Song: Torrent

Artist: Asgeir, Icleand

Album: In The Silence, 2014

Notes: The most pumped up cut on a simply superb album from last year by 20-year old Icelandic folktronica tunesmith Asgeir Trausti who goes by the single moniker, Asgeir. One in 10 citizens of Iceland now owns that album which came out on home soil in the Icelandic language in 2012 - fellow singer-songwriter John Grant from Colorado then translated the original Icelandic lyrics into English for the international edition which emerged last year - and these original lyrics were co-written by a team of scribes which included Asgeir's 72-year old father. Highly recommended, much of the rest of the album is a quieter ambient affair which has gained inevitable comparisons to Bon Iver. Issued by the first-rate indie label, One Little Indian which also houses fellow Icelander, Bjork. More at asgeirmusic.com.

Song: Lover Lover Lover

Artist: Races, Van Nuys, CA

Album: Year Of The Witch, 2012

Notes: This was such a strong start to their young career back in 2012, a band from Van Nuys in California with a fabulous catchy burst of no-nonsense alternative rock. It was the bonus cut on their debut set 'Year of the Witch' which you can still stream in its entirety on the Soundcloud platform at soundcloud.com/races. Now trimmed to a quintet from its six-piece beginnings, formed by disillusioned, then 23-year old, Wade Ryff in 2009. More at racestheband.com.

Song: Fallen Leaves

Artist: Grand Nationals, Newtown, NJ

Album: Tennessee Rain, 2011

Notes: A sorely underloved quartet formed in 2010 by longtime musical chums, lyricist Ian Bennett and melody maker Adam Honeycutt, rounded out by top fiddler Sammy Barnes and bassist Jay Harris. They had a couple of songs featured on 2012's equally overlooked festive movie 'The Oranges' which starred Hugh Laurie. More than a passing resemblance to the wonderful Blue Merle, check them out at facebook.com/TheGrandNationals.

Song: Old Man

Artist: Redlight King, Canada

Album: Something for the Pain, 2011

Notes: If you saw the recent dead on duet of 'Old Man' by Jimmy Fallon with Neil Young - both dressed identically in classic Neil garb on Fallon's 'Tonight Show' - it was eerily good. Nonetheless, this 2011 urban treatment of the Young classic is by Redlight King - the performing name of Mark Kasperczyk - or Kaz for short - who hails from Hamilton, Ontoario, north of the border but now living in the City of Angels. When he wanted to use the Neil's chorus sample of the song, he was denied the rights to use it, but Young took one listen and gave the green light. He wrote the classic in 1971 for the caretaker of his Broken Arrow Ranch in northern California - and it first appeared on what remains his most complete album, the multi-platinum 'Harvest' opus from 1972. He has a new EP, 'Hell Diver', out this week. More at redlightkingmusic.com.

Song: Baptisms

Artist: Radical Face, Jacksonville, FL

Album: The Bastards: Volume Three [EP], 2014

Notes: A rather neat acoustic outing from the Floridian tunesmith Ben Cooper who goes by the name of Radical Face. (He named his act after seeing a plastic surgery flyer which said 'Radical Face-Lift' but wisely left off the 'lift' bit.) Ever-restless he is also a member of several other combos including Electric President, Iron Orchestra, Patients and Clone - more details at radicalface.com where you can stream lots of his fine repertoire.

Song: Straight From My Heart

Artist: Richard Marx, Chicago, IL

Album: Days In Avalon, 2000

Notes: An uncomplicated acoustic ditty from a sadly deleted 2000 CD by the deeply unfashionable Richard Marx. Born and still living today in Chicago, he racked up more than a dozen hits a couple of decades ago including three chart-topping ballad hits. He also wrote smash songs for the likes of Luther Vandross and NSync - no longer in vogue but still recording and occasionally performing. In 2011 he helped actor Hugh Jackman rehearse for his 'Hugh Jackman In Performance' music show, inviting him to his home in Lake Bluff and practising together in his living room. More at richardmarx.com.

Song: Accidents Will Happen

Artist: Elvis Costello & The Attractions, England

Album: Armed Forces, 1979

Notes: A New Wave classic from over 30 years ago, a single released between 'Oliver's Army' and 'I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down' - two equally brilliant three minutes of excellence. Entertainment Weekly named it one of the singer's Top 10 greatest tunes in 2004. Hard to believe only 'Veronica' in 1989 has graced the Billboard Hot 100, just astonishing that none of the remaining 60+ singles released by him over the years made the grade in the US. Worth checking out the accompanying video for this song which was one of 35 clips selected for a historic exhibition by the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 2003. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer turned 60 last year and begins a US tour in July in support of Steely Dan. More at elviscostello.com.

