Adele                                       Kate Nash                                                     Duffy

In North America, the radio market is so balkanized that listeners are forced to listen — if they listen at all — to “narrow cast” radio stations, ranging from mainstream top 40 (Crave), rhythmic top 40 (The Beat) and classic rock (CFMI), to adult album alternative — generally referred to as Triple A — (the format of the three new Vancouver radio stations the CRTC recently awarded licenses to), modern rock (CFOX), country (JR FM), easy listening oldies and contemporary (QM and Clear FM), and mainstream rock (JACK FM), the latter a combination of ‘heritage’ and relatively modern ‘rock’.
Within these various strict radio formats, there’s not much room for eclecticism. Either a song fits the format or it doesn’t get played. Not so in England. Radio in Great Britain plays whatever is best, ranging from pop to blues, and jazz through hip-hop, from Busta Rhymes to Coldplay, from Ironik to Martha Wainwright, Goldfrapp, Elbow, Kid Rock and The Verve.
Ain’t no oversimplified compartmentalizing going on in British radio.
This summer young female British blues singer-songwriters are all the rage, including: Adele, Kate Nash, Duffy, Amy MacDonald, and Laura Marling. The relatively recent emergence, and popularity, of Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen and KT Tunstall has created an opening for a new generation of British female vocalists, reflecting a new kind of “girl power” in Britain. The new young artists have gained recognition through their own MySpace sites, posting a whack of thrilling homemade music videos to YouTube, as well.

Of this new crop, Adele is VanRamblings’ favourite. Dubbed the “next Amy Winehouse” in late 2007, Adele has the most mature and expressive voice, and the greatest vocal range, of this new group of British female singers. Confessional, powerful, inspirational and just a bit melancholy, VanRamblings first caught Adele on late night David Letterman, and we were absolutely blown away.
Here’s Adele with Hometown Glory, a tribute to her home town, London, recorded months before she was signed to a label, and the début of 19. And here’s the official video of Chasing Pavements, the song she knocked out of the park on Letterman, gaining a whack of new fans in the process.
You may want to check out the remaining songs on 19: the exceedingly beautiful Daydreamer; the brutally honest, rocking Cold Shoulder; and, the lullaby-like First Love. We’ll leave you with Adele’s Make You Feel My Love.
After the jump, allow VanRamblings to introduce you to Kate Nash, and …

Continue reading Blazing The Trail For New, Young British Female Vocalists →

If you haven’t heard the music of Chrisette Michele, there’s no time like the present to rectify that oversight. Presenting a funk-driven, old school-flavoured R&B, Michele‘s fusion of the sounds of Philadelphia and Detroit re-invents urban contemporary talkin’ blues in such an engagingly satisfying manner that you’re bound to come away dancin’, smiling all the while, upon your first listen. At which point, you’ll want to rush out and buy her début CD, I Am.
Here’s a streaming, four song introduction to Chrisette Michele.

With a lineup of guest artists that include homegrown gals, The Be Good Tanyas and Po’Girl; the irrepressible Utah Phillips; Manitoba’s The Wailin’ Jennys; Scotland’s greatest living singer-songwriter, Dougie Maclean; Welsh singer-songwriter Martyn Joseph, among a raft of other chroniclers of our times, tickets are now onsale for Vancouver’s very best festival of the year.