From elegant pop to balls-out rock, sweet electronics to witty swing, Erin McKeown has packed a ton of music into her young career. With 5 albums, 2 EPs, and numerous soundtracks and compilations to her credit, the 29-year-old songwriter and multi-instrumentalist hasn't stopped for a breather in the last 10 years. Along the way she has averaged 200 shows a year and garnered the praise of fans and critics alike.

After studying ethnomusicology at Brown University — and releasing a pair of fine albums independently — McKeown made her major-label debut with 2003's Grand. For her next album, Sing You Sinners, McKeown says she "stuck with things with strings, bringing in a slew of guitars and banjos" to give the band a simple, live feel. The music itself hearkens back to the Great American Songbook, with a lively, funny flair that's uniquely hers. McKeown's newest release is Lafayette, a rollicking evening with her six-piece Little Big Band.