You have prob found yourself grooving to a new techno tune with a lovely voice and asked "who was that". Lately, there is a good chance it was Jes. Jes burst onto the scene with the smash dance hit As The Rush Comes with Garbriel and Dresden under the moniker Motorcycle. She followed that with another Motorcycle track, the acoustic Imagination and the pulsating Like A Waterfall with Solarstone. Finally, Jes has released her solo debut, Disconnect. Like A Waterfall is reprised here as well as the techno version of Imagination along with a slew of new Jes compositions including the standout, Want My Love.

Sample Tracks

• Want My Love
• Like A Waterfall
• Imagination

The National

After several years and a handful of largely ignored releases, this NY Indie band burst onto the scene with the their 3rd full length, Alligator. The album earned them several year end honors as well as a voracious Internet fanbase. With comparisons to Bruce Springsteen, Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen, the new album Boxer features one of the year's finer singles in Apartment Story.

Sample Tracks

• Apartment Story
• Mistaken For Strangers
• Secret Meeting

Charlotte Martin

This talented vocalist/songwriter/pianist has a long history of performing covers in her live shows. It's been no secret the artists she was influenced by, and she pays homage to them on Reproductions, her first covers collection. In addition to her takes on The Cure, New Order, Cocteau Twins, Sinead O' Connor, and Snow Patrol, standouts include Charlotte's versions of Massive Attack's Angel and Interpol's Obstacle 1.

Sample Tracks

• Angel
• Obstacle 1

Neverending White Lights

Daniel Victor has done it again. It pays to know people, and it seems Daniel has an endless supply of rockstar friends. His debut, Act:1: Goodbye Friends of the Heavenly Bodies featured contributions from members of Starflyer 59, Ours, 311, Our Lady Peace and Shudder To Think. On the new CD, Act 2: The Blood And The Life Eternal, Victor gets help from friends like Rob Dickinson, Aqualung, Melissa Auf De Mar and members of The Raveonettes and Mellowdrone. Victor himself takes lead vocals on the first single, Always.

Sample Tracks

• Always
• Distance ft Aqualung

Shout Out Louds

These Swedish Indiepopsters made a splash with their critically acclaimed 2005 US debut, Howl Howl Gaff Gaff. The follow up with a Morrissey-esque title, Our Ill Wills, sounds like a romp through the Melodic 80's Britpop of bands like The Cure, New Order and The Smiths. Just close your eyes and picture Robert Smith singing the infectiously poppy single, Tonight I Have To Leave It.

Sample Tracks

• Tonight I Have To Leave It
• Impossible