The early show: It's the acoustics, stupid

First, props to 303Grand in Williamsburg for being the cleanest, most well-lit, best-smelling DIY venue I've seen. And on top of that, FREE BEER. It's kind of amazing that it even exists.


Stephanie Carlin, despite being a dead ringer for a young Barbra Streisand (and I mean that in the best possible way, Stephanie), is hardly a diva. Her blues-infused voice is Janis Joplin reinvented for a more cynical age, with none of the angst or heartbreak missing. in fact, her self-deprecating stage patter is really quite charming.









Nick Howard is an exceedingly pinup-friendly Brit with a butter-smooth singing voice, his tailored acoustic pop songsmithing playing circles around all those other stool-sitting coffee-shop poseurs you've seen around the city. James Blunt, the most famous subway stalker of all time, wherever he is right now, should probably take notice.




Mp3 - Nick Howard - A Better Man