Elliott Smith "From a Basement on the Hill" (2004)

Released posthumously, FABOTH sounds like the partially finished work that it is.  Not as smooth and beatlesy as the high points of his LA years, it is also worlds away from the lofi DIY feel of the earlier Portlandia records.  For the completists only.

Jack Rose "Raag Manifestos" (2004)

Does the cover art give away too much?  This album is Rose as acoustic psychedelic warrior.  There are not many with both the technical chops and the inclination to record long acoustic drone work.  Rose somehow pulls off what sounds like it should be terrible.

Dave Alvin "The Best of the Hightone Years" (2009)

I really don't know why Dave Alvin isn't in the conversation for best contemporary songwriter.  Is it some personal issue?  Is it because he's based in California?  Is it because his label doesn't spend the money or do the politics correctly?  For whatever reason, he seems to be overlooked.  This collection makes the case that he is every bit the equal of Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, or whoever you normally talk about as being the best.

Ben Nichols "The Last Pale Light In the West" (2009)

It's been at least 20 years since I read Blood Meridian.  But I can understand Ben Nichols' fascination with the book, and his desire to write a group of songs based upon it.  Nichols' weathered voice is a great fit for the earthy, violent material of McCarthy's tale.  Highly recommended.

The Mountain Goats "Heretic Pride" (2008)

The Mountain Goats are what I think of as internet famous.  On the internet, everyone seems to know who John Darnielle is, and there are lots and lots of fans.  In real life, people don't seem to have heard of him, or of his band.  It's a shame really, because he's been making some of the best most literate rock music of the last decade.

Mercury Rev "Deserter's Songs" (1998)

90s psychedelia.  For me, the closest comparison is probably the Flaming Lips.  There's the same lack of guitar muscularity, but with a real sadness.  This kind of thing seems to really have a certain time & place, & it's hard to listen to this without it being early morning in a cheaply furnished apartment.  I think you know the scene.

Woven Hand "10 Stones" (2008)

I love love love this album cover.  I do not love this album.  There's a certain undergraduate seriousness to it.  A firm commitment to the fact that it is ART and ART can NOT be fun.