Leif Vollebekk

The sensitive dude with guitar thing is so played out, which is why Leif Vollebekk is such a breath of fresh air. Mixing Bob Dylan's gruff voice and off-kilter phrasing with Antony Hegarty-style falsetto, Vollebekk sang tracks of his debut, Inland, to a bar two-thirds full. Presenting himself as a humble, self-deprecating performer, the Montrealer easily bantered with the crowd while tuning his guitar between songs, not letting sound filtering down from the club's upstairs phase him. He even engaged in some Owen Pallett-styled violin looping, making for some truly engaging listening that transcended any genre ghettoization.