26 Vienna Teng - Inland Territory Ethereal Art/Folk/Pop that will quite literally blow you away. There are few like Teng, and Inland Territory is especially a treat as its the first time she's really begun to explore her own roots in song. Grandmother Song may well be the highlight of an auspicious collection.
West coast Prog-Rock gods Fractal bring the creative flourish of bands like Yes and King Crimson with Gibby Haynes-style panache on Sequitur, riding the dividing line between Progressive and Experimental Rock. By placing a bit more emphasis on structure than in the past, Fractal found their footing with one of the most interesting Rock albums of the year.
25 Fractal - Sequitur
24 The Doctors Fox - Plural Non-Possessive Magic is the word; music is the medium. Boston's The Doctors Fox perform musical alchemy on their debut album, Plural Non-Possessive, blending Rock, Funk, Klezmer, Jazz, Doo-Wop and pretty much anything else they can think of into a new-yet-comfortable sound that's bound to move even the most cynical of music fans. Plural Non-Possessive is like being reborn in music.
23 Chip Taylor - Yonkers, NY Taylor is a decorated songwriter that established artists ask to work with, but on his own he is a master story-teller. On Yonkers, NY, he spins yarns about brothers Jon and Barry Voight, and a father whose family ranked right up there with thoroughbred racing. It would be hard to call Yonkers, NY a breakout album given Taylor's resume. Then again, it would be hard not to.
22 Jerin Falkner - Pyro Aesthetic Seattle's Jerin Falkner brings a quirky Pop sensibility to her latest album, Pyro Aesthetic. Falkner stands out among her peers as a singular talent, and she just keeps getting better and better. Pyro Aesthetic is a tremendous introduction if you haven't come across Falkner before.
21 Amy Speace - The Killer In MeSpeace is at the spearhead of a new generation of Folk artists, blending Folk, Rock and Country with whatever fits the moment. Speace is a powerful songwriter with an ability to opens up images in the listener's mind with subtle turns of phrase and the force of her personality in voice. The Killer In Me is a stunning follow-up to Songs For Bright Street, and will likely end up on a lot of these sorts of lists.
20 Carrie Rodriguez - Live In Louisville Chalk another entry up to Chip Taylor, who discovered Carrie Rodriguez while she was playing with Hayseed as SXSW 2001. Rodriguez is one mean fiddler, but is also an amazing vocalist and songwriter in her own right. It's rare for us to rate a live album so high, but Rodriguez is a singular talent, and she sure shines bright on Live In Lousville.
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