The first time I saw Trixie Whitley play live, she apologized for having a cold. It was at last year’s tour with Daniel Lanois’ Black Dub at the Fillmore, and man, she could have had the flu and still sounded amazing. Last night’s intimate showcase at Brick and Mortar in San Francisco just cemented how talented this petite firebrand is. Her solo performances introducing songs off her upcoming album, Fourth Corner, were full of her signature soul and angst.

The first time I heard Jessie Murphy and We Are The Woods, I thought maybe they were a bit too sweet and pretty for Guitar World. But on further inspection, Murphy has proved me wrong. She can enrapture and wail! Part rocker, part quirkster, part folky, part songstress. Murphy’s parts make a very delightful whole.

Brooklyn-based guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Sonia Montez failed her first time around at a crowd-funding attempt. Her Kickstarter campaign only funded 25 percent and she had to walk away with no money at all. “It was rushed. I was kind of pushed into it. And I had a bad feeling from the beginning,” she says. “It was heart breaking.”

There’s been a lot of press lately about pro singers who have hurt their vocal chords, and lord knows, if you sing at all, you know you don’t want that to happen to you. Perhaps some vocal training for the masses is just the ticket to healthy, kick-ass vocal endurance.