Some indie artists worth checking out...

I found out a few weeks ago from a friend who is the director at a local art gallery/performance hall that he booked a few artists that are a real gem.He played some of their music for me and I was instantly hooked.There's Jim Bianco from Los Angeles, Jenny Owen Youngs from New Jersey and Tobias Fröberg from Sweden. All 3 artists are currently touring together and this Friday evening will be playing in my town.Here's what others have had to say about these artists:...flawlessly layering zydeco accordions, flamenco castanets and N'Orleans-style trombone atop his own earthy guitar and old-soul vocalizing- Bianco has catapulted himself onto a level of eclectic songcraft on par with Elvis Costello and Tom Waits."LA WEEKLY"Youngs’ voice is filled with equal compliments of velvety sweetness and delicate urgency. She sings in a style that is reminiscent of several singer/songwriters but not to the point that she loses both her own signature feel and her “girl next door” attitude... Her lyrics, like her voice, walk this thin line between affection and dejection: “If we weren’t such good friends I think that I’d hate you, if we weren’t such good friends I’d wish you were dead.”Bill ReeseGOODTIMESMAG.COM"....timeless atmospheres and haunting performances recall some of his influences like early Paul Simon, John Martyn, Tim Buckley and Ron Sexsmith. While simplicity is its hallmark, there are also moments of deceptive complexity: layers of lush choral vocal harmonies, bold instrumental statements, words that require considerable thought. Fröberg's gentle alternative folk-pop has been compared to the likes of Paul Simon and Nick Drake (the former is evident, the latter hardly), and contemporary benchmarks might include Devendra Banhart, Damien Rice, and Bright Eyes."NOTLAME.COMIf you'd to know about these artists, see here:Jim Biancohttp://www.myspace.com/jimbiancoJenny Owen Youngshttp://www.myspace.com/jennyowenyoungsTobias Fröberghttp://www.myspace.com/tobiasfrobergUPDATE - 3/12/07I was out of town the weekend these 3 artists came to town, but luckily was visiting an old friend in Atlanta, where they performed the following night, so I grabbed tickets and went to the show with two friends. The venue was one I'd never been to before and the sparse crowd made the shows more enjoyable, as there was more interaction between the artists and the audience members. Jenny Owen Youngs called me out when she caught me talking to my friends when she was addressing the audience and then came by after her show and made nice. Despite the beautiful voice and unassuming nature, this young lady has quite the mouth on her. So, "Fuck Was I" is definitely an appropriate tune for her. I highly recommend her album "Batten the Hatches" that was recently re-released through Nettwerk Records. Fröberg and Bianco also put on fantastic and lively shows and I also recommend their music.