Song: Seagull

Artist: Saturday Sun, England

Album: Seagull [EP], 2012

Notes: A completely unknown, obscure A+ acoustic nu-folk ballad showcasing the vocal grit and instrumental craft of a new British quartet, led by vocalist Alex Hedley. Taking their name from a Nick Drake song, they claim they got together because of 'a mutual love of roast potatoes' and hail from the southern English town of Swanage. Their debut album, 'Orix'' has been out for just over a year. In a recent interview they described their music as 'a full cream Mr. Whippy dripping from a dog's nose in the rising sun!' More at saturdaysunmusic.co.uk or at Facebook - just add saturdaysunmusic.

Song: Nafas

Artist: Zeb, Italy

Album: Zeb Step, 2008

Notes: Cool World Music and dubtronica strains over a neat reggae backdrop from an Italian-born DJ multi-instrumentalist going by the name of Zeb. Born Moreno Visini, the musician and producer relocated to New York some years ago and hooked up with the Organic Grooves dance collective. This number is also buried on a first-rate world music/electronica compilation called 'The Sound of Rhythm & Culture' which was released back in 2010. He now goes by the name The Spy From Cairo - for more details go to facebook.com/arabadub/info?tab=page_info or hear some of his more recent music at soundcloud.com/zeb-the-spy-from-cairo.

Song: Heavyweight

Artist: Rachael Yamagata, Arlington, VA

Album: Heavyweight, 2012

Notes: The melodic, lyrical genius of Rachael Yamagata with the title cut from her 2012 EP. She brings an authentic emotion, effortless melodic mood, an intelligent, clever script to all of her work, all trademarked by one of the best voices around gracing everything she writes and performs. Now in her mid-30s, originally from and still based in Arlington, Virginia, she's much in demand for collaborations with the likes of Ryan Adams, Ray LaMontagne and Jason Mraz among others and hits the road again on June 13th. More at rachaelyamagata.com.

Song: Can't Get Enough

Artist: Rivvrs, San Francisco, CA

Album: Hold On [EP], 2014

Notes: Soulful folk pop and another cracking offering from last year's fab EP, Rivvrs is the performing name of folk-pop tunesmith Brandon Zahursky, who's based in San Francisco where he's developing a loyal following. Extracts from the EP have already been used on several TV shows including 'About A Boy' and 'Red Band Society'. Stream this cut again at rivvrs.com.

Song: Coming Home

Artist: Leon Bridges, Forth Worth, TX

Album: Coming Home [singles], 2015

Notes: Old school nu-school, an authentically crafted vintage soul sound and just one of two singles issued to date, both prefacing the musician's freshman album, which will emerge in the summer. A gospel-weaned soul stirrer and guitarist from Fort Worth Texas, the 25-year-old served a relatively short apprenticeship at open-mic nights in Fort Worth while working as a dishwasher at a local restaurant, before being snapped up Columbia Records last year. He played at this year's SXSW festival recently and begins a US tour on June 18th, promoting his new album 'Coming Home', which is due next month. For dates, go to leonbridges.com/tour/. More at facebook.com/LeonBridgesOfficial.

Song: Clap Your Hands

Artist: Whilk & Misky, England

Album: First Step [EP], 2014

Notes: Discreet Spanish guitar flavors and a faux whistling trumpet, the cutely-named Whilk & Misky with the lead-off track from their debut EP. They're a new electro-folk duo out of London comprising former flat-mates, Iranian-born producer, Nima, and British guitarist and vocalist, Charlie. Their EP is self-described as 'an eclectic and cinematic blend of blues, rock, electro and a healthy dose of other'. More on the promising duo at facebook.com/whilkandmisky or islandrecords.co.uk/island-artists/whilk-miskey-2/.

Song: I Have Made Mistakes

Artist: Oh Hellos, San Marcos, TX

Album: Through The Deep, Dark Valley, 2012

Notes: A Texan brother-sister duo of Tyler and Maggie Heath, staunchly independent and all the better for it, with a track from their freshman offering simply brimming with lovely harmonic folk-Americana. You can preview all of the tracks on the album at theohhellos.com, which also lists a smattering of summer dates. Easy to understand why they're fans of the Lumineers and Sufjan Stevens.

Song: A Promise Broken

Artist: Asha Ali, Ethiopia

Album: A Promise Broken [single], 2007

Notes: Ethiopian born singer-songwriter but long-based in a town just outside Stockholm, Sweden, with a well-crafted lost pop/soul nugget. She cites her diverse musical influences as Dolly Parton, Kate Bush, David Bowie, Jeff Buckley and Nina Simone. Only one EP and two albums since bowing in 2005, and after a long period of silence, she returned late last year with the album 'Loud and Out of Place'. More at facebook.com/ashaalimusic.

