TOUR DE FORCE 3

Welcome to the album page for our fantastic " Tour De Force 3" compilation album. This incredible album features a wide selection of the hottest new up and coming Independent bands and artists from all over the world. From rock ballads, melodic Indie anthems and acoustic gems to electro pop to power pop to experimental soundscapes. There is something for every new music lover on this album and it's available physically for those of you who like a proper real CD in your hands and also digitally for this Ipod lovers.

BIOG'S, REVIEWS, PHOTOS AND LINKS BELOW 

Irish Indie rockers The Whatmans above

The Whatmans – Devil Shoes

A four piece band from Ireland established in 2007 consisting of John Brennan on vocals, Padar Mulvey on lead guitar, Francis 'Frany' McGinn on bass guitar and Aidan Carolan on drums. The band have sold out venues all across Ireland and have been described as having  "...all the ingredients of indie-pop culture right to the bone"- by Music Review Unsigned
David Says
This is indeed crashing driving rock music. John Brennan’s vocals sear across a sea of flailing guitars and driving rhythms to give a truly epic sense of scale to this song. A real powerhouse rocker and a great calling card for the band.
www.myspace.com/thewhatmans

The incredible British band The Myst above

The Myst – Too Much Beauty

The Myst are a British band with a unique earthy, raw sound. They are a fusion of two families from Sussex - Wilson/Davies. The three main singers are siblings Natasha, John and Peter Wilson. They are joined by their father Dave Wilson, on percussion. The line up is completed by twin brothers Mike and Simon Davies who make up the rhythm section.
David Says
The Myst play a sound instantly recognisable as English rock. A slight folk lilt cutting through the mix to give it a unique feel. Great vocals combine with a nice open arrangement to carry this song.
www.myspace.com/themystmusic

British pop troubadour Steve Heathcock above

Steve Heathcock – Rue The Day

Hailing from Stourbridge in the UK Midlands, Steve Heathcock is a singer/song-writer with his debut album just out. He reckons he is just an ordinary geezer who writes real songs about real issues. Hi sound has been described as classic rock by critics.
David Says:
A simply direct song that drops you into the story and out again with ease. Steve’s voice is strong and pleasant, making sure you get the full import of the lyrics. It has that slightly familiar feel as if you’ve heard it before even tough you’ll know you haven’t. Accessible and easy to listen to.
www.myspace.com/steveheathcock

Poptastic new female artist K*Le above

K*le – Shattered

K*le is a 17-year-old singer from Philadelphia, USA. She has been singing since she was four, and more recently, after extensive couching and practice, has also begun to write her own songs. As a result, she is now ready to step out into the wide world of music.
David Says
K*le has a potent singing voice and delivery. This pop song has all the necessary saccharine edges, but combines some pretty raw power with that to deliver what is almost a power pop song. An interesting blend that has massive potential for the future.
www.kalemusic.com  

Pop and rock pioneer and musical genius Weedy Dave above

Weedy Dave – By My Side

English singer-songwriter and producer Weedy Dave left The Weedy factory in 2007, and headed out with a new electronica based sound.  “By My Side” is the first single he has released under his own name, and sits alongside six other brand new tracks.
David Says:
The combination of stripped electronica elements with an acoustic, unplugged feel gives this track a wonderfully eclectic feel that remains warm and engaging for all its sparseness. Excellent stuff, Weedy Dave is one to look out for indeed
www.myspace.com/weedydave

Canadian rock superstar Elton Adams above. Click here to help him get nominated for the ECMA rising star award.

Elton Adams – What a Soldier Left Behind

Elton Adams was in Roddickton, Newfoundland, Canada. His self titled debut album "Elton Adams" was released 23 March 2009. After serving for many years with the First Royal Canadian Horse Artillery in Bosnia, Afghanistan and more Adams returned to Canada and recoded his debut album.
David Says:
The scope and scale of Adams’ music is epic and dreamlike. This fairly long song meanders through a dreamscape of emotion and emotive music to transcend your state of mind. Powerful feelings and emotive expression are the key tools of Adams’ trade and here he showcases both to good effect.
 www.myspace.com/eltonadams  

The incredible Liverpool songwriter and singer Jimmy Rae ( Centre ) and his band above. The perfect music to Wake up to on Radio 2 but do they know that ? Email them and let them know here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/wake-up-to-wogan/contact/

Jimmy Rae – Delivered

After walking away from a major deal in the 80’s, Jimmy Rae returns with a whole new sound and album. Rich in the song-writing traditions of vintage rock’n’roll, country, soul and blues these new songs are already gathering Jimmy Rae a strong reputation in the North of England.,
David Says
With smatterings of country and the blues, Delivered is a true blues anthem, with rising chorus and strong verses that sweep you along in its cantering rhythm.  In an era strong on roots music, it’s hard to see how Jimmy Rae won’t do well this time around.
www.myspace.com/jimmy_rae

Italy's alternative best Neural Noise above

Neural Noise – Moon’s Embrace

This is a four piece alternative rock band from Marche in Italy. Hey have released 4 EP’s and despite several line-up changes since their inception in 2002, have managed to continue to grow and develop as a band.
David Says:
Neural Noise has developed a unique sound that is dark and scratchy, but melodic and smooth at the same time. Excellent dynamic changes from restful melody and raw power make this a great listening experience and points to great song-writing and musicianship. Very definitely an excellent song.
www.myspace.com/neuralnoiserock 

The most melodic Irish band ever The Perfect Skins above

The Perfect Skins – Alone Tonight

This four piece band hails from Portlaoise, Ireland and is made up of the brothers Duff; Dick on drums and Eamon on bass with Brian O’Mahony on vocals and guitar and Ollie Plunkett on guitar. Making original music is their shared passion as is bringing their new creations to life at their many live shows.
David Says
A melodic gentle song in the Irish tradition of emotional song-writing. Their sound is very song-driven, being neither pop nor folk, but some clam middle ground between the two. Excellent vocals and clear arrangements round out a great sound
www.myspace.com/perfectskins

Graeme Hughes – Glory

Graeme is a solo singer songwriter from London and Worcester in the UK. He was formerly the singer with indie band The Family Trait and was first featured on a Matchbox compilation in the early 90's. He plays an acoustic folk style of pop and cites Morrissey, Adam And The Ants as well as country/folk music. as influences.
David Says:
A bitter sweet ballade of broken dreams, Glory is a tender and heart wrenching song. Graeme’s delicate vocals compliment a finger picking guitar riff perfectly to create the mood of remorse and nostalgia.

