Check out the track Take and Take by Garfield Mayor -Â KOARs new favorite singer/songwriter. Mayor cites Bob Marley, Paul Simon, The Eagles, Gomez, and Pink Floyd as influences. Apparently, the pro writers and musicians are rooted overseas. Garfield Mayor, who hails from Coventry, England is the first artist to sign to R-Tel, a new start up label started by Matchbox Twenty’s Rob Thomas and EMI Publishing Executive Evan Lamberg. In fact, Rob Thomas will tour in support of his upcoming solo record ‘Cradlesong’ this June and touted Garfield Mayor as the opening act. Check out the video for Take and Take.

KOAR favorite A Verse Unsung has signed to Photo Finish Records. Photo Finish is an imprint label owned by booking agent Matt Galle who books My Chemical Romance, Boys Like Girls, Metro Station, and Circa Survive. The band has upcoming dates on Vans Warped Tour. For fans of Rise Against and Against Me. For more information email kent@kmmpc.com.

Static Summer, an alternative rock band from New York City just finished recording 4 songs with an eclectic selection of producers – Jay Gordon, Mitch Allan (Daughtry), and Jay Baumgardner (New Found Glory, Evanescence). The band cites influences everything from Duran Duran, The Cure, to the Foo Fighters. The band recently played to a sold out crowd @ the Blender Theatre and ‘She’s Not a Lover’ was just played on New York Rock Station 101.9 by Matt Pinfield. Check out the tracks She’s Not a Lover and Simple Again.

26 year old Japanese artist Utada who is relatively unknown in America has the #1 album in Japan. Utada is also a songwriter and producer and thinks of herself as a composer more than as a performer. Her 1999 debut First Love is the country’s biggest-selling album of all time, and three of her albums rank among the Top Ten best-sellers. She has had 12 Number One hits, including four songs in Japan’s all-time Top 100. Her new recent released via Island Def Jam album is produced by Stargate (Ne-Yo, Rihanna, Beyonce) and Tricky (Britney Spears, Madonna, Mariah Carey). Check out the video for Come Back To Me.