Listen again: Sonya Kitchell

We're quickly approaching that time of year when my love of French jazz and pop ratchets into overdrive. (Hello, Valentine's Day - I've missed your delicious chocolate cheesecake and your love of all things pink and heart-shaped.)

To get into the spirit, I've been spinning Sonya Kitchell's Words Came Back to Me.

You may remember a couple of years ago when Starbucks was really pushing this teenage phenom - she was signed to their Hear Music label. I don't know why she didn't catch fire then - she's got a unique, bluesy voice not totally unlike a Duffy or an Amy Winehouse and a sound that segues gently between Madeleine Peyroux and Joss Stone. Absolutely perfect for soundtracks or quiet evenings at home with a honey. So it's the perfect time of year to revisit this underappreciated album.

To get an idea, check out this live performance of "Can't Get You Out of My Mind:"

Etown radio archives

My friend Aleka recommended the nationally syndicated radio show E-town to me a few weeks ago, and I have to admit, at first I was intrigued mostly by the name (Cameron Crowe's movie "Elizabethtown" is my favorite movie of all time.)

Their mission statement is a little touchy-feely ("E-town's mission is to educate, entertain and inspire a diverse audience, through music and conversation, to create a socially responsible and environmentally sustainable world") but the concept is pretty cool - they bring in musicians from a wide variety of genres and give them a stage and a microphone. It's sort of like the unplugged version of Austin City Limits.

If you're in the same boat as I am and none of your local radio stations carry the show, you can listen to it as a podcast on the Web site. Even better, if you register with the site, you get access to past archives, where you can check out live performances from Martin Sexton, Rickie Lee Jones, Calexico, Susan Tedeschi/Amos Lee, Bright Eyes, Cowboy Junkies/Madeleine Peyroux, Buddy Guy... and that's all just this year!

You know I can't resist live, acoustic sets by my favorite musicians.