Mia and Jonah. Shine I.

I fell resolutely in love with Oakland, CA's Mia and Jonah last year whilst the rest of the world unbeknown to me was also enduring a huge male/female-duo onslaught of bands like the xx and The Hoof and The Heel.  And while I dig both those examples, too, Mia and Jonah still get an I LOVE THEM and a THEY ARE MY FAVORITES specifically because they lac the cheeky showmanship and electric emphasis that I normally sweat.  They are classically acoustic, focused primarily on the singer/songwriter aesthetic.  I found them on Pandora.  Their 2005 album Shine I just sings the kinks out of my heart every single time.