MICHELLE Branch enjoys hanging with her girlfriends, listening to music, eating pizza and wearing jeans and T-shirts. That she’s like so many other American teenage girls is what put her, and her album, “The Spirit Room,” in the “in” crowd.

Like her peers in the Best New Artist category this year, the 19-year-old shot to stardom for being one of the “anti-Britneys” who write, sing and perform most of their own songs without sounding overproduced and overpackaged.

Her mega-hit, “Everywhere,” is, well, everywhere for that reason.

Growing up, the Arizona native spent quality time listening to her parents’ Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith and Jimi Hendrix records.

It seemed almost too perfect when she hooked up with Carlos Santana to sing the hit song “The Game of Love.”

Rolling Stone magazine’s music editor, Joe Levy, says nostalgia has a lot to do with Branch’s Grammy nomination.

“She’s appealing because she’s pop and rock,” he says. “She’s a real rock fan who loves Led Zeppelin, who loves Aerosmith, who loves playing guitar.”

Thanks to Popdirt for the articles