Song: Falliday

Artist: Rebecca Roubion, Nashville, TN

Album: The Old, The Young, 2014 (available at rebeccaroubion.com)

Notes: Compositional and performing excellence, lyrical and melodic perfection from a stunning limited edition 2014 maiden album which is sadly no longer available. A Mobile, Alabama native who studied public relations at Louisiana State University, Rebecca's been focusing on her music career since 2012 and since relocating to Nashville - influenced by the music of Carole King and Eva Cassidy, she's a gifted pianist and singer-songwriter who released a couple of EPs in 2012/2013 funded by a 164% crowdsourcing effort. She says of her song craft: 'Every composition is a child, born of (my) oversized heart and raised by (my) hands and voice with nothing but the best of intentions.' More at rebeccaroubion.com.

Song: Conrad

Artist: Ben Howard, England

Album: I Forget Where We Were, 2014

Notes: A typically ethereal literate floataway gem from his second album issued last October. L&F first featured Howard in July 2011 but he was only discovered by radio at large a couple of years later. He is a singer-songwriter from the west county of Devon back in the UK, signed to the venerable Island Records label which has a long tradition of snapping up seminal British folk artists including Nick Drake and John Martyn. More at benhowardmusic.co.uk.

Song: Maybe

Artist: Lily Kershaw, Los Angeles, CA

Album: Maybe [single], 2014

Notes: A deft but overlooked ruby from a year ago by a 23-year old lifelong Los Angelino singer-songwriter, with just one album to date, the rewarding but morose 'Midnight In The Garden' from 2013. Something of a black rose, often choosing mortality and darkness in her lyrics, indeed she says of all her music to date: 'It's all about death. I'd love to say most of my music isn't about death or heartbreak, but it is.' More at lilykershaw.com.

Song: Careless

Artist: Alex Winston, Bloomfield Hills, MI

Album: Careless [single], 2014

Notes: Played recently and will do so again in the future - a track with a hint of Joanna Newsom, and perhaps PJ Harvey, but most definitely Kate Bush in her vocal style, from a singer originally from the suburbs of Detroit but has been based in the Big Apple for the past five years and started releasing songs around the same time. She's got a burgeoning following in Europe and has opened for the likes of Gotye and Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. She hits the road next month with Neon Trees. For dates, go to iamalexwinston.com. More at facebook.com/AlexWinstonOfficial.

Song: Arrival of the Birds and Transformation

Artist: Cinematic Orchestra, England

Album: The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos [soundtrack], 2008

Notes: Initially this track was heard on the soundtrack to the movie 'The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos' in 2012 and then in a commercial for Giorgio Armani's Acqua di Giola. It's perhaps best known for its appearance at the end of the Oscar-nominated 'The Theory of Everything'. The marvellous Cinematic Orchestra was assembled in 1999 in London by Jason Swinscoe and has released three studio albums, the last in 2007, but their career highlight to date is the L&F classic 'To Build A Home' recorded with Patrick Watson. More at cinematicorchestra.com.

Song: Sooner or Later

Artist: Mat Kearney, Eugene, OR

Album: Young Love, 2011

Notes: A hook-filled pleaser that can be found on his 2011 album, 'Young Love', the poppiest and most accessible collection he's recorded to date. If you wonder why his first name only has one 't' and not two: it turns out that when he was born the nurse left the second 't' off the paperwork and so he was named Mathew with only one solitary 't' used thereafter. (You need to know these things.) His new offering, 'Just For Kids', features a terrific duet with Young Summer which was featured on last week's show. More at matkearney.com.

Song: Lose That Gun

Artist: Alfred Hall, Norway

Album: Wilderness, 2013

Notes: As light as helium, fresh as a daisy and one of ten first-rate cuts on the duo's freshman set. They are Hans Thomas Kiaer and Bjorn Tveit, a couple of Norwegian farm hands, who got together in 2009 and recorded the album in a barn in Drammen, Norway, where they encountered a bull named Alfred - hence their name. Snapped up in 2013 by Sony Music in Europe but still seeking wider attention worldwide. Their new single, 'The King of Cape', was released recently. Check them out at facebook.com/alfredhallpage.

