Rockferry.

From across the pond comes yet another brilliant young woman who probably would not win on Idol: Duffy. Just 24, Aimee Duffy has captured my heart with a collection of songs she co-penned with another brilliant Brit, Bernard Butler. A few years back, Butler discovered Duffy and shared with her a CD collection of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Dusty Springfield, and others. Duffy felt their love and pain of the human experience and she came up with stories that Butler helped her turn into songs. The result is nothing less than spectacular.

The lead off single, "Mercy" is as much a party as Nancy Sinatra's "Boots" ever was. Good luck staying still during this one. The second single, "Warwick Avenue" is a soul shaker- a building song about a break up that will give you chills. Catch the video on YouTube and watch the nearly single-shot tribute to the pain of love and loss. The arrangements on this album are stunning and beautiful- and Duffy nails it. There's not a back track here.

While Amy Winehouse deserved those Grammy Awards, Duffy is Amy without the crackhouse. Snorah Jones, well, should not have won all those Grammy Awards because this album from Duffy is what she wanted to make, but didn't. Duffy is right now the number one seller at Amazon.com, outselling even that Madonna album everyone is talking about. Buy Rockferry now and listen to what is one of the best new artists on the scene today. Let's see if the Grammy Awards come through for her, too.

Brothers and Sisters.

Tonight, after the sure to be non-groundbreaking edition of Desperate Housewives, television history will be made. The best dramatic series on television is ABC's Brothers and Sisters and it's because of writing that brings realism to an American family and because of a cast who clicks as a family- embracing their dysfunction and loving each other anyway.

Now, a dysfunctional family is nothing new. What is new and will make history tonight is the commitment ceremony of main character Kevin Walker and main character Scotty. Thankfully, they are in the State of California where same-sex couples are afforded some of the legal trappings of marriage. While there have been other same-sex ceremonies on TV, this is the first one between main characters on a network TV program. Sally Field will no doubt be delightful as the mother of the...groom...and will bring more real emotion in one camera shot than any of the Housewives do in an entire season. Watch this show, talk about it tomorrow, and then let's get back to work to elect those who also want to make history to bring equal rights to all.

You can also watch the entire episode after tonight's broadcast at ABC.com

Hilary McRae

In 2006, Starbucks bought Hear Music, an established record label known for putting out compilation CDs of music from established, and often unheard of, artists. Basically, a label that put out cool mix-CDs of music you need to know about. Last Fall, Starbucks presented the "iTunes free song of the day" promotion in an effort to get customers to come in everyday, even when maybe they didn't need a coffee, but did want to get the free music. As you can imagine, I was one of those people both looking for coffee and looking for free, legal music. It was through one of these free downloads, of the terrific song "Consider Me Gone," that I discovered Hilary McRae and I've been waiting for this CD to come ever since.

Hilary McRae is the first new artist signed by Starbucks-- and she is worthy the honor of sharing a label with Paul McCartney and Carley Simon- she is a next generation singer-songwriter. At 22 years old, my other favorite Hilary (but with one L), is a Berklee School of Music graduate and wrote every song on this album, Through These Walls. Yep, unlike the karoke singing, song stealing wannabes on Idol, Hilary created her own classics. The result is super catchy pop music dripping with great horns, keyboards and guitar. If the unique polished sound was not enough, then comes her voice- emotional and playful at the same time- and a voice that so does not match her looks as it is pretty soulful and borders R&B. Tracks 1-2-3 and 6-7-8-9 are can't get it outta my head catchy. Think a girl version of the 70s rock group Chicago meets Shelby Lynn meets Michelle Branch meets Joss Stone.

Please buy this CD and help make this Hilary a star so she can pay off her student loans to Berklee.