Lauren Fine

Man, Valentine's Day is some up-chucking, hee-hawing, pony-loving horseshit. Couples stress out over inevitably underwhelming dates, sad souls are doomed to a night of tear-ridden masturbation and even happy folks end up disappointed by crappier V-Days in their future. The pink decorations are sickening, too. Why does anybody bother?

Because Valentine's Day, in its rare successes, delivers tenfold on good things. Like sex (I think). Oh, and music, too. Last year, I drove to an Austin concert featuring Tacoma's lovely Neko Case, and she sang to a crowd of folks as downtrodden as me. Fortunately, I wasn't like the rest of the suckers. See, when Case sang "I'll Be Around," she looked right at me. Me! Maybe.

At any rate, the show was a cure for a lonely heart, so in the spirit of saving Valentine's Day with pretty songs, brighten your Saturday night with Dallas newcomer Lauren Fine at the Liquid Lounge, where she'll preview songs from her debut album due this summer. Let's get to the point: This girl can silence the room when she sings. I've seen it. Even the most haggard patrons put down their Bud Lights and take notice when she unleashes her voice. Norah Jones meets Fiona Apple with a hint of Patsy Cline? Perhaps, but she belts out numbers as if she'd barely heard of 'em, and her lyrics are sad and direct but never too much of either. If you want to say "I saw her when," or if you just want to drown your sorrows to the accompaniment of a sultry voice, Fine's got you covered.