23-year-old Rochester, NY native’s head-turning ascent in the highly competitive world of aspiring singer/songwriters has been dramatic. Julia Nunes‘ witty, self-deprecating, brutally honest and hilarious tunes (and inspired covers) have garnered the ukulele-toting performer 50 million youtube views, a performance on Conan, an EP with fellow tube-sensations Pamplamoose, Lower East Side club dates that sell out with a single tweet and — most importantly — nearly $80,000 in funds from fans to record and market her new album, Settle Down. Beneath the effervescent folk pop melodies, many stripped to demo-style simplicity, lie some pointed, acerbic lyrics that are both personal and sharply observational…Nunes’ throaty alto can move from tender lullaby sweetness to bracing, double-shot belt without missing a beat.Quote: “I don’t think record sales happen because kids have to buy those records to get the music. They could easily download my music from wherever. But they see my videos, they know what kind of person I am, and I think they like me; that’s why they buy my stuff from me and make it so I can continue doing it.” // What we like: over the course of 18 tracks, we’re taken with the more fleshed-out tracks like the thoughtful “Nothing’s That Great”, a polished gem sporting an impossible-to-resist chorus…”To The Damsels: Run” is as good as you hoped it would be, a kickin’ rhythm tied to a glorious harmony.