Midnight Vine

The Dave Matthews Band has influenced a number of acts in these parts, and some wear it on their sleeves more than others. Midnight Vine is one such act that doesn't apologize for the Matthews influence but rather fully embraces it. On Jack, the band's third recording, Midnight Vine takes the DMB formula of acoustic-guitar-driven rock with horns and builds on it. And it doesn't stop there. Singer and guitarist Ryan Fitzgerald does a fine job of channeling Matthews vocally on most of the cuts on this six-song EP, especially on the title track and others such as "Smiles" and "Still Here." While they're not exactly breaking new ground, the songs are still fairly snappy and poppy and could fit neatly and easily onto someone's iPod playlist next to DMB or the John Butler Trio.