Austinist Previews Austin City Limits: Jennifer Nicely & Sahara Smith

Jennifer Nicely cites many of country's solid gold heroes as her influences, but she has publicly professed her love for female jazz vocalists including Nina Simone and Billie Holiday. The influences show: her voice has the rich tone of a seasoned lounge singer who's spent too many nights singing her heart out for the indifferent audience, and her music relies on the steady walking beats that have characterized so much produced in the wake of Johnny Cash.

Jennifer Nicely
Nashville, TN
Latest Release: Seven Songs, 2004
Sunday the 15th, 11:15 a.m., BMI Stage

Sahara Smith sounds a little like Marianne Faithful, if Marianne Faithful's voice hadn't been drowned by decades of whiskey, heartbreak, and cigarettes. Smith's folk songs are a little sweet, and a little sad, the vibrato in her voice nearly a tremble. It's the soundtrack for a night spent alone in a crowded room -- probably a crowded room with dark wood paneling and stiff drinks. Not that Smith can drink yet. The teenage Austin local is set to become a musical prodigy story.