Zee Avi: Zee Avi (Brushfire Records)
This YouTube phenomenon orginally made waves as KokoKaina, which was her account name. She decided to change it to Zee Avi after British singer-songwriter Kris Rowley posted her songs on his site. The 23-year-old’s last posted video, ‘No Christmas For Me’ got her over 800,000 and counting messages, a record deal with Jack Johnson’s Brushfire Records and a flight to LA to record this album. Often compared to the likes of Billie Holiday for her old soul vocals, ‘Poppy’ showcases her classic voice melted over a slide guitar. Zee Avi puts Malaysia on the map with ‘Kantoi’. Yeah! Rolling Stones may have given this album a 2 star rating, but hell who died and made them God of music? The album tone seldoms fluctuates, but after a few replays, you may fall in love. It’s going to be interesting to see where she takes it next.