Since her 1988 debut 'Bring Me Some Water', Melissa Etheridge has been an iconic voice in alternative rock and roll. When in 1993, her second record 'Yes I am' went double platinum, that success was cemented. As a performer she has won 2 Grammy Awards and an Academy Award for best original songs, but also as a social and gay rights activist, she has left a lasting impression on American popular culture.

The frontman of his self-named band, rock artist and producer Ben Folds continues to work with some of the most eclectic names in music and entertainment (remember his Common People cover that featured William Shatner and Bill Clinton?), as well as pushing the envelope on alt-rock ever further. A self-confessed enigma, he prefers to stay out of the limelight except when touring, but can easily claim credit for some of music's most unlikely trends.

Alejandro Rose-Garcia (aka Shakey Graves) is one of Americana's real cult favorites. Since he first emerged in 2011 with his debut Roll Your Bones, he's been honing his lo-fi mix of country, blues and rock 'n' roll with understated ease, using bandcamp as one of his major selling platforms.

The Gipsy Kings are hugely influential figures in the world of flamenco and, more widely, world music as a whole. They blend flamenco with a sprinkling of Latin rhythms, western pop and jazz. Comprised of two sets of brothers, the Reyes' and the Baliardos, who banded together in 1979 under the original moniker Los Reyes, the group have sold over 25 million records worldwide.