After some success over on 'pop' we felt this thread should be open to a wider audience, so:

You like a band/artist, they might be someone you have just discovered or an old favourite but your not sure if everybody knows them. It can be any genre of music.

Point us towards ONE track by them, (spotify; Lastfm; myspace; youtube etc.) and we will discover them for ourselves and give our opinion, then suggest ONE track of our own.

Remember not all tracks will be to your taste, so keep an open mind and constructive criticism please not just slagging off, your music is up for debate as well!

I will get the ball rolling. The tracks called Hell Alright by German band De-Phazz
If you type: de-phazz hell alright into youtube (the first item to come up should be the official video 3min 20 long 27 March 2007 posted by kriztalentainment)

Hi MC. Checked De-Phazz out on Youtube. Not really my kind of music (although harmless enough). On saying that the video was quite good.

My nomination is Alain de Courtenay's haunting "Love, Anyway" (from his debut album "The Pregnant Letter"), also on Youtube (live version) or myspace.com/alaindecourtenay.

Hi MC. Checked out DePhazz and quite like them, they do sound familiar and I guess I must have heard them before. Not typically my bag, but I will certainly keep a look out for them in the future.
Alain de Courtenay is a new one for me and he seemed to be alright, nice enough to check him out a bit more but not enough to go crazy for.
I will just copy and paste my last recommendation from over on the pop forum:
"I would like to recommend Stephen Fretwell. Whenever I mention him i get nothing but blank faces and I think he should be alot bigger and more recognised than he his. His album "Magpie" is really good. Try the tracks "Emily" or "What's that you say little girl" on Youtube".

So were off to a flyer, For your delectation an discussion we have De-phazz - hell alright; Alain de Coutenay - Love, Anyway and Stephen Fretwell's Emily.

Have a listen to these three leave a comment and a suggestion of your own
Cheers, I'm off to have a listen
MC

1) De Phazz - "Hell Alright" Liked this, mellow with trippy video reminded me a bit of Moloko.
2) Alain De Courtenay - "Love Anyway". The music and vocals were fine but found myself distracted by the ignorant rabble who talked all the way through it, bearable.
3) Stephe Fretwell - "Emily". I will always listen with an open mind, but this wasn't my cup of tea, sorry.

My recommendation (and apologies if you've heard this before) is Brian Setzer "Hell bent" on Spotifyspotify:track:0iFJspQFItv5gq5hGuvUMH (just out of interest, is that a clickable link on the left?)

no Foe it isnt, full marks for trying, I dont know how to do them either
S.R.J

D'oh! Stupid Spotify, anyway hi SRJ, MC's looking for you all I can tell you is he mentioned your name along with "knee caps" and "break" in the same sentance!

oh dear, what the hell have I done now? well I await my fate.
S.R.J

Stewart, Defoe's winding you up. I happened to ask if anyone had heard from you recently on the 'Footie Forum' so I could gauge when to send you that email. So, all done and dusted (apart from DeFoe's knees, that is!)

ok lets get back on track
De Phazz-I like it, its a genre-less style of music, bits of all sorts in there. Not keen on the video though.I'm guessing its the kind of thing I would enjoy in small doses, if that is characteristic of their output in general.
I have just come across Deer Tick-folksy lo-fi americana stuff, playing in Manchester in a couple of weeks ,so on spotify try 'Ashamed'
S.R.J

S.R.J. I mentioned Deer-tick in the same breath as The Felice Brothers when I was explaining to Hyper the kind of Alt-Country stuff I liked, having said that 'Ashamed' is his best track so far in my opinion but bl**dy good all the same.

I have listened to Fretwell and De Courtnay both are very talented singer/songwriters with distinct voices and I think that they resonate strongly with Collette and DeFoe. We all have our personal favourites in this genre and I'm sticking with mine!

Next up - a 68 year old Mississippi blues/jazz man making African pop songs, his name is Olu Dara and the track: I See The Light (spotify) if you like this, try the youtube video: olu dara your lips.
Ps. Olu's son is the hugely successful rapper Nas - but don't hold it against him!

M.C., after listening to De Phazz I checked out a few of their other songs too. The one that stuck in my head was "Something special", which has promted me to buy Death by Chocolate, is this the album you would have recommended? Thanks TheFoe. P.s will listen to Olu Dara and Deer Tick in a bit.

