Grant Olney

Yet another singer-songwriter from Austin, a city where you can't even spit without gobbing on a sensitive dude? Yawn, you might say. But let's give Grant Olney credit for at least being different from the rabble, even if he sings with a bit too obvious faux-Brit accent in order to do so. Then again, it fits his style--a mix of alt-Britpop and the recent MILF rock heart-milkers like Josh Groban and Daniel Powter--which at best strives for and hints at Nick Drake and at its worst and most cloying reminds of Chris Martin (which even for bad ain't bad). The fact that he has more of a career outside of Austin than in his hometown also speaks well for Olney--he's even moving to Amsterdam in August for a year, earning another point--who's as yet an untested quantity with something going on that could grow into something worthy.