Amy Winehouse -
Talk about starting off the year with a flying start – after being in the Top 40 for 13 weeks ‘Back To Black’ finally reached the No.1 spot. Bingo. A complete grower & word of mouth wonder, whatever the bad press surrounding the hair & drink, the resulting hype seems to have done the trick. Miss Winehouse has risen above it all and let the music do the talking. The perfect threesome of Mark Ronson, Salaam Remi & her great self has delivered an album with more soul & depth than anything this century. Just listen to these treats -

Back To Black (Island 2/4/07)

Tears Dry On Their Own

Shiny Toy Guns – Le Disko (Mercury 29/1/07)
Shiny electro disko sounds are what these Californians are made of. They’ve been refining and revisiting their latest album ‘We Are Pilots’ for almost 2 years but it’s finally complete and ready to launch nationwide on 19th March. With live shows famous for their amazing energy and on-stage performances, ‘Le Disko’ is a tune that must be heard & turned up loud.

Jay Z – Last One (Mercury 5/2/07)
Is this the last one? Well that’s what he said last time but praise the God of Air Force One’s he’s back. With production as slick as his shades this track is a nice little taster from the ultimate hip-hop master mogul and is taken from the huge ‘Kingdom Come’. And no Beyonce in sight!

Mark Ronson – Toxic (Album out 16/4/07)
Uber-cool producer Ronson has added his own unique twist to one of Miss Spear’s finest Cathy Dennis penned tunes. Who’d have thought you could add a dash of Ghostface Killah, replace disco with the smoothest beats to blend up a cover that sounds like an original. A nice taster from his covers album which is out on 16th April.

Martha Reeves and the Vandellas - You've Been In Love Too Long
This was a classic 1965 Motown US hit and crossed over to the dark side thanks to Bonnie Raitt. She made it famous on her rock album ‘Takin’ My Time’.

Prefab Sprout - Appetite
Taken from County Durham’s finest’s second album, ‘Steve McQueen’, ‘Appetite’ by the fabulous Prefab Sprout features some of Paddy McAloon’s most wistful lyrics. About a mother-to-be considering naming her child after her lust for life, this peach of a song, is ripe for covering.

Luke Toms – Fools With Money (Island 07)
Brought up on a diet of British pop, Cornish pasties & moustaches, Luke Toms is the eccentric genius that is a one to watch. His 1st single hums it’s way into your head & will have you checking his Myspace for the next gig by the end. The songwriter with style’s debut album ‘The Forever House’ is released later this year. It will make you want to learn an instrument….and not the recorder.