Song: Heaven's On Fire

Artist: Radio Dept., Sweden

Album: Clinging To A Scheme, 2010

Notes: A lovely mid-'80s sounding British indie-rock track from a Swedish duo, formed by high school class mates Elin Almered and Johan Duncanson in 1995. They split up in 1998 but reformed in 2001, adding Larsson's then girlfriend Lisa Carlberg, Daniel Tjader and Per Blomgren. Their freshman set, Lesser Matters, was named one of the best albums of the year by influential UK rock mag, the NME. The group has been a trio for close to a decade, now comprising Duncanson, Larsson and Tjader and have been quiet the past two years. More at theradiodept.com.

Song: Don't Bring Me Down

Artist: Sia, Australia

Album: Colour the Small One, 2004

Notes: A whispy, evocative, dramatic, soulful track from more than a decade before Sia became a household name. Last year's sixth long-player by Sia '1000 Forms of Fear' had a revealing title: despite her growing success and popularity, Sia has become extremely uncomfortable with the public demands of fame and refused to undertake nearly all promotion for the new record - indeed the very reason she was singing in the corner with her back to the camera throughout her performance at this year's Grammys. She battled a serious episode of depression and anxiety a few years ago, before hitting the big-time as a co-writer for huge hits by Flo Rida, Rihanna and Beyonce. Adelaide born Aussie, Sia Kate Isobelle Furler is now one of Australia's most successful female songwriters. More at siamusic.net.

Song: The Ballad of Lucy Jordan

Artist: Marianne Faithfull, England

Album: Broken English, 1979

Notes: A timeless, fatalistic tale of mid-life crisis, documenting the chains and dreams of middle class house-wifery. The maverick singer memorably co-wrote 'Sister Morphine' with Jagger and Richards for the Rolling Stones' 'Sticky Fingers' album way back when - and of course she was one of Jagger's girlfriends in the mid '60s. This extraordinary song was actually composed by famous children's book author, Uncle Shelby - Shel Silverstein - and recorded by Dr. Hook - but covered here in a far superior version showcasing the uniquely fragile, broken vocal pipes of the irrepressible singer, still going strong at 68 - with her most recent album, 'Give My Love To London', released last September. More at mariannefaithfull.org.uk.

Song: Millennium

Artist: Robbie Williams, England

Album: I've Been Expecting You, 1998

Notes: One of England's biggest solo stars and a former member of boy-band supreme Take That, with his anthemic ballad, sampling John Barry's 'You Only Live Twice' theme and which appeared on the 'Bridget Jones - The Edge of Reason' soundtrack. Mention should be made of the sumptuous production by Stephen Duffy, who fronts his own band, the always-interesting Lilac Time. A household name in every corner of the world - except the United States, where his record label spent a small fortune trying to break him over here a few years ago, he's sold more than 60 million records to date and is the recipient of no less than 17 BRIT Awards. More at robbiewilliams.com.

Song: Over The Hill

Artist: John Martyn, England

Album: Solid Air, 1973

Notes: The much missed singer-songwriter with one of so many underloved lost treasures in his extensive catalog. The British folkster was a friend of another folk icon, Nick Drake - indeed this album's title cut was written as a tribute to him just 18 months before he died from a drugs overdose. In 2008, he performed the song at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards when he was honored with the Lifetime Achievment Award, with Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones accompanying him on mandolin. A really interesting update of the song by L&F preferred vendors Ben Howard and Michael Kiwanuka from a SXSW bash a couple of years ago can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEOPKpTyd4w.

Song: Everything Works Out In The End

Artist: Kodaline, Ireland

Album: Coming Up For Air, 2015

Notes: One of the most promising groups to emerge from Dublin in recent years. The quartet fronted by Steve Garrigan began life as 21 Demands in 2005 but name-switched to Kodaline in 2011 and good things have happened ever since, including being one of the final 15 for the BBC's Sound Of 2013 poll. This track is featured on their recent set which was produced by Jacknife Lee, who's also worked with Snow Patrol and U2. In an interview awhile ago they said 'If you put us in a cave or anywhere, we're always going to write. We write because it's fun, it's never crap, if it ever gets like that, you know it's time to take a break'. They're wrapping up their latest US tour this week. For the full itinerary, check out kodaline.com/us.

Song: Matthew & Son

Artist: Cat Stevens, England

Album: Matthew & Son, 1967

Notes: Written and recorded by Cat Stevens when he was just 18 years of age lyrically inspired by his London tailor, Henry Matthews. He did of course transition from that melodramatic pop sound to a more mellow tunesmith frame by the 1970s becoming a leading light of the literate singer-songwriter genre. Since his conversion to Islam in 1977, many have assumed that his real name was always Yusuf Islam - but in fact Cat's real name is Steven Demetre Georgiou, born to a Greek Cypriot father. After being unfairly regarded as controversial, he was deservedly inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year.

