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Ok, so first off I must iterate the fact that this particular run down is in no particular order, nor is it a definitive list of the best British record labels of all time (as if such a breakdown could ever be truly quantified). It is simply a list of some personal favourites within the British...MORE>>

Marina and The Diamonds - Mowgli’s Road

I first heard of Marina and the Diamonds on a TV advert for her debut album, of all the places to hear about an up-and-coming artist. And I must say I was pretty intrigued. Marina hails from the almighty "singer-songwriter" herd and manages to stand out from the swarming sea of artists clambering to get their music heard by the masses. She has a relatively subtle and soothing voice, but can reach high notes with ease and hold those notes for a admirable length of time. The name "Marina and the Diamonds" isn't like other names of this nature either, such as "Juliette and the Licks", as her MySpace reveals: "I'm Marina. You are the Diamonds". It's quite poetic, really.

Mowgli's Road is a perfect display of Marina's vocal and lyrical expertise. A steady rhythm and pattern to the back-beat and notes are what hold this song together, along with the  sectionally repetitive humming she indulges in. She adds a remarkable inflection to some of the last words in her verses too, which adds to the impact of the song and gives it that edge to make it especially memorable. This memorability is lyrically cemented with some very unique lines and added emphasis on some of the more quirky ones, such as "king of the jungle calls my bluff" and "ten silver [sil-va] spoons coming after [af-ta] me".

The bridge section transforms her singing into an oddly altered noise that sounds like something you'd hear come from the vocal chords of Lock, Stock, and Barrel(from The Nightmare Before Christmas). You may be furrowing our eyebrows at this, but listen to the song and you'll understand where I'm coming from. It is, in no way, a dig at our Marina. I'm merely remarking on her grasp of her art and chosen genre, and ability to bend and flex the supposed boundaries we have been brought up to accept.

She has striking visual beauty to match her 'vocal beauty' for those of you who are lucky enough to watch her perform - both in concert and in her music videos. With wavy brown/black hair and striking eyes, she can conjure up an intangible hold on any audience member. And whilst on the subject of music videos, the one for the song in question is spectacular. It comprises of our Marina and two backing performers doing relatively simple "interpretive dance" steps, with coupled limbs occasionally being replaced with what we see as concertinaed paper. Very intriguing.

Some of her other songs are equally entrancing, and I'd highly recommend you check them out. Start with Mowgli's Road and see what you think. I'd give her a solid 8 out of 10 for instant likeability, and I'm usually quite reserved when it comes to numerical ratings.