MP3 of the Day: Hélène Renaut

Ah, to be sitting in a little cafe in the Oberkampf, sipping from a glass of pastis as a French chanteuse fills your ears with acoustic bonbons. For those who can barely afford french fries, let alone a trip to Paris, we have a little bit of the République française here in San Francisco, thanks to singer/songwriter Hélène Renaut. Renaut relocated from her hometown in the "green and rocky coast of Brittany" to her current residence in the foggy and hilly coast of Northern California. Her charming folk can be heard on releases like her 2003 debut, as well as on the works of local pals like Willow Willow and Honeycut, to whom she contributed elements like violin and string arrangements and vocals. Check out her twee gem "The Way You Looked At Me" for a bit of Belle & Sebastian with a beret. (Renaut performs at the "Smile" club night on Monday, Jan. 23 at the Knockout).