Triple Duffy

Like Mika last year, Duffy became my fave new artist on first hearing. I'm a bit late to post "Mercy", though still not tired of hearing it.

Here are a few other choice tracks. Duffy's voice eminds me a bit of an 80s singer called Carmel, whose biggest hit was "Bad Day".



The video for the title song from the current album, "Rockferry"



"Warwick Avenue", allegedly the next single, performed on "Later' last year



Lastly, a couple of covers from the 2007 into 2008 Hootenanny show.

Duke Special - Our Love Goes Deeper Than That

Finally found out the name of this track today - a collaboration with Duke Special featuring Romeo of The Magic Numbers and Neil Hannon, the genious behind The Divine Comedy.

Peter, Bjorn & John - Young Folks

Not a threesome in a gay twink movie but a Radio 2 favourite I've latched onto lately ...

Dame Shirley Bassey - "The Living Tree"

This entered the charts at the weekend - an apt track ahead of the diva's appearance at Glastonbury this year.

Here's the video description from YouTube:

"Official video for Dame Shirley Bassey's new single, The Living Tree, released 23rd April 2007. Unique and visually exciting, the video is included on the enhanced single alongside seven fantastic mixes. Please visit www.dameshirleybassey.com where you can order the single and join the mailing list to be sure you don't miss any of the exciting things coming up.It's difficult to know where to begin when it comes to describing Dame Shirley's incredible career which has spanned over 50 years. Having just celebrated her 70th birthday The Living Tree single and album prove age is no barrier for creating incredible music.The original Welsh Diva and one of Wales' greatest musical exports, she stands tall alongside fellow Welsh singers Charlotte Church, Katherine Jenkins, Tom Jones, Cerys Matthews, Dorothy Squires, Bryn Terfel and Bonnie Tyler to name but a few.The Living Tree was written and produced by Catherine Feeney and Nikki Lamborn of band Never The Bride. DSB fell in love with it after a chance encounter in Monte Carlo, where she now lives. During her career Shirley has also collaborated with Swiss band Yello on The Rhythm Divine. She sang with Chris Rea on his Ferrari inspired film, La Passione, and probably most famously with The Propellerheads whose international club hit History Repeating propelled her into the spotlight. It featured on the soundtrack to the movie There's Something About Mary starring Ben Stiller and Cameron Diaz and was the music behind a Jaguar car ad. Shirley is the only singer to have recorded more than one James Bond Theme. She recorded three! Applauded by John Barry, Sean Connery and David Arnold, her hit records Goldfinger and Diamonds Are Forever ranked as the two best Bond themes ever in a recent poll, where she comfortably beat fellow Bond singers such as Tina Turner, Madonna, Paul McCartney, Matt Monro, Gladys Knight, Sheryl Crow, Lulu and Sheena Easton to the top spots. Casino Royale star Daniel Craig recently suggested DSB should record the next theme - after hearing The Living Tree you can't help but see he's got a point! In recent years Shirley's recording of Diamonds Are Forever was sampled by hip-hop star Kanye West. DSB has performed duets with acts such as Neil Diamond, Andy Williams, Alain Delon, Michael Ball, Bryn Terfel, Charles Aznavour, Jack Jones, Robert Goulet and Eydie Gorme and shared a stage with Ray Charles and Liza Minnelli on a successful tour. Dame Shirley was the star of the M&S Christmas TV ad with her sparkling version of Pink's Get The Party Started. The ad, filmed in a spy movie style, featured models Twiggy, Lizzy Jagger, Erin O'Connor, Laura Bailey and Noemie Lenoir as undercover agents on a secret mission to attend an exclusive performance by DSB at a glamorous Christmas party. DSB premiered The Living Tree at the 2005 Royal Variety Performance, acknowledge d as the best in recent years. She topped the bill in her birth town of Cardiff closing the Welsh-flavoured show in spectacular style. Another highlight of the event was Catherine Tate asking the Queen "Is one bovvered?"

If you'd like to continue climbing The Living Tree join DSB at www.myspace.com/shirleybassey

Love to all Youtubers from Camp DSB"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dame_Shirley_Bassey

Candie Payne - I Wish I Could Have Loved You More

In a spooky coincedence I only heard this track this morning (on both Pete Mitchell and Jonathan Ross's Radio 2 shows) and searched for it on YouTube where the record company had just uploaded the video yesterday.

Eerie sound - a bit like if Portishead had collaberated with John Barry.

DJ Mark Ronson x 2

DJ Mark Ronson is behind the decks on both these tracks. The first I discovered via Sarah Kennedy's Dawn Patrol this week. It's a cover of the Smiths' "Stop Me If You've Heard THis One Before" but ends more like "You Keep Me Hangin' On". The vocals are by Daniel Merriweather.

The second is a surprisingly effective mix of Kylie's "Slow" and Boney M's "Sunny".

The Revelations - If I Called You on the Telephone

I apologise for more girls on the blog but this is a really catchy track, as heard on Alex Lester and the Dawn Patrol on Radio 2.

Folk totty - Seth Lakeman

His pictures don't really do him justice as was confirmed for me when he appeared live on the BBC 'Breakfast" programme yesterday morning - he really is gorgeous ! Later Seth won Best Singer at the Radio 2 Folk Awards.

His latest single "King and Country" is out now.

Robbie Williams - She's Madonna

In the mood for new releases, here's the dragtastic video for the Robster's new single. Have to admit I've not been much impressed with his output since the split with Guy Chambers, but here he hooks up again with the Pet Shop Boys for a track that is a grower.

Kaiser Chiefs - Ruby

The first single from the second album and their best since "I Predict a Riot" I think.

Available for download from Monday (5 February).

DJ Shadow - This Time (I'm Gonna Try It My Way)

Heard this one on Radio 2 a lot lately and have grown to love it. The video was chosen from a competition.