too 

Bored listening to the same old rockstars brandishing an electric all the time? Get a load of these talented, fresh-as-lime acoustic guitarists you’ve probably not heard before.

John Butler Trio

John Butler Trio are a bunch of Aussies jamming around and having a good time with their musical instruments. Already seems fun, doesn’t it? John’s impressive guitar skills are sure to leave you with your jaws wide open. Check out this guy playing insane, impossible riffs with a funny looking face on his 12 string.

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If you’ve ever listened to The Dave Matthews Band, you will probably be able to relate to John’s voice texture, which transposes brilliantly over his acoustic skills. The percussion on the tracks is also engrossing, showcasing myriad instruments. Surely very pleasurable to listen to.

Igor Presnyakov

If you’ve never heard Igor play on YouTube, it could be because of the following two reasons:

• You probably don’t know what the Internet is.
• You are one of those music err..purists who detest listening to covers.

Apart from being totally insane with his fingers, Igor’s interests include manipulating newbie guitarists into smashing their guitars in envy with a sledgehammer. Look at the way he performs loud and clear hammer-ons and other weird stuff on his acoustic. Sure to make even electric players hang their heads in shame.

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Igor’s countless covers of legendary musical tracks give you a really nice perspective on how much better they actually could have been. Of course, there’s no need to mention how he has a great taste in music too, which you can judge by the songs he’s chosen to cover. Also it’s also not so difficult for those stuck up, ‘won’t listen to new stuff’ kind of people to listen to him. And yeah, if you didn’t notice, that’s just one person with two hands. He’s also working on getting his new album released, and we’re hoping it’ll be worth the wait!

Ben Howard

Ben Howard is an English songwriter on his way to definite fame. With an indistinguishable folkish aura surrounding his tunes, powerful straight-from-the-heart lyrics AND swift fingerstyle playing, he is sure to more than tickle your musical fancy. He has a pretty diverse, adoring, fanbase earned by his ability to put his heart and soul into his songs. Note that by diverse, we don’t just mean the chicks who crowd around him because he’s so awesome. Here’s him performing one of his better songs in ‘Old Pine‘.

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Set aside your burgeoning jealousy about his looks and listen to his debut album Every Kingdom which has great tunes like ‘The Wolves’, ‘Only Love’ and ‘Black Flies’ along with ‘Old Pine‘.

Newton Faulkner

  Newton Faulkner is a guy who has enough potency to replace Prozac as the official happy drug. He can make your mood ebb and flow with his amazing vocal range, deeply melancholic, sometimes unusually cheerful lyrics, and colorful guitar playing. He’s a master of multitasking too, simultaneously pedaling along with those flamboyant taps and knocks on the guitar body. And because he does not have annoying Indian parents, legends say that he’s been growing his mind-blowing dreadlocks since he was 15.

That was also the last time he ever had a hair wash.

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Newton’s already released two great albums which we can’t get enough of and we’re awaiting the third one which is to be released somewhere around July 2012.

Benjamin Francis Leftwich

His eerie voice and tackily long name notwithstanding, Benjamin can sure work up some elegant tunes. His mellow guitar playing and accompanied by a voice which sounds heavily like Nick Drake and Chris Martin’s love child is sure to leave you relaxed and wanting for more. If you’ve unfortunately not heard about the highly influential Drake (who would have made the list if he were alive), do so HERE! The newcomer’s music seems promising and it’ll be interesting to see how his career progresses. Here’s one of his tracks for your review.

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Benjamin’s debut album is called Last Smoke Before the Snowstorm which has been received quite positively. A fine record which aptly showcases his talents.

Think we’ve left out a few good ones? Let us know in the comments bar below! With YouTube links, preferably.