TheFoe, I own everything De-Phazz have released - except for the best of....no point really. Death By Chocolate is a great album encompassing everything from ska, jazz and pop.
Me and MrsMC actually walked down the aisle to 'Something Special' if you listen to the lyrics you'll twig it's ironic.
'I'll be faithful just like Lady Chatterly... cos, you're so special....just like everybody else'. We were giggling away but the registrar was completely oblivious......I don't think she would have approved somehow.
Enjoy it, I'm sure you will.
Cheers
MC

Thanks M.C. I bought it for £6 inc p&p but haven't received it yet. Tried Deer tick "Ashamed", and as much as I liked the music I didn't like the singers voice. Olu Dara's "I see the light" was nice, I like this sort of thing a lot. When I listened to both tracks, Deer tick and Olu Dara, Spotify decided to stop in random places and then start up again. Anyone else experiencing this problem? A while back ago someone started a thread that asked for rock and roll recommendations, somebody suggested Danny Gatton "Sweet Georgia Brown" a talented guitarist, the song is slow to start but builds up nicely for a toe tapping finish! You will find this on Spotify.

Olu dara- its just too 'funky' for me, never did get funk really.
Danny gatton is an altogethor tastier proposition, not heard of him previously, good stuff,that will be my ironing music this morning.
S.R.J

Hi - I have just had a listen to Danny Gatton and Olu Dara. Both good in their own way, although I preferred the Olu Dara track. I also listened to Deer Tick, that was a but more my thing, really good and will certainly check them out more.
Right, my recommendation is Adjagas and a track called "Siivu" available on youtube

Just listened to Adjagas - "Siivu" but had the usual problem with youtube stop start stop start (or is it just my computer?) However perservered and tried it on Spotify which was loads better. Nice song too, I like listening to what other countries have to offer and this got a thumbs up from me. Staying continental my recommendation is Sharon Shannon's "Libertango" featuring Kirsty MacColl who sings in English with the occasional French patter in the background. You will find this on Spotify.

Mark-I have the album, it got rave reviews at the time of release. I hoped it would be a grower unfortunately it wilted.
But Foe-Sharon Shannon can do no wrong in my book-good choice of track too.
S.R.J

Sharon Shannon - not heard before and very nice indeed, a really good track.
S.R.J, i I really liked the Adjagas album it did grow on me after while but perhaps not for everyone. In a similar ethereal, scandanavian vein I recommend Efterklang and the track Doppelganger - available on youtube (i can't get spotify to work so not sure if it is on there)

Olu Dara was a good pick. I'd like to mention the late SE (Sooliman) Rogie, a Sierra Leonian who lived in England, and especially the rather beautiful album he recorded shortly before his death: Dead Men Don't Smoke Marijuana.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh1xsbbcHVY&feature=related

Quite liked SE Rogie but can't find tracks for the Dead Men......album.

Here's a daft song but a happy, happy video that will hopefully brighten up this cold, grey day for you.

On youtube - cody chesnutt look good in leather
choose the 'official look good in leather video' 3 min 33 secs - 22 July 2008 (I think it's the last one that comes up out of the 7 video boxes).

Another good choice MC, couldn't take this song seriously at all but it was a lot of fun. The "Death by chocolate" album by De Phazz is very good so thanks again for that! My recommendation is Beck "Sexx Laws" and is found on Spotify. This man has recorded so many songs, that it was hard to choose one, but this is Beck at his funky/Princesque best.

Can't believe this thread, one that has everything to do with real music, has once again been left to sink without trace! Only MC, SRJ and myself seem to contribute. C'mon: Hyper, MK, Schitz, B.O.F., Peter, Amberley, Krytical, Greysuit, Colette, Phil B, Carradale, no cheese, Adam Jackson, et al, show us what you got!!

Hello The Foe
I like this thread and do try to contribute. Sometimes though recommendations are overlooked which is a bit of a pain because I always try to recommended something that is a bit different or on a similar theme of a previous recommendation.
Anwyay I certainly agree that a higher particpation rate is needed!
And good call on Beck, I am a big Beck Fan.