My Morning Jacket "It Still Moves" (2003)

This is probably their best album.  They begin to show some of the pop melodies that would later come to dominate while still clinging to their classic rock roots.  Sure there's still some reliance on production chicanery (reverb, anyone?) but that at least does cover their musical limitations.

Iron & Wine "The Sea & the Rhythm" (2003)

Comprised of outtakes from the sessions that produced "The Creek Drank the Cradle", some of this material is amongst the strongest he's ever produced.  It's short, but absolutely essential if you're a fan.

Madlib "Shades of Blue" (2003)

So Madlib was given a dream gig for many producers:  access to the Blue Note vault, and authorization to sample and mix as much as he wanted.  The result is probably the best jazz/hip hop hybrid album ever released.

Alela Diane "Forest Parade" (2003)

Diane's first, self-released album shows where she's heading, but as you might expect, it's a bit rougher than her later work.  Still good though!

Whitehouse "White House" (2003)

I'm thinking that the "New Supergroup" label was a bit premature.  This is the only release from this group, and there's almost no information about it online.  That being said, it's good Stanley style bluegrass.  I hadn't listened to this record in years, & I don't feel like I'd been missing anything.

DJ Babu "Duck Season vol. 2" (2003)

Exactly what it says on the tin:  a world class DJ creating beats for an assortment of star MCs.  Really fun stuff.

Atmosphere "Seven's Travels" (2003)

Rhymesayers represented yet another strain of alternative hiphop.  In the case of Atmosphere, the divergence from the dominant strain is best represented by much of the subject matter.  Forgoing the usual braggadocio, Atmosphere could almost be called emo.  There's a sense of someone who is more than well aware of their faults, and perhaps ready to wallow in them.  There's a big too much focus on his junk for my taste.

Six Organs of Admittance "For Octavio Paz" (2003)

The clues are right in front of you.  The band's name clearly signifying spiritual quest, the album's title a nod to artistic aspirations.  For a relatively short album (under 50 minutes), we are moved along a path to transcendence, via acoustic guitar.  The playing is of the post -Fahey variety -- emphasis on drones, and fingerwork.  But very very impressive.

Rosie Thomas "Only With Laughter Can You Win" (2003)

From the opening multitracked vocals, you can tell this is a much slicker proposition than "These Friends".  The vibe here is closer to mid 70s AOR.  It's not that it's bad, it just lacks the intimate charm of "These Friends".

M. Ward "The Transfiguration of Vincent" (2003)

In 2003, M Ward was already tuned in to the mystical.  We can see simply from the title of this album, "transfiguration" referring to Catholic believe in the mystical change in Christ, and "Vincent" being so evocative of Vincent Van Gogh, whose work implies the luminous nature of the divine.

As you might expect from an early work, this is not as fully formed as Ward's later albums, but the pieces are all in place.  Pop influenced folk songs (or is it folk influenced pop songs?) seem to filter in from some other place.

Alasdair Roberts "Farewell Sorrow" (2003)

So it's a couple of years after "The Crook of My Arm", & when Roberts goes back into the studio, this time around he uses more musicians & instruments.  The added complexity to the arrangements is a huge improvement.  The music is still rather simple & sparse -- the arrangements don't detract from the songs, only help focus our attention. 

To my ears it's rather similar to the Bonnie Prince Billy records recorded around the same time.  There's lots of space for the songs to develop.

This is a lovely album, & highly recommended, especially for the winter months.

Calexico "Feast of Wire" (2003)

2003 seems to be a sweet spot in Calexico's development.  They are still firmly entrenched in a regional sound, with nods to their earlier existence as the band providing the soundtrack to imaginary Westerns.  But by 2003 their sonic palette has widened, showing more jazz & electronic elements.  A bit of pop has been added to the mix as well.  They sound a bit like Los Lobos' younger brothers, less dependent on blues structures, but clearly from the same neighborhood.