SXSW 2007: Keren Ann

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Born to a Dutch-Javanese mother and a Russian-Israeli father, Keren Ann made her way around Israel and Holland before her family settled in Paris. Her parents bought her a guitar at age 9, and she soon learned to play the songs of Serge Gainsbourg and Joni Mitchell — both influences that she would carry for the rest of her life. Combining elements of trip-hop, folk and French pop, her first albums were wildly successful in Europe and earned several nominations for France's equivalent of the Grammy. Her first crack at an American audience, 2003's English-language Not Going Anywhere, came out on the legendary Blue Note label; she later moved to New York for the following year's Nolita.

KUT reflects Austin's diverse live music scene: Americana, rock, folk, jazz, and blues.