Amy MacDonald

While sweet delicate female songstresses are always enjoyable, sometimes it's nice to find one that can rock out a bit. Glaswegian singer Amy MacDonald fits that bill perfectly. Start off with Dolores O'Riordan from The Cranberries , turn her Scottish, put her behind an acoustic guitar and mix in another part KT Tunstall , and you're in the right ballpark for Amy. She manages to maintain that Scottish otherness while rocking out while still feeling acoustic. I'm not sure how, but she manages it - listen to the leed off track Mr. Rock & Roll below and you'll see what I mean.

Across the pond, Amy's been selling up a storm, but it wasn't until last month that her award winning debut album was available here in the States as a non-import delicacy. Grab it and I don't think you'll be disappointed.

The Cranberries - Zombie : No Need to Argue