6. Kyla La Grange
Website:http://www.kylalagrange.com/gb/home/ Genre is sometimes a war of factions: rock vs pop is a big one. Can you like both? Can you be accepted if you do? Well Kyla La Grange is planning to bridge the gap with her rock-infused, alt pop. Snarling grit masked by youthful girly-ness, Kyla has ancestry from Zimbabwe and South Africa and is taking a different stance on pop music of the moment. Not just a pretty face, she also studied philosophy at Cambridge University so no doubt you'll be hearing some deep, meaningful lyrical work that isn't just 'woo-I'm-in-love-in-da-club'. Been Better is the first of a few teaser singles with her raspy voice being shown to it's full extent under heavy guitar riffs and lyrics of spurned love. The chorus is almost leaning towards country and it could have been a song by Kings of Leon in another dimension. Showing off her versatility, her voice switches to near Kate Bush whimsy in Heavy Stone which broods and broods in a visual flurry of swimming pools and deep black eyeliner tear tracks. Other tracks include Vampire Smile - slightly leaning on the vampire bandwagon but with enough folksy spins and biting lyrics to stand alone, Cold Flavours - an incredibly emo song full of panting breaths and anguished vocals perfect for a spot of aural wallowing and I Could Be, a ghostly sauntering song which Lana Del Rey wishes she had written. With full length debut, Ashes released in July and plays on the major BBC radio stations, Kyla has the crossover appeal to strike a match and set alight the music scene. http://youtu.be/GWNRRnXmGKs