Results tagged “afinefrenzy”

We confess, we have a bit of a thing for young women with pianos. You already know about the torrid affair we'd like to have with Alison Sudol, aka A Fine Frenzy, and we're also quite enamored with Sara Bareilles. Not to be forgotten in the mix of kick-ass piano women right now is Kate Nash (MySpace), whose debut album, , is regularly playing on our iPod. When describing Nash's music, it's tough not to make a Lily Allen comparison, but that's not entirely accurate. Even though Nash's lyrics contain a certain degree of bitterness, and while she sings with a Cockney accent similar to Allen's, Nash's music isn't as consumed with the need to be "cool" by focusing entirely on getting laid and getting drunk. Don't get us wrong, we're all for getting drunk and getting laid, but when it's all the music is about, you're trying just a bit too hard. Nash's music doesn't have that problem. So we're hoping Nash won't have the additional problem of sucking in her live performance.

Last Monday's show at the World Cafe Live began a bit on the slow side as Ferras (MySpace) and his keyboard took the stage. The twenty-five year-old singer-songwriter, whose debut album, Aliens & Rainbows, dropped yesterday, has a lot of raw talent. What he doesn't really have is songwriting ability. Ferras sounds like a high school theatre nerd with a guitar. (Seriously, when you're trying to get major label play, you really shouldn't play music that sounds like you listened to the original soundtrack of Pippin one too many times.) It's not that Ferras was bad; it's just that I had no qualms about paying more attention to my mediocre salmon than I paid to the stage while he was playing.

We caught Chris Stills opening for A Fine Frenzy at the World Cafe Live last night, and found a video up on YouTube when we got up this morning. The review of that show will be up later this week, but in the meanwhile, enjoy "Fool for Love," the Paul Simon-influenced tune that won us over. (The quality's not great, so feel free to hit play and go read some emails. Not much to see.)

The first time we heard the name A Fine Frenzy, the stage name of Alison Sudol, we quite honestly saw covering her as a way to see the Rufus Wainwright/Neko Case show at the Mann over the summer. What we didn't expect was for her to be, positively, the best act of the night. Alison and her gorgeous piano-driven pop have gotten quite popular since August: her song "You Picked Me," the complicated 5/8-time love song on her debut album, , has been an iTunes featured download, and she's all over VH1 these days, joining the growing cadre of talented female singer-songwriters that has sprung up in the last nine months or so.

I arrived at the Mann last Friday with nothing but the highest of expectations, and I left positively annoyed. It wasn't because of the weather (there was a thunderstorm between A Fine Frenzy and Neko Case's sets, but I loved it). It wasn't because of the audience (although there were plenty of obnoxious people there). Those are things that you get annoyed with, and then get over.

, has been getting outstanding reviews. (Really. Google her.)

Every Tuesday and Thursday, we'll be posting events that are going on sale during the current week. This Tuesday post only collects the early announcements, so definitely check back on Thursday for the latest ticket news.

A Fine Frenzy Giveaway
6/15/07-6/18/07