Snails - The Format

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Formed in Peoria, Arizona in 2001 by Sam Means and Nate Ruess, this Indie band survived until February 4th, 2008. 'The Format' was a name chosen as a jab at the music, accompanied by the idea that their is a cookie-cutter 'format' for musicians. Their first single followed this example and took the title 'The First Single.' Never becoming mainstream, they kept with small record labels during their career after a bad experience with Elektra. This particular song  and it's album can only be bought online. The reason for the band's dissolution is unclear, but they have made it clear there were no hard feelings upon parting. Nate Ruess has started a new band called Fun and Sam Means has continued on by selling merchandise.
'Snails' is a departure from my usual listening. A friend unwittingly gave it me when she listed it among her top ten. The vocals are calm and upbeat, with whimsical, slightly silly lyrics. The acoustic sound is fits very well and gives the song a unique character. Their other songs are a tad faster than 'Snails,' but are just as clever. If you want something interesting, I urge you to watch the music video for The Compromise.

Is It Necessary to Lose? - Blaxy Girls

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First of all, please ignore the video itself, and notice the song is in Romanian this time. Hailing from Romania, the Blaxy Girls are pop band formed in 2007 by their lead vocalist, who was 16 years old at the time.
You may recognize the strong, lilting voices and delicate instrumentals behind an electric guitar and drums. Only after research did I realize I'd heard them before. Their claim to fame is a song called 'If You Feel My Love,' which was an immediate hit in their home country. Like many European pop bands, they have operated off single songs, rather than albums. Their next most popular piece was the one I recognized- 'Dear Mama.' It was released for Mother's Day 2009 and met success internationally. The song was accompanied by a music video from MTV that shows a story of a rocky relationship between a mother and daughter that ends in tragedy.
If you liked this song, I highly recommend 'Dear Mama' next. Make sure you have a box of tissues near by!

Fated Person- Fujita Maiko

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As you may have noticed, the lyrics you are listening to are not in English, but rather Japanese. Both languages are in the video above. 'Unmei no Hito' translated to'Fated Person' above, is by Fujita Maiko. She is about 25 years of age, having made her debut in 2004 with 'Koi ni Ochite' or 'Fall in Love.' To date, she has three albums out.
This song was delivered to me via the clever algorithms of Youtube, yet again. It was set as background music to a slideshow of pictures for a couple from a fictional series. Bored, and with nothing better to do, I clicked it, not expecting much. The slideshow was typical and unimpressive, however, the song caught me like the net I use against my fish when I have to clean their tank. I proceeded to minimize that horrid slideshow and play the song again and again, until I couldn't stand hearing it anymore.
The instrumentals are soft and merely compliment Fujita Maiko's pure voice. Using her vocals as a driving force, she manages to create a very compelling sound and draw the listener in. Upon examining the lyrics, especially for those who have a basic knowledge of the Japanese language, we find the lines cleverly and concisely put together. However, upon reading translation lyrics, this does not come across as strongly. The second most prominent instrument is the piano behind her voice. Simple and steady, it allows her vocal freedom and keeps a delicate emotional balance for the ears.
If this song was as appealing to you as it was to me, I recommend a follow up with Fujita's 'Kimi ga Yobu no Nara,' 'Tomadoi,' and 'Futari no Kare.'