Like our own Mr. Benson, I too have a soft spot for female vocalist. The last week, I can’t seem to pull away from a melancholy little ditty by the name of “Near to You”. This achingly beautiful ballad can be found on A Fine Frenzy’s debut album, “One Cell In the Sea”. Buried towards the end of this piano pop odyssey, “Near” is a standout and is quickly becoming an itunes favorite. Check it out.

You might not know John Paul White yet but you soon will. Last year the world got a small taste of his haunting acoustic sound on the OC compilation, “Covering Our Tracks”. His cover of ELO’s “Can’t Get It Out of My Head” is an intimate slow burn that makes you long for an entire album of similar treatments. Available on itunes.