Some of us were out last night to see Ann Vriend and her band, The Dropouts, perform. Ann begins recording her first CD next week, and I look forward to it. Despite really bad sound, I enjoyed her performance considerably. This is a woman with a strong and powerful voice. Her songwriting mixes many styles, making it hard to describe her music short of saying that she mixes pop, folk, a little jazz, motown, funk, and God knows what else. With such a mix of styles, she is able to utilize the considerable range of her voice. As mentioned, the sound buried her voice in the mix. Her band features solid guitar and bass players; if I dare suggest a weakness, it may be the percussionist, who could be tighter and more compact in his delivery. Regardless, she comes highly recommended, folks, living proof that younger artists can produce and create great music that doesn't have to be considered alternative to be cool. Watch out for her.
visits since 07/15/02
