Not all dark, epic music has to be harsh. British songstress Rose Kemp builds operatic folk tunes that crescendo from acoustic, string-infused atmospherics into menacing, down-tuned heaviness, drawing as much from Neurosis as she does from PJ Harvey, Kate Bush, and even Massive Attack. Decidedly more Lilith Fair than Ozzfest, Kemp proves that gloomy music doesn’t have to be angry. Nor does it have to be masculine.

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Twenty-six year old Beth Rowley hails from Bristol, England, but her smoky gospel style creates a beautifully mysterious impression of a dark diva from yesteryear, sashaying across a small stage to a packed crowd. Her debut album Little Dreamer is an enchanting mesh of country, blues and gospel that draws heavily on Rowley’s talents as a singer-songwriter. Indeed, Little Dreamer is the perfect soundtrack to a rainy Saturday afternoon, when you’ve got nothing to do but drink wine and sing along.