New York City based jazz singer & songwriter who released her first major CD Red Soil In My Eyes with the hit single Ingele in 2007. Somi was born on June 6, 1976 in Champaign, Illinois and is of Rwandan and Ugandan descent. While Red Soil In My Eyes was her first internationally-distributed effort, Somi has an earlier independent release entitled Eternal Motive (2003) that was once largely-out-of print, but was re-issued in 2008 for digital distribution.

Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, the group's sixth full-length, looks poised to build on the commercial and artistic success of Gimme Fiction - an album that topped many critics' lists of the landmark releases of 2005. "Spoon continues to build one of the most consistent, and distinctive, bodies of work in indie rock", raved Heather Phares of the All-Music Guide, "the band makes changes and takes chances from album to album, but ends up sounding exactly how Spoon should sound each time." Gimme Fiction was a darker and heavier album than anything Daniel & Co. had done this decade, but it retained the Stax and Motown elements that made Girls Can Tell and Kill The Moonlight such unusually propulsive (and danceable) indie rock records. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga promises further innovation; we won't know for sure until July 10, but lead single "The Underdog" sure suggests that it'll be another killer set. Producer Jon Brion (Kanye West, Fiona Apple, Aimee Mann), adds a full horn section to the usual Spoon algebra of acoustic guitar, intricate drumming, and imaginative use of alternate percussion. Britt Daniel has one of the most recognizable voices in contemporary music, and here he wraps it around a melodic hook that's succinct, sharp, and unforgettable

Without sacrificing an ounce of energy or urgency, David Reid and The Contrast have matured. Every Contrast recording strongly indicates how powerful a force this quartet is in concert, and "My Peace Of Mind" is no exception. A performance clip is really the only proper match for a song that sounds so live, and The Contrast have complied with some compelling footage of the group in action. But this is no dull representation of a Contrast show; instead, the band plays with color and light, and warps the space around them as they play. Shots are saturated with monochromatic illumination - but then a different hue will flash across the flame, or the image of a bandmember will warp or smear. There's a feeling of destabilization that permeates the clip - a sense of psychological deterioration, peril, and the stealthy approach of madness. Masks, fireworks pinwheels, bandages, old stock footage of airplanes, dust clouds and blur effects: they all serve to literalize Reid's mental state, and make the encroaching darkness palpable for the audience.

The Damnwells are an indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York, who are signed to Zoe/Rounder Records. The band formed in 2001 and have released two full length albums. The first, "Bastards of the Beat," was recorded in a storage space and in lead singer and songwriter Alex Dezen's bedroom. It was released on Epic Records (Sony/BMG) in April of 2003. The Damnwells' second full length album, "Air Stereo," was recorded at Brooklyn Recording studios in Brooklyn, NY for Epic Records, but was released on Zoe/Rounder Records after the band was let go from their recording contract with Epic in January of 2006. "Air Stereo" was released in stores nationwide on Aug 15, 2006.

The Damnwells have shared the stage with many superstars over the years, such as The Dixie Chicks, Cheap Trick, The Fray and Los Lonely Boys.

A documentary detailing the Damnwells' struggles has just been completed, entitled "Golden Days." The film was directed and shot by documentary filmmaker Chris Suchorsky, and won Best Documentary at the 2007 Phoenix Film Festival in April of 2007.

On April 4th, 2008, Alex Dezen announced on MySpace that the band would most likely not appear in its original formation anymore. He plans to release a studio album in the summer of 2008 together with drummer Andrew Ratcliffe, bassist Adrian Dickey, pianist/guitarist Freddy Hall, and producer Wes Kidd. On his blog, Dezen states that "The Damnwells has always been about my songs with extremely talented musicians and producers collaborating. The personnel have changed, but the essence [...] remains the same." As of March recording is completed with only mixing and mastering left to do. The record was recorded over the course of seven days and features many new tracks which have been posted on YouTube in acoustic form.[

Lately, The Dollyrots and their music have been turning up everywhere. The band has shared stages with the like-minded Muffs and Soviettes, they're currently touring the nation, and they'll be hooking up with the Warped Tour in July. Dollyrots songs have been used on CSI:NY, and frontwoman Kelly Ogden appeared in an episode of the program as the bassist of a fictitious rock group (and even got to be "murdered" on network TV by a bandmate! How punk is that?) The exuberant "Watch Me Go (Kissed Me, Killed Me)" is set to be featured on The Simple Life; "This Cruch" received airtime on The Style Network and lead single "Because I'm Awesome" on Ugly Betty. Sirius Radio deejay and rock 'n' roll hero Little Steven named "Because I'm Awesome" the "coolest song in the world".

The track offers some ironic self-affirmation. It's all done with a wink and put-on pout, and it's as much a critique of the pomp and hyperbole of the music industry as it is a commentary on culture of self-promotion in Los Angeles. For the video, they've also found the perfect metaphor: the tryouts of American Idol. The clip finds the band at the filming of a hypothetical reality show called Because I'm Awesome, and the camera scans the long lines of disaffected performers waiting to strut their stuff. The judges are here, too, leaning back in their padded chairs, pointing pens at the would-be rock stars, and critiquing the performances with a diagnostic eye and a sense of entitlement. The three Dollyrots stand before the logo in different guises: a California girl, a cowboy, a rapper in a hoodie, a glamour queen in a black dress, an anarchic cheerleader. Ogden even puts on a bunny suit with a gas mask and shoves the other contestants. The Dollyrots won't play by the rules; they're storming the gates of the fame industry on their own terms, and according to their own offbeat logic.

In case there was any question about it, the video for "She Moves In Her Own Way" announces The Kooks' intention to take the Western Hemisphere by storm. The beautifully-shot clip finds The Kooks on tour in Mexico, streaking from town to town on bus, walking the dusty streets and perching high above marquees written in Spanish, and horsing around in a luxurious hotel pool. They possess the ease and grace of true rock stars: there's an inevitability and confidence in every move they make, and all four bandmembers command the camera with playfulness and exuberance. This is the sort of clip that a group makes during the first flush of worldwide success - and that feeling of wonder and amazement at the thrill of rock and roll fame is present in every frame.

They've made an inspired choice of collaborator, too. Diane Martel is an auteur of glamour, and one of the most sought-after video directors working in American commercial music. She specializes in capturing the mercurial personalities of superstars, and her world-famous clips for Jennifer Lopez ("Get Right"), Alicia Keys ("If I Ain't Got You"), John Legend ("So High") and Beyoncé ("Listen") offer the viewer an intimacy rarely seen on contemporary music television. Martel has done the same for the rock bands she's worked with (Franz Ferdinand, The Bravery, and The Killers, just to name a few), showcasing both the dynamism of the groups and the star quality of the individual members.