Recently by Lyndsay Young

Awards are no longer just for those artists who have been signed up to a record label.

Unsigned bands now have the chance to become the 2009 winners of The Peoples Music Awards.

Musicians are allowed to enter one song into the awards and can upload their music through The Peoples Music Awards website.

There are three rounds of voting before a winner will be announced at an awards ceremony next year.

Round 1 is The People's Vote, which is running until August 20, 2009, where members of the public can visit the site and vote for their favourite artists.

In the second round, from August 21 to September 10, music industry professionals will judge the top 10 songs from the first round.

The final round, from September 11 to November 6, will see members of the public casting the final vote on the overall winners.

There will be winners in various categories and they will get to play live at the awards ceremony next year.

It aims to showcase unsigned talent, give bands exposure as well as experience of playing at a music awards ceremony and offer them feedback from music professionals.

For more information visit the website here

I see that a digital radio station, which plays music by only unsigned artists, has been launched this month.

The DAB station called Amazing Radio plays music that has been uploaded to the website amazingtunes.com by unsigned acts.

Artists who upload their music on to the website receive 70% of any revenue made from people downloading their songs.

A new company called The Amazing Media Group, whose founder Paul Campbell used to make radio and TV programmes, is behind the idea.

The radio station is interactive, meaning it allows users who are signed up to the website to create playlists and their favourite artists will have a chance of being played on the radio.

Listeners wanting to hear only unsigned bands or musicians wanting to upload their music can visit the website here.

With a name that doesn't easily roll off the tongue, These Matches Won't Light In The Damp, is not your average unsigned solo artist.

Real name, Dominic P Miller, the musician offers a dark, acoustic guitar ensemble with a finger-picking style similar to Jose Gonzales and a melancholic vocal, evidently influenced by Elliott Smith as well as Joy Division.

The artist is based in Kent and the project came to life at the end of January, resulting in the EP.

Among his influences are Mogwai, Godspeed You Black Emperor as well as Slowdive and if this is your kind of music, this New Age Ambient offering could be for you.

The new EP, Throw My Ashes Into The Fire, comprises a set of ten accoustic songs. One of favourites on there is I'll Make You Love Me, which combines a haunting voice mixed with a fervent finger-picking style. The eerie final song of the EP, End Days, is also worth a listen.

To listen to the music of These Matches Won't Light In The Damp visit the MySpace page here

There are so many unsigned bands out there who are busy working hard in their practice rooms and know they have a talent but are so far undiscovered or are battling against conventions of the mainstream music scene.

Well this is the place to allow us to listen and enjoy your music.

I'm trawling through endless MySpace pages in search of some hidden musical gems out there and anyone who would like to by my friend can find me here

I have even mastered modern technology and set up a Twitter account so I can follow you talented people.

For those on Twitter follow me here.