Vincent Delerm

The music of French chanson Vincent Delerm channeled the sophisticated, archly literary pop tradition first popularized by American songwriters like Randy Newman and Paul Simon. No surprise, given that he is the child of acclaimed novelist Philippe and children's writer/illustrator Martine Delerm. Inspired in large part by Delerm's love of French cinema, complete with nods to stars Jean-Louis Trintignant and Irène Jacob, his self-titled debut LP was released in 2002. It received the Victoire de la Musique award for the year's best debut album. Kensington Square (2004) was another considerable commercial success, followed by Les Piqûres d'Araignée (2006). ~ Jason Ankeny