Great new music from independent labels and artists all around the world

Ah, the sound of an English summer.Maybe the music this week reflects the weather, quite mellow and almost downbeat in places. Maybe it’s just the after-effect of too many late nights and far too much travel. The picture this week links the wet weather, a song in the show and my mid-winter present to me! Yesterday to Southampton four hours each way for a 30 minute presentation. Very nice hospitable people and it was a pleasure to see them but you do wonder about the cost-effectiveness of it. At least trrain travel was greener than driving.IntroIndependence Day – JestaBryan Page is the guy that is Jesta. Bryan has been working in recording studios in the U.K. since the late 1980’s as an engineer, producer, singer and musician. Now at last he has found the time to come up with some of his own music with a little help from his friends."Sunday evening 8pm – looking at my Google calendar I notice that it’s American Independence Day in two days time. I wonder if there’s anything much on music.podshow.com for podcasters to play? Hey – there’s not much!Right then and there I drop everything I’m doing and quickly bash out a song called Independence Day. The lyrics come easily – Podshow+ is due to open any day now and so I make the lyrics about podcasting, new media and stuff like that.The whole thing is written and recorded by bedtime!www.jesta.co.uk/Ambush – Ryan Shupe and the Rubber Band (Utah, USA)A band formed by Ryan Shupe while in college that has grown a national following in the past 11 years. The band is named for its elastic embrace of lots of styles of music, all tied by a common love of largely acoustic instruments, with drums and electric bass powering their famous rockin’ live show.www.shupe.net/Sanity – No Fixed Abode (Derbyshire, UK)Tony and Una from NFA just sent me the rest of the NFA back catalogue and it’s interesting to hear the evolution of a band over a few years. Their first EP, called Work in Progress was released as Luna and had a feel which they thought was a bit too rocky. Perhaps by way of reaction, their first full album release was Acoustic Attitude a twelve track album which included some re-workings of tunes on the earlier EP. This track is kind of representative and illustrates the wonderfully natural and apparently effortlessly soaring voice of Una Walsh. I could listen to her night – oh, I say!The newest album Clearwater is getting lots of justifiably great reviews. Tony and Una asked me to say Hi to TC who was the first Suffolk ‘n’ Cool listener in the USA to order the album. I’ll bet you are enjoying it TC.www.freewebs.com/musicnfa/ Soul Shakedown Party – Bob Marley vs Afrodiciac Sound System  (California, USA) Reggae legend Bob Marley is being reintroduced to sound systems worldwide. Today’s hottest producers – including Fort Knox Five, Jimpster, Yes King (Rhys Adams & Mark Rae), Afrodisiac Sound System, Trio ElÃ�©trico (Boozoo Bajou) and DJ Spooky have remixed a dozen of the master’s cherished songs. This was nearly another SnC First Play but GD got in first!http://myspace.com/rootsrockremixedEspresso – Jack Wyles (California, USA)"I presently reside in Oakland, CA., have my own studio, and have released 3 CD’s on my own record label. I supply the sax and bass, keyboards, production and engineering on most of my tracks. My new CD is MERRY MADNESS. I blend jazz improvisation and electronica grooves." http://jackwyles.com/No less that three of this week’s tracks are getting their world first podcast airings as Suffolk ‘n’ Cool firstplays.New pair of boots – Old Southern Moonshine Revival (North Carolina, USA) FIRST PLAY  Old Southern Moonshine Revival is a modern country duo made up of Neil Broere and Marcus Kiser. The sound is Johnny Cash meets Keith Urban. A blending of the intensity and authenticity of Cash with the structure of modern country….add a dose of southern rock and you have a Revival!http://osmrmusic.com/You leave – Rose Reiter (Vancouver, Canada)  FIRST PLAYWriter, Vocalist, Pianist, Guitarist, Co-ProducerRose’s passion for writing and playing music was evident at the age of 3, when she began to play piano by ear. After various refusals from piano teachers to take her on (due to her tiny hands at age 3), her father finally found a music teacher. Seems like the trouble was well worthwhile! http://myspace.com/rosereiterTravel again as soon as the show is done today – up to Norwich for the celebration of The Winelight Club’s first birthday. Congratulations to Tony and Steve. Vinnie Peculiar is playing, along with Sean Redmond and Katie Skilling.Vagabond Heart – Jamie Marshall (Prague, Czech Republic)  FIRST PLAYFor 20 years, I’ve been part of London’s live music scene, gigging at venues as varied as the Royal Festival Hall, the Twelve Bar Club, and the London Transport Museum.Nationally, I’ve appeared on UK radio (Radio 1, Radio 2, and Radio 5) and television (BBC 1, BBC 2, Channel 4, and Sky TV). At a local level, I have been the featured live music guest on numerous local radio stations including;BBC GLR, BBC Radio Wales,BBC Radio Bristol and BBC Radio Newcastle.I’m now based in Prague in the Czech Republic.I needed a change of scene and I’d visited this beautiful city on a number of previous occasions and always loved it. I now have four residencies in the city. One at Marquis de Sade in Templova, (Wednesdays and Sundays) a second on Monday and Thursday nights just around the corner at Red Hot and Blues in Jakubska, Fridays at Noels Lounge in Vinohrday and Saturdaysat The Mandarin Oriental Hotel in the Mala Strana.I’m also venturing out of Prague either solo, or with The Tonny Blues Band or with Vera Martinova, with whom I have been working very closely for about a year now.www.jamiemarshall.com/