, or even a top 20 single for that matter..but she’ll always be one of the most innovative artists that our generation will ever see..She makes it a point not to record the same type of album twice and proves to us each time that she is nothing short of a musical genius..I want to leave all of the good stuff for my review of her upcoming album, Let England Shake..In the meantime, check out the gorgeous video for the lead single from Let England Shake, ‘The Last Living Rose’. It’s quintessential PJ: Moody, quirky, and different. I love the video and it reminds me of taking long summer drives around the English countryside to visit my extended family in the UK. PJ Harvey’s new album, Let England Shake, drops 14 February in the UK and 15 February in the US. Enjoy!

http://pjharvey.net/

I’ve been meaning to get the word out about a new artist named I Am Noxious for quite some time..Well what better day introduce you all to a new song of his named ‘The Snowman’ than a day where I’m fucking trapped under 3 feet of snow in my house? I’m not a fan of ‘holiday’ music at all and I almost wish that the word snowman were not in the title of this cute little ditty..(umm, who says that?)..but, Mr. Noxious is a newcomer to the scene & he deserves to have our ear. His voice is very reminiscent of Alexis Taylor from Hot Chip’s voice..the music sits somewhere between synth and electropop, while his voice seems to always have a soothing effect on even my most stubborn of bad moods. (Those who know me well must think he’s some kind of miracle-worker, if he’s able to cut through my moods..)

Check out his song, I Am A Snowman and…..download it for free! Then head over to his myspace page for more. I will be keeping an eye out for new music from Mr. Noxious for sure!

Note: To download the song, right click on the link and select ‘save link as’

http://www.myspace.com/iamnoxious

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Happy Snowy Fucking Monday..or, as I like to call it, The Perfect Fucking Time To Meet Ben Lerman. (I have no idea what that means..just roll with it).

I had the opportunity to meet the fucking hysterical Ben Lerman recently at my birthday party, of all places..It turns out we have a common friend and it also turns out that we both a fucking sick sense of humor and were pretty much cracking each other up the whole time. (I was wasted and I still remember him cracking me up).

Ben has become a fixture in the New York comedy scene in recent years, which says a lot right there. He’s toured both domestically and internationally after appearing on Logo TV, Here TV, and Sirius Sattellite Radio as a regular guest on both Keith & The Girl and the very funny Frank DeCaro Show.

One only has to peruse his YouTube page for a few minutes and look at any one of his videos to figure out that Ben is equal parts funny, twisted, authentic, and talented. From his sort-of-makes-you-feel-better ‘It Gets Better’ video to his..ummm..lovely account of having anal with an American Idol called ‘The Idol In Me’, Ben is pure comedic gold.

Listen, I have lots of friends. One thing I refuse to do is give someone a free pass onto my website just because we’re ‘friends’. My stamp of approval is something I give often, but only when it’s truly deserved. Ben is somebody that I’m really excited about. Not in a needing-to-go-to-the-hospital-for-an-erection-lasting-four-hours kind of way, but in a makes-me-laugh-so-hard-that-hopefully-my-six-pack-will-come-back kind of way. He’s a fuckin hoot and I hope you will take a few minutes out of your snowy day to watch his videos and have a giggle.

Check out the video for his new single, Ben Lerman Plays The Ukulele..and then head over to his website for more Ben.

http://www.youtube.com/user/benlermanvideos

http://www.benlerman.net/benlerman/benlerman.net.html

http://www.facebook.com/benlermancomedy