Undoubtedly, you've heard of Michael Kiwanuka already. He's exploding out of the London scene, is up for a Mercury Prize, and has a sound that swings effortlessly from singer-songwriter to (semi-tortured) soul to jazz and back again. A quick glance at a sampler of his sounds proves this, as he invokes everything from Charles Bradley to Nick Drake, from modern fusion sounds to throwback, shuffly-snare alt.doo-wop tracks.

Adding his 2012 release Home Again to what you're taking in over the course of 2012 is a given, and you'd do yourself well to pick up a pair (or two) of tickets to see him at the Showbox this coming Friday, October 5th. But what I really tuned in to throw a flag up about this morning was the opener for this Friday's show, who is none other than Denver, Colorado's Nathaniel Rateliff. You may have heard me gushing on about him before, or perhaps you caught him at the Triple Door in 2010, or opening up for Jessica Lea Mayfield at the Tractor last year.

But if you haven't taken in the bliss that is Nathaniel as of yet, I have one word for you: Run. Run to pick up 2010's In Memory of Loss, run to get to the Showbox early on Friday night {just after you stop by The Imaginary Poster Show, perhaps?} and get yourself a spot up front for his performance. His primal yawps that erupt mid heartstring-pull during his well-crafted songs will leave you gripping the edge of the stage, full of defeat and hope simultaneous, wishing he'd go on for hours. Not convinced? Stream In Memory… track by track here. Right? I know. Now, go pick up tickets to Friday's show before it sells out.

Go!

{$15.00 adv / all ages / 8p. Foy Vance opens.}