Midterms got you down? Sneezing up a storm in Geisel? It’s time to scan iTunes and choose the best possible cure. Yeah ‘mdash; let’s talk chick-rock. When all you need is a heavy dose of sunny sarcasm, fiery feminism, wedding-cake wishes and a taste of teen angst, look no further than Sara Bareilles ‘mdash; a sweet little brunette with an optimistic case of the love bug.
Born in Eureka, Calif. (just two hairs down from Oregon), the 29-year-old UCLA grad got her start in a capella groups and open mics. Soon, the coffeehouses got bigger and she was opening for Aqualung, Mika and her besties Maroon 5. Bareilles then signed with Epic for Little Voice, a solid 12 pack with five even-better live tracks. With diamonds like ‘Many the Miles’ ‘mdash; a folksy soul treasure that hits notes like liquid sunshine ‘mdash; and the vintage AA confessional ‘Love On the Rocks,’ it’s easy to see what the label saw.
Launching from a long tradition of independent women (Michelle Branch, Vanessa Carlton, Alanis Morissette, Fiona Apple, Ingrid Michaelson and, um, Beyonce), Bareille’s ‘Love Song’ quickly spiked No. 1 on the U.S. Pop 100 and stole two Grammy nods. Now, like a swine-flu antidote, she’s spreading to San Diego. Watch out ‘mdash; happy happens.
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