I’ll admit I usually graze right over every new English songstress to get super-hyped over here in the states. All the Duffys and Adeles and Lilys really don’t do anything for me. I mean, I get it. Cute girls in cute dresses with their throaty voices and eventual drug addictions. So naturally, when I first heard about VV Brown I was like yeah, okay, next please. But miss VV Brown played the Spaceland/Echo[plex] showcase at SXSW and lucky for me, her set was right before Fitz and the Tantrums and I caught the tail end of it. There were only about 30 people in the stuffy Beauty Bar Annex but homegirl was up there working the stage like nobody’s business, a truly joyful, just plain fun performance, a musical mishmash of eras and genres–VV’s blending of soul, jazz, hip hop, rock, world music…it could work in the 40s or the 60s or the 80s and it certainly works now. But she makes no affectations of being a serious, tortured old soul–the tunes are all infused with the wide-eyed playfulness of being young and fucking loving life. And when you go see her live, you can’t help but share in her joy! I hadn’t even started drinking yet and I was ready to jump on stage and dance with her and bring everyone along with me.
VV Brown plays The Troubadour this Wednesday, May 12th. $15.00, but it’ll be worth it!!
Tags: vv brown