Song: Only Love Would Know

Artist: Gordon Lightfoot, Canada

Album: Waiting For You, 1993

Notes: In the days gone by I came to believe, everything is trust, all the rest is dust.' One of the originals and one of the true greats proving his moving and understated genius yet again on another lost diamond. Following some big hits at the beginning of his career, the legendary singer-songwriter has subsequently been universally ignored by radio. He's now 76 and nearly died a few years ago from a very serious illness - but made it through, thank goodness. He's finally been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and continues to play his songs to those discerning enough to listen. More at his unofficial website gordonlightfoot.com.

Song: Almost Lover

Artist: A Fine Frenzy, Seattle, WA

Album: One Cell In The Sea, 2007

Notes: Effortlessly engaging, enchanting music by Alison Sudol better known under her performing name, A Fine Frenzy - 'Goodbye, my almost lover goodbye, my hopeless dream I'm trying not to think about you, can't you just let me be? So long, my luckless romance, my back is turned on you, should've known you'd bring me heartache, almost lovers always do'. Sudol is the Goodwill Ambassador for the International Union for Conservation of Nature and is now pursuing an acting career, appearing in 'Dig', the new USA series starring Jason Isaacs and Anne Heche. More at alisonsudol.com.

Song: Thieves and Their Hands

Artist: Rachael Cantu, Orange County, CA

Album: Far and Wide, 2009

Notes: Some curious but infectious indie-pop, featured on ABC Family's 'Pretty Little Liars' TV show, courtesy of a singer who Incongruously opened on a number of dates for B.B. King a few years ago as well as also supporting Ben Lee and the wonderful Tegan and Sara with whom she's also recorded. A 30-something songstress from Los Angeles, she started performing in high-school bands and has three worthwhile albums and a bunch of EPs on her resum' to date. She recently teamed up with Harlan Silverman as the duo Little Brutes, who have recently released a self-titled debut EP. More at rachaelcantu.com.

Song: Me & Tennessee

Artist: Gwyneth Paltrow & Tim McGraw, Los Angeles, CA/Delhi, LA

Album: Country Strong Soundtrack, 2010

Notes: Just outstanding and somehow not even a hit on the Country chart, let alone the main Hot 100 survey. A first-class Nashville nugget from the conscious coupling of Tim McGraw and Gwyneth Paltrow from the movie 'Country Strong', in which they also took the lead roles. The song was written especially for the film by Paltrow's husband Chris Martin. She had an earlier hit from another movie, 'Duets' in 2000, on which she paired with Huey Lewis on a lovely perky pop cover of Smokey Robinson's 'Cruisin''.

Song: A Stutter

Artist: Olafur Arnalds featuring Arno Dan, Iceland

Album: For Now I am Winter, 2013

Notes: Another supreme lo-fi extract from the must-hear 2013 CD from the Reykjavik native who formerly drummed in Icelandic metal and punk bands before taking a dramatic 180 degree musical turn as a solo act writing and recording neo-classical ambient modern classics. Collaborator lyricist/singer Arnor Dan brings a beautifully layered falsetto to this fragile musical dance. He arrives in the US at the end of the month to play six dates. More at olafurarnalds.com.

Song: Don't You (Forget About Me)

Artist: The Wind & The Wave, Austin, TX

Album: Covers One [EP], 2105

Notes: A re-working of the Simple Minds' classic featured on a brand new seven-track EP of cover versions, that also includes Sia's 'Chandelier', Stevie Nicks' 'Edge Of Seventeen', Metric's 'Gold Guns Girls', R. Kelly's 'Ignition', Regina Spektor's 'You've Got Time' and Cyndi Lauper's 'Time After Time'. The Wind & The Wave are the harmony-dipped creative duo of Patricia Lynn and Dwight Baker - a couple of best friends who hail from Austin, Texas. They're playing a handful of dates next month including Bonnaroo and Summer Fest. More at thewindandthewave.com.

Song: Don't You (Forget About Me)

Artist: Simple Minds, Scotland

Album: The Breakfast Club [soundtrack], 1985

Notes: Released at the height of the British New Wave synth movement in the mid '80s, this marked the more melodic stadium-ready pop-rock sensibility which saw the band move away from its awkward post-punk roots. Lead singer Jim Kerr and co-founder Charlie Burchill and their underrated tub-thumper, Mel Gaynor, are still going strong some 35 years after first assembling in Glasgow. A sparkling, remastered greatest hits collection called 'Celebrate' came out in 2013, and a new album, their 17th, titled 'Big Music' was released last November. More at simpleminds.com.