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1. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - “"There She Goes My Beautiful World"” > [listen]
Abbatoir Blues/Lyre Of Orpheus - Anti-

Nick Cave is the ideal Anti artist, a maverick who changed the sound of popular music as part of the seminal goth-punks The Birthday Party. His band of twenty years, The Bad Seeds, have provided Cave with sympathetic backing as he has developed into one of the foremost songwriters of his time, whose songs have been covered by artists as diverse as Johnny Cash, Metallica, and My Morning Jacket. Steeped in American roots music, Cave’s solo work has veered between poignant gospel-inflected ballads and the steamy thud of backwater blues and country. Abbatoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus showcases both these sides of Cave’s songwriting at their best, with the Bad Seeds rising to fine, even funky, form.

2. Kasey Chambers - “Stronger” > [listen]
Wayward Angel - Warner Bros.

Kasey Chambers’ third solo album Wayward Angel is a singer-songwriter album for those who find their musical heaven off the beaten path. With powerful songs like “Bluebird” and “Like A River” the word-of-mouth will continue to grow.

3. Low Millions - “Eleanor” > [listen]
Ex-Girldfriends - Manhattan

One need only glance at the track list to guess from whence the inspiration for this set of modern pop-rock gems was born. It was this recurring theme of soured relationships and undying romanticism that prompted the band to call their record Ex-Girlfriends. But while disappointment often bubbles up in the lyrical sentiments expressed in these eleven tunes, the craftsmanship and care that permeates the Low Millions’ hook-laden music ensures that Ex-Girlfriends never lets the listener down.

4. Ari Hest - “They're On To Me” > [listen]
Someone To Tell - Columbia/Red Ink

“. . . It’s heartfelt, yet it rocks” - San Francisco Examiner. Ari Hest’s major label debut, Someone To Tell (Columbia/REDInk) includes the singles:“They’re On To Me,” “Anne Marie,” and ten other snapshots of life from one of the best new singer-songwriters around. Hest has already built a national following on the strength of his live performances.

5. Elliott Smith - “Memory Lane” > [listen]
From A Basement On The Hill - Anti-

Elliott Smith has been a patron saint of the indie scene since his days helming Portland heroes Heatmiser. As a solo artist, Smith led a revolution of home four-trackers, from Beck to Cat Power, out of the bedroom and into the studio, where Smith’s fondness for Beatlesque melody led to some of the most beautifully orchestrated pop of the last decade. From a Basement on the Hill is Smith’s final recording and finds Smith returning to an edgier, guitar-driven sound, alongside his trademark heart-rending balladry.

6. The Ditty Bops - “Wake Up” > [listen]
The Ditty Bops - Warner Bros.

When Mitchell Froom (Suzanne Vega, Crowded House, Elvis Costello) produces a debut album, it is well worth taking notice. Thanks to their strangely beautiful voices, magnetic personalities, brilliant playing, bizarre storytelling and stunningly diverse range, The Ditty Bops, - the duo of Amanda Barrett and Abby DeWald, - earned his attention. A musical celebration embracing everything from contemporary folk pop to ragtime to musical theater, their self-titled debut is as gloriously unique as their name.

7. deSol - “Spin Around” > [listen]
deSol - Curb

deSoL’s songs have layer upon layer of hooks, from the obvious to the most subtle places, creating infectious, impassioned music whose melodic, romantic melodies are countered by lead singer Albie Monterrosa’s clever lyrics and Soto’s searing lead guitar. Together, they combine to pull in audiences, while the rest of deSoL propels the world-folk elements and Afro-Cuban rhythms that keep pelvises undulating at every show.

8. Percy Sledge - “Big Blue Diamonds” > [listen]
Shining Through The Rain - Varese Sarabande

The NEW album by Soul Legend, Grammy & WC Handy Award winner Percy Sledge (best known for his hit “When A Man Loves A Woman.”) His first album in 10 years featuring special guests including: Jakob Dylan, Paul Jones, and Phil Upchurch, as well as a legendary Deep South backing band featuring songs by Steve Earle, the Bee Gees, Barry Goldberg, Carla Olson, Jackie Lomax, Mikael Rickfors, and others. Soul balladeer wraps his exquisite pipes around love songs, spirit-lifters, and heart tuggers . . . Emotional fire . . . Passion and R&B authenticity. - USA Today.

9. Ellee Ven - “Rolling Stone” > [listen]
Rolling Stone - Hot Sauce

Ellee Ven’s eclectic sound combines electronica with pop vocals, some funk, and a dash of hip-hop. Her new release, Rolling Stone, is an EP from her much anticipated full-length forthcoming album, Funky Bohemia, to be released January 2005.

10. Cristina Williams - “Cowards In Love” > [listen]
Cowards In Love - Tylia

Cristina Williams is a folkie who moved to New York and converted to a rock ‘n roll old soul. Now she’s storming the beaches of California, armed with her guitars and five love songs that put the fun back in dysfunctional. They’re loaded and she’s not afraid to use them.

11. John Cullen - “G.I. Joe” > [listen]
Cathedral - Cull Art

Solo debut. Influences - Van Morrison, Nick Cave, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, rock me down the cradled ages, amazing grace burns the Bible’s pages in the space between night and day, in the place where we lose our way, where the moon becomes a crown and the sun is upside down, oh rock me down, rock me down from “Rock Me Down.” Like the sky at midnight, when the earth is still, like a pale dawn rising, almost against its will from Cathedral.

12. Laura Veirs - “Ether Sings” > [listen]
Carbon Glacier - Nonesuch

A prolific writer and gifted musician, Laura Veirs is a musical risk-taker. Her recordings offer a haunting mix of deadpan folk and blues with sparse arrangements and Pacfic Northwest flavors.

13. Amy Correia - “Hold On” > [listen]
Lakeville - Nettwerk

Lakeville is an artistic triumph that transcends any sort of sonic trend or category. It’s pure Amy Correia. Which suits her just fine. “Any time you make music, you’ve got to be true to yourself,” she says. “Even if it’s a little kooky or strange - that’s all you’ve got.