There's a curious jolt in hearing a title like "Us Against The World" from an act called The Cockney Cowboy. The name itself is a glorious contradiction, a pairing of gritty East London reality with the wide-open romance of Nashville. You half expect a joke, but what Justin Vella delivers is a dead-serious, straight-shooting country ballad that smells less of hay bales and more...

With a guitar in his hand and a strong will, Paul Bibbins has made his own way as an artist. He has a voice that stands out in the business. A four-track EP called "Disenchantment At A Distance," Bibbins's most recent work, was just released. He is from Dallas, Texas, and he breaks the rules of traditional rock music to create an era of uniqueness...