Elizabeth and the Catapult / Lucius / Pearl and the Beard October 28, 2010

Take a clear and powerful voice, add a memorable melody and set it to unique, sophisticated harmonies, and what emerges is Elizabeth and the Catapult’s singular sound. The title of the band's Verve Forecast debut album Taller Children reflects the unique blend of pop playfulness and grown-up introspection that defines Berklee alumna Elizabeth Ziman's distinctive songwriting. Such memorable originals as "Rainiest Day of Summer," "Apathy," "The Hang Up," and "Hit the Wall" embody a vibrant mix of open-hearted wonder, whimsical humor, and forthright emotional insight, merging classic pop melodicism with an array of acoustic textures, jazz twists, and orchestral flourishes.

Lucius's highly anticipated debut album Songs from the Bromley House showcases a cast of exceptional musicians, fronted by singers and songwriters Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig. The two songstresses have been writing music together since they were students in Boston in 2005.

Pearl and the Beard is three voices, one cello, one guitar, one glockenspiel, one melodica, several drums, one accordion, 96 teeth, and one soul. Former strangers Jocelyn Mackenzie, Emily Hope Price, and Jeremy Styles were united in the great city of New York. Each had migrated there from a far corner of the nation with naught but food in their pockets and money in their bellies. Each had the same true love. Since then, the three have flourished, and their unique brand of brightly melodic songcraft continues to blossom of its own accord.