With just a short time frame to impress a packed house, (filled with Vanessa Carlton fans) Graham Colton had no easy feat. There weren't bars or booze (or anything else) to distract the audience from listening to the opening act. Hell, everyone was seated and listening attentively. My friend leaned over to me and asked if we were at a school assembly because it was so quiet. (Guaranteed there would have been more talking at......

From Tony Bennett to the Village People, several musicians have written songs about our beautiful city. What do you think should be our theme song? Over at yelp, they are arguing about Journey vs. Beach Boys vs. Otis Redding. We think it should be "San Francisco" by Vanessa Carlton. We heard it live (see above youtube clip) last night and we fell in love with it. Now we know it's not a classic like......

Each Tuesday we will feature new music that should (or whatever) be on your radar. Standouts: 1. Nicole Atkins - Neptune City: This New Jersey native, reaches down deep to relate stories of her hometown, Neptune City on her debut release. "From the time I was a kid I started collecting these sad little tragically beautiful personal stories from the people in my life, and my own as well. That sense of history really appeals......

Total number of people pictured in this week's Swells society column: 100. (It's all pictures and captions this week, with no dishy Catherine Bigelow text, we're sorry to report.) Total number of people pictured whom we recognize: 14 (including Vanessa Carlton and Stephan Jenkins, Joan Chen, and a Chron reporter we see from time to time when we go out for drinks with Eve). Minority count: 24 (24%). Hats, capes, tiaras: 2, 0 (but 5......

Sure, there are new releases this week by Britney, Eminem and Shania, but what love have they ever shown to San Francisco? "Talkin' in the Mission / Over coffee, this is my utopia," sings Vanessa Carlton on "Harmonium," her second full length album. That might sound like a normal morning to us, but we'll allow the young songstress her love affair with our fair city. Partly recorded here and produced by resident rocker Stephan Jenkins,......