courtesy of Thao Nguyen

With an abundance of singer/songwriters that all fall into the brimming-over category of folksy indie-pop it’s hard to know what’s worth checking out, and what you’re better off missing. Former Virginian Thao Nguyen, a promising songwriter who is the latest musician to call SF home, definitely fits into the former category, with lush evocative songs that are far from bland. On her newest disc We Brave Bee Stings and All, Nguyen’s whimsical yet catchy tracks and raspy vocals recall a lighthearted, less jaded Chan Marshall. For an artist who cites the Lilith Fair as a major musical influence, there is an unprecedented amount of heft and gravity to her work that makes Nguyen more than a run-of-the-mill female songwriter. With moments of breathy melancholy and introspective lyrics about love, interpersonal relations and pity observations, Nguyen is an artist not to miss. Come and check out Thao Nguyen and her backing band the Get Down Stay Down when they play the Bottom of the Hill with Oakland’s alt-rockers Xiu Xiu on Saturday, April 12.