Tuesday, March 19, 2024
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Hot Property

Being the editor of a website has its perks. I won't brag about these perks but one perk I will share with you is that I am often sent demo material or CDs before release dates, or even before an artist has been signed. This makes me an extraordinarily happy bunny. Why wouldn't it? I acquire music that I love. Most of the time I am presented with something nice, less of the time I am sent something I don't want to hear again in my life. Even more rarely I am sent something by someone I have never heard of and I am blown away. I instantly know that this artist will be big for a variety of different reasons, whether it is the voice, the marketing potential or the original creativity they offer. Maybe not today or tomorrow, maybe not in the next few years, but they will be big.

I want to share with you those artists that presented me with those rare moments of awe and excitement. Any catch your eye? (or ears?) Let me know in the comments!

Phillippa Lusty
Did you snigger at the surname? That in itself will bag sales, won't it? But who cares? She doesn't need an eye-catching name because Phillippa Lusty has it all. From her commanding stage presence, flawless vocals, rich compositions, beautiful arrangements to a commercially viable image that will force most people to look twice, all Lusty has to do is keep on doing what she's doing. The question isn't "if?" it's "when?". She's already had invitations from major labels, been encouraged by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and has had many of her songs produced by Ian Tilley (the producer behind Hayley Westenra, Camilla Kerslake, Libera and All Angels). She's still holding on to her creativity and vision through working as an independent artist, but either way, her future is looking promising. Did I mention that she's an excellent violinist, too ...?


Annelies
Annelies is the full package. A marketer's dream. She's young and pretty with a remarkable voice for her age. She's currently under discussions with a few major record companies. I found Annelies on Youtube singing 'Time To Say Goodbye'. Anyone that knows me knows that I never want to hear that song again, nonetheless, the performance from Annelies struck me. She was calm and poised, her voice was rich with maturity and ability and she was remarkably beautiful. I couldn't contact her manager fast enough. To my joy he sent me a collection of her songs and I enjoyed one of them so much I played it non-stop for three days in succession (don't believe me? check my last.fm). Annelies has caught the attention of industry officials and has had songs penned especially for her and July saw Annelies perform alongside fellow crossover artists Hayley Westenra, Faryl Smith and Jonathan Ansell. The "bright future" is looking more like a "bright present" at each passing day.


Bad Boy of Opera
He is frustratingly elusive. I can't even tell you for sure who is part of this project - if it's a band, or if it's just one man. They don't give anything away. They will not send anything to me until everything is "finished". Perfectionists, then. Which can only be a good thing. One thing I know for sure is that the vocalist is Ki Fitzgerald. I'm not sure if that is his real name, but I'm sure that's the name he goes by these days. Not telling you much, am I? Well, he is young and hip, handsome in a very cool way with a voice that may have Josh Groban shaking in his sneakers. I'd bet my CD collection that he has a background in rock music. He writes his own songs, which I luckily heard before he took them down (the only song available for listening at time of writing is a U2 cover). He is on the pop/rock side of matters, and he is the most refreshing male artist in this genre I have ever heard. Ever. Ever.

Diana Yukawa
Perhaps this one is cheating a little, as Diana Yukawa is already signed to Sony and has enjoyed number one albums in Japan, but for the first time, Diana is trying for the international market and has been busy in the UK throughout 2010, having supported Katherine Jenkins in concert in July and fronting Picnic Summer Concerts at Kenwood House. Diana is a violinist who composes her own music and puts on explosive visual concerts. She is often compared to Vanessa-Mae, and I think I'd have to concede and say there are similarities, but she is not a clone. She is artistic, vibrant and colourful. She's fun but reflective and passionate in her more emotive pieces. Her album, The Butterfly Effect is already available in Japan but the rest of the world will have to wait as Sony prepares her for Europe.


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