Graeme Hughes online

Mercurius – Comfort Zone

This Newcastle 5 piece combines a modern indie sound with a throw back Madchester hint to create distinctive and original music. They’ve played some big name gigs and just released their debut album, “Come On In.”
David says:
A very interesting sound that will snag your ear from the start as it switches from edgy indie to an almost dreamy experimental sound. These guys are definitely on to something and will be well worth looking out for.
www.myspace.com/mercuriusband

Israel's blues maestro "Nave Pundik" from The Nave Blues above

The Nave Blues – Posses You

Formed around prolific Israeli musicianNave Pundik, Nave Blues is a blues based sound with a wild rock edge to it. Nave has been playing the Harmonica for the last ten years but started writing, composing and singing a few years ago.
David Says:
This is romping stomping blues rock that will get you and shaking your wild thing before you can even blink. Full throttle blues rock with a voodoo streak a mile wide, this is well nigh irresistible!
www.myspace.com/thenaveblues

The man who invented pop " Trevor John" delivers a beautiful, dreamy and thoughtful ballad about Sarah Payne.

Trevor John – Our Darling

Trevor bought a Les Paul copy, a tiny amp and a fuzzbox when he was 17 and taught himself to play. But it was seeing The Damned on Top Of the Pops that gave him the push to start thinking about music as a career.
David Says
Trevor’s sound is unique. Our Darling has a gentle haunting sound, underpinned with horns and dreamy rhythm guitar. Despite the slow tempo it is also catchy, with several strong hooks littered through the piece. Nice one.
http://www.matchboxrecordings.co.uk/artists/spotlight14.htm

Sean Deegan – Do You Fear the Darkness

Sean is of Irish descent, living England and writing and performing his own music. He bought his first guitar as a teenager and has been writing songs pretty much since. More recently he has been focussed on recording and releasing an album and building a website to showcase his dreamy, melodic musical talents.
David Says
Sean’s music is indeed dreamy, there is no other word to describe it. This is a moving, striking ballade that sucks the listener into its tale from the first bars. Understated and clear, this is great song-writing with very little in the way of frills.
www.deegansongs.com

Richmond – Eternal Devils Angel

The band IS John Richmond, who writes all the songs, plays all the instruments and does all the singing in this project.  John has been playing the Glasgow scene for he last 5 years or so and released his debut album, “A Day Off” earlier in August this year.
David Says:
A poignant and emotional song, this song is saved from melancholy with an understated quirkiness. Piano and vocal driven, it manages to be delicate and powerful at the same time. Demands somewhat of a more careful listen than you might think.
www.JohnRichmond.info

The brilliant "Spud rock" band Audio Moonshione ready for action above

Audio Moonshine – Slow Motion

This six-piece band hails from Boise in Idaho and plays a variety of music they humorously refer to as “spud rock” or Rock, Alt. Country, Americana, or Classic. OK, Spud rock! They been around long enough to play over 500 shows, some with some big, well-known names, and release one full length album.
David Says:
Slow Motion combines elements of country and classic Americana seamlessly to create a surprisingly catchy and happy song. It is evocative and emotional without being trite or clichéd and is a great song as a result.
www.myspace.com/myaudiomoonshine.com

Fakir – I Don’t Care

Fakir is the creative D.I.Y. studio project of Swiss Thierry Pache. In his Bern studio he creates, in his own words, “little dream worlds in form of songs.” The style is far ranging and non-genre specific, but incorporates the use of vintage instruments in combination with select modern machines.
David Says:
This is a dark pop song with jangling guitars and swirling 80’s style synths that creates a deeply atmospheric and retro sound without sounding dated. Complete with spoken 80’s style vocals, this one will take you back a bit!
www.myspace.com/fakirmusic 

Nice based Italian electro genius Solar Camel above right

Solar Camel – Dreaming on A train

This is the work of Tino, an Italian songwriter living in France. With influences as diverse as Vangelis and The Chemical Brothers, Tino is driven mainly be melody and the desire to write unique pop music. He also composes classical pieces.
David Says
A curious blend of French pop and 80’s electronica that creates a surprisingly catchy sound and sucks you in by the ears. Far from your average sound, Solar Camel is quirky, endearing and fun.
Solar Camel takes the lovelorn pop tradition and runs wild with it, this is one for those party nights.
www.myspace.com/solarcamel

Pagan – Black Wings

The brainchild of Bilinski, Pagan hails from Philadelphia, USA. Described as dark ambient, tinged with an industrial edge, the music of Pagan is somnolent, heavy and portentous. Music critic Kristofer Upjohn said "This is music for thinkers, philosophers and those who live on the fringe".
David Says:
Fans of EBM, black metal, 90’s industrial and 80’s goth will love the dark tones and procession like character of this work. Pagan’s sound is most certainly not mainstream, and not for those looking for a quick pop fix. It is something altogether stranger and darker.
www.myspace.com/paganmusic