Spotlight: Rachel Goodrich

The Sunshine State really is the perfect place for Rachel Goodrich. When she sings, you can almost see the cartoon bluebirds flocking to her sweet, high voice, but she's no Goody Two-shoes. Goodrich is the perfect in-between: You want to eat ice-cream sundaes with her, then chug tequila down at the boardwalk.

After years of playing in various Miami bands, starting at age 15, the Florida native retreated to the bedroom and started writing songs on her own. Out of necessity, she added ukulele and kazoo to fill out the sound of just her and a guitar. She plays a Rickenbacker live and fastens her kazoo in a harmonica holder for solos.

"That came from recording on my own," she says of her multi-instrumentalism, "and building songs as I would hear and see them, which involved different sounds and colors. Playing a different instrument each time is inspirational, and naturally these instruments carry different vibes."

Vibe is what Goodrich exudes, and her quirky sense of style and humor reflect her 24 years. There's a youthful glow to last fall's Tinker Toys, her debut LP, released on her own Yellow Bear label, wherein she sings about buying weed, missing the sun, and loving jelly beans with a self-aware smirk and a bit of Holly Golightly's tongue-in-cheek delivery. Aided by upright bass and trombone, it's a giddy mix of rock and pop she's dubbed shake-a-billy.

"I must have heard or said something that rang a bell," she explains of the inspiration for songs. "It starts off fun and adventurous. I get excited, into it. Then I think about it way too much. I can't just write it down and call it a day. I have to make sure I love it and know this is something I want to sing aloud."