I'm a rebel, soul rebel. I'm a capturer, soul adventure

Whilst there's no beating the Godfather of Soul...

... his grandbabies aren't bad.

Recently I fell in love with a couple of tracks by a band called Cookin' on 3 Burners. They feature an Australian singer called Kylie Aldist, who sings better than most of us talk.

She also features in tracks by The Bamboos, who (if you don't already know them) you really have to check out.

Artists like D'Angelo and Raphael Saadiq epitomise new age soul with a vintage feel. When I first hear D'Angelo, I was surprised by how he just works. He does a bit of soul singing, bit of R&B and a bit of rap. 

I'm feeling alot of love for the ladies of soul music today aswell. Nothing beats the power of a soul voice. They define aspects of modern fashion and just exist every day being unwaveringly cool. 

"Hair is the first thing. And teeth the second. Hair and teeth. A man got those two things he's got it all." James Brown

Janelle Monae is known for her androgynous style and incredible, eccentric perfomances.

Joss Stone still holds a place in my heart (check out the duet she did with Raphael Saadiq called 'Just One Kiss'). She gets to do the most incredible duets with the most incredible artists.

 Shingai Shoniwa (of the Noisettes) is so elegant and iconic, whilst delivering flawless performances. Complete girl crush. 

"Sometimes I feel like I'm a preacher as well, 'cause I can really get into an audience."

James Brown 

"No: people who love downy peaches are apt not to think of the stone, and sometimes jar their teeth terribly against it." George Eliot- Adam Bede

"You're so brutal to those who love you, Scarlett. You take their love and hold it over their heads like a whip"

Scarlett O'Hara uses her charm shamelessly to get what she want; beauty is no match for charm. But Rhett's love for her wears out when she realises she loves him, and as we all learn: a love that is lost can never be found.

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20 years later, Swedish actress Britt Ekland made use of her feminine charms to get anything she desired in the Peter Sellers' film 'The Bobo'. I adore her bombshell image, and the movie shows Britt at her most beautiful. 

Peter Sellers proposed to her over the phone in 1964 after a whirlwind romance. He'd seen her photo in a newspaper.

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The Queen of feminine charm will always be Marilyn Monroe. An eternal title because she was not charming simply for materialistic gain; her charm seemed to be ingrained. 

So perhaps she is the peach without a stone?