STG Announces Upcoming Events: Ben Howard and More

James has released five singles this year, to considerable acclaim; for some reason, bloggers tend to pick up on the sense of isolation in his work and love to ruminate over his intricate beats. A few of his key tracks feature heavily edited, cut-up vocal samples from R&B records, but on his radical reading of Feist's 'Limit to Your Love' he sings the song himself, layering his voice. It's a powerful number. "'Limit to Your Love' was the first time I ever used my voice and I gave special attention to it," he says. "I thought, well, I'm using my voice here so I'll do something extra innovative."

Some may be interested to know that he recorded that song 18 months ago and wasn't even sure if he'd release it. Most of the album was written in his digs in New Cross and Deptford, though he'd often return to Enfield to clear his head and compose. No distractions there, no friends popping round, and if he looks out of his window it's green and silent. What's revealing is that he wrote the songs for his album at the same time as he was putting out the more experimental 12-inches. "I went through a lot of sounds. And the weird thing is, those songs don't sound like anything on those 12-inches - they sound completely different."

What is consistent, though, is the intoxicating effect his music is having as more and more people fall under its spell. Twelve months ago he was virtually unknown. Now James is the darling of the cutting edge, about to hit the mainstream, and there's no question that he knows what he's doing. "I have an obsession with emotion," he says. "I want to make dance music that actually connects with people in the way that a soul record does. I want my music to speak to you like a folk record does, in an organic, human way. It's the human touch that I want."

Cloud Cult is an experimental chamber rock band from the Midwest who has stayed true to the concept of DIY "Indie Rock" for more than 15 years. The band has remained independent for the past decade and a half in favor of keeping total control of the ethical aspects of their music and business, despite enticing offers from notable major labels. In the process, Cloud Cult has sold over 100,000 albums out of lead singer/songwriter Craig Minowa's organic hobby farm. The band has come to be known for its philosophical lyrics, as Minowa has used many of the songs to search for answers to spiritual questions after the unexpected loss of his two-year-old son in 2002.

Cloud Cult's live shows include the rock band along with violin, cello, trumpet, trombone and French horn. Two live painters create original artwork on stage during each performance. Cloud Cult has participated in many of the US's leading festivals including Coachella and Sasquatch and has performed live on NPR's World Café, WNYC's Soundcheck and Last Call with Carson Daly. Minowa was tapped to score 12 hour-long documentaries for National Geographic's "America the Wild," and during the 2010 Superbowl, the band was featured in cartoon form performing their song "Lucky Today" in an Esurance commercial.

Cloud Cult will support the release of their latest studio album Love with a North American tour in March thru May 2013, including performances at this year's SXSW Festival. Along with the new album, the feature-length documentary on Cloud Cult "No One Said It Would Be Easy" will debut in early 2013 on Netflix, iTunes and Amazon. A full-length biography about Cloud Cult's journey as a band by author Mark Allister is slated for release in late 2013.