(Excerpt)

IF A GAMBLING MAN WERE TO SIZE UP the music world's freshman class, he'd call Pete Yorn easy money. He's a gifted songwriter. A nimble guitarist. A charismatic singer. His record label, Columbia, is gliding him with 24-carat publicity, and L.A.'s most influential radio show has his songs in heavy rotation. Even Liz Phair's a fan.

"I'd heard he was a good-looking guy, but I wasn't sure about the music until I saw him," says Phair from a booth at the Viper Room in West Hollywood, where Yorn played a string of Friday-night gigs in December. "I've already memorized the lyrics to my favorite songs."

Phair's not the only one to take in the show: Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon, Michael Ovitz, and Winona Ryder have all turned out to see the 26-year-old. And while the sight of power players at L.A. clubs is as common as congestion on Sunset, a showing like this is rare for someone whose album is just hitting stores this month.

-- Marc Weingarten