What music/artist have you discovered this year?

[chriskisn]

So far this year I have "discovered" music by the following people:

Leon Russell: After doing a duet album with Elton John which I played a couple of times, I realised I liked him, and started checking out his back catalogue. Some bad, some good, but certainly prolific.

John Stewart: Like most FM fans on here I have Bombs Away Dream Babies, but hadn't listened to any of his work other than that. Downloaded one of his albums from iTunes and liked it, and before you know it, I've added another twenty or so. Great folk style music that is easy to listen to.

Kev Carmody: An Australian Aboriginal musician who is referred to by some as the "Black Bob Dylan". Very good thought provoking work, although some tracks are just weird. The track "Are You Connected" which was just ringing telephones and fax/modem noises was the weirdest of all.

Jo Ann Kelly: I'd heard her on the two Tramp albums that she did with her brother Dave, Mick Fleetwood, Danny Kirwan & Bob Brunning (among others). I hadn't listened to her solo stuff until very recently. One of the most powerful white blues singers ever. The first time I heard her 1969 album a couple of years back it scared me so much I deleted it. I gave it another try this time around and really enjoyed her work. So few solo albums and tragically taken from us too early.

Dave Kelly: Like sister Jo-Ann, I had only heard Dave Kelly though his work with Tramp, but when his 1971 album was re-released, I started to try to find other solo works by him. Very hard to find a complete discography and even harder to find albums (which is sad).

So, thats my musical year so far. Nothing particularly modern but then I don't really do modern music.