Live: Night 3

Mads Langer kicked off the final evening of Musexpo Europe 2009's showcases at Borderline. The Danish singer-songwriter's second self-titled album is out on Copenhagen Records at home (original home to Alphabeat). What a voice, and a what a charming performer. A truly affecting and impressive show piqued the interest of live agents in the UK, which is handy seeings how Mads is getting ready to move to London soon. The looks, the talent, the personality -we're jealous but impressed.

We're not sure we've ever seen a band from Lebanon perform on any stage before, so for that reason alone, it was a pleasure to catch The Kordz at The 100 Club.The group, who are balls-out power rock personified, has spent the past two years working on a new album, Beauty & the East, with Grammy-nominated producer Ulrich Wild (Deftones, White Zombie), recording in Canada, Los Angeles and Lebanon. We think there could defintely be other territories outside of their home country that would appreciate their tight, powerful brand of rock.

Meiko made her Musexpo debut in LA last year, where she appeared on a panel and performed a showcase. Since then she's signed to MySpace/DGC Records, and released a self-titled debut album to critical acclaim. Her debut European show was tonight. We can safely say the crowd were smitten by this kooky and cute performer with tracks like 'Boys With Girlfriends' and 'Under My Bed' standouts for many. This girl is a star and can defintely find a fanbase outside the US.

The Jessie Rose Trip from Manchester displayed some quirky northern soul and bags of charm at The 100 Club. Tracks like 'Forever and a Day', a reggae-tinged retro-soul number back by Jessie's powerful voice impressed us. They've been getting plenty of tastemaker buzz on UK radio (from XFM to BBC R1 and R2) and we hear things are starting to happen for them in the US too. It's much deserved.

Kate Miller-Heidke's voice ranged from mid-range pop to operatic superstar during he triumphant gig at Borderline. The Australian’s range and eclectic blend of styles, along with some bona-fide radio hits-in waiting was as engrossing as it was exciting. Her most recent album Curiouser, which was produced by Mickey Petralia, (Beck, eels, Peaches, Dandy Warhols) is well worth a listen.

We're not sure we've ever seen any like Norwegian metal act The Cumshots ever before. If you sidestep the name, which is sure to raise this blog's visitor numbers considerably, and the logo (a defaced version of Rolling Stones' lips one), what you're left with is an extreme hardcore act who make Rammstein look like The Jonas Brothers. It was theatrical, manic, hilarious, power and frightening. Mostly frightening. The singer started the show by showing us his 'Wooly Mammoth' (don't ask) and ended it by chewing broken glass and bleeding all over the sacred 100 Club stage. One of the more unforgettable shows of Musexpo Europe and a messy but thrilling end to proceedings for 2009's live acts.