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...

If you immerse yourself in the pulsating world of Francois Marius's music, you could just stumble onto your next favourite piece. This multi-talented musician is building a name for himself in the reggae scene. He is originally from the wide expanses of Canada, but he is presently working his magic in Tallinn, Estonia. In his songs, the placid rhythm of reggae combines fluidly and naturally with...