Amy Winehouse is on the road to self-destruction (some could argue that she’s already reached her destination) and, sadly—because of this—her Ska EP has fallen very low under the radar.

With absolutely no fanfare, her 2 Tone-inspired 7″EP entitled, Amy Winehouse: The Ska EP is 4 tracks of Amy interpreting Ska classics that you may or may not have heard first from listening to British ska legends, The Specials.

Here are the covers:

A1. Monkey Man (Toots & The Maytals)
A2. Hey Little Rich Girl (The Specials)
B1. You’re Wondering Now (Andy & Joe)
B2. Cupid (Sam Cooke)

My short review is this: Her song choice is fun, her vocals are strong and I don’t believe anyone has ever done a ska version of Cupid by Sam Cooke (my favorite of the 4). This EP is worth listening to.

Click on the image above to download the 4 track EP and share your thoughts below!

Amy Winehouse has just released a new video for the Just Friends track off of the Back to Black Album. Ms. Winehouse has been in the press a lot lately, for all the wrong reasons, so it’s refreshing to see something new related to her music. She’s so talented, I love her voice, I only hope she can get back on track.

via Around The Way Girls

I love eyeliner. Love it with a capital L-O-V-E. And I’ve always loved that vintage 60’s Twiggy look, also rocked by Amy Winehouse, Lilly Allen and my beloved Estelle. Whilst i find dear Wino’s a little too dramatic, i too love mine thick and in ya face!

Find out how i get my look after the cut!

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As it was said in last week’s We Got the Beat highlighting UK songstress, Duffy, maybe it’s something in that UK water that has them “…churning out talented ladies left, right and center…” cause today, we have yet another UK songstress to tell you about:

Her name is Adele. She’s fresh and soulful and is already creating a huge buzz. This soul singing newcomer is the first recipient of the Brit Awards Critics’ Choice, which was given to artists who at the time had yet to release an album. Adele has also been hailed by the British press as “the new Amy Winehouse” and, hence, together with Duffy and a few other rising stars of 2007-8, as one of the so-called “New Amys”.

Adele singing Chasing Pavements Live:

Adele says of herself, “I’m a soul singer and I love writing soul, pop and jazz tunes, some acoustic stuff and some really big ballads,” and when asked how she felt about the gossip and criticism about her weight, Adele told The Times, “I’ve always been a size 16-18, and been fine with it. I would only lose weight if it affected my health or sex life.”

The song “Daydreamer,”off Adele’s full-length debut, 19, is about her bi ex-boyfriend running away with another man and as scandalous as that sounds, the track is beautiful and very moving.

Download “Daydreamer” HERE and check out more of her on the official Adele MySpace page.

Today marks the US release of English newcomer Duffy’s Rockferry. I don’t know what’s going on in the UK right now - maybe something in the water - but they are churning out talented ladies left, right and center. Duffy’s raspy voice takes me back to the hey-day of Motown. I’m sure tons of comparisons will be made with La Winehouse but rest assured, Duffy has a sound that is all her own. Her debut CD, Rockferry drops today and if you’re in NYC it’s your lucky day because she’s doing an acoustic in-store performance at the Virgin Megastore in Union Square. Check here for details on attending the show. Also be sure to befriend her on myspace.

Duffy’s official video for Mercy:

Duffy in the studio:

Check out some of today’s other releases:
Bad Manners, Walking In The Sunshine: The Best of Bad Manners (ska)
Aphex Twin, Classics (electronica)
Motörhead, The Early Years: Bio + Songs + Photo Gallery (rock)
Foxy Brown, Brooklyn’s Don Diva (rap)
Herbie Hancock, Late Night Jazz Favorites (jazz)
Indigo Girls, Rites of Passage (rock)
Iron Maiden, Somewhere Back In Time: The Best of 1980-1989 (rock)

The December issue of Rolling Stone Magazine highlights 3 female musicians in their “Ten Artists to Watch” article that you definitely need to know about.The first artist featured is a very talented lady that people have been buzzing about for while now, Santogold. I introuduced M.I.S.S. Crew readers to Brooklyn’s Santogold earlier this year on the blog, and she has continued to make noise since performing all over the US and abroad.The two other birdies featured are in the same league as Lilly Allen and Amy Winehouse. Not only do they both hail from England, they both have a unique sound that will soon make them a househould name in the states.Meet EstelleMeet Kate NashAll three of these ladies are dropping albums in 2008 and hopefully will be touring in town near you too!

Amy Winehouse came out with her first album “Frank” in 2003 but she’s really starting to make waves with the release of her second album “Back to Black.” She’s from the UK, she’s a jazz and soul singer and I can’t stop listening to her cd’s. Her voice has so much depth and it’s really great to hear music that sounds really old-school (think 60s girl groups) with a young, feminine perspective. In a time when lots of young women singers do more stripping and gyrating than singing, it’s refreshing to see someone like Amy Winehouse, someone with true talent and something to say, get her shine. If you haven’t heard about her yet, keep your ears to the streets cause the streets are talking!!