Nina Nastasia

 Nina Nastasia By itself, Nina Nastasia's voice is enough to perk ears. She's been using it adeptly since the mid-'90s, combining the beauty of her rich, folk-infused music with wise lyrics that glide from one deep thought to another. And like a good singer-songwriter, Nastasia turns any topic into poetry: She sings about graveyards and peeping toms and offers witty antidotes to a range of subjects, including disaster, depression and forgetfulness. Sounding faintly reminiscent of Sam Phillips and Iron and Wine, Nastasia presents complex musicianship with clean melodies that murmur with a fresh intensity. But live, it's her voice that sucks the air right out of the room and stops listeners cold.