Top Folk Artists on Rhapsody Online

Jack Johnson

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:38:15 -0800

Like G. Love, Jack Johnson plays groovy acoustic funk. The difference is that where G. Love relies on hip-hop, Johnson's points of reference are a bit more eclectic, incorporating lite jazz and classic singer-songwriter motifs (including interesting vocal experiments a la Joni Mitchell and Tim Buckley). It's all held together by earthy rock backing and topped off with a voice that at times sounds enough like Mose Allison to convince listeners that Johnson really has the goods. Before embarking on a musical career, Johnson was a successful professional surfer. His popularity simmered with his first few albums, but with 2005's In Between Dreams Johnson's stock exploded, crossing over from the jam-rock crowd into the mainstream pop market. The record yielded hits in "Sitting, Waiting, Wishing" and "Better Together." Johnson's comfortable voice and sweet melodies translated naturally to children's songs with his 2006 release Sing-a-Longs & Lullabies for the Film Curious George. In 2008 he released a new studio album, Sleep Through the Static, and in 2009 he confirmed his live reputation with En Concert. - Mike McGuirk

Bob Dylan

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:38:10 -0800

Bob Dylan is on the short list of the most influential artists of the 20th century. He coupled a love for all forms of American popular and folk music with a personal and poetic songwriting style instead of relying on professional craftsmen or standard tunes. Influenced by Woody Guthrie, Dylan proved that you didn't have to be a technically perfect singer or musician to make brilliant pop music. The songs on 1963's The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan catapulted the artist to stardom but he was already burning to get away from acoustic backing and match his unique vision to rock, country and blues. Dylan's music influenced a whole new generation of musicians -- such as the Beatles and Stevie Wonder -- to start crafting songs about what was important to them. While Dylan kick-started folk and country rock in his '60s studio work, the ragged home recordings he made with the Band showed that not even poorly placed microphones could stifle brilliance. Dylan still tours these days and records less often then he used to, but as albums such as 1997's Time Out of Mind and 2006's Modern Times prove, the man still has a lot to say and continues to do it in a way that no one else can. - Nick Dedina

Neil Young

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:38:11 -0800

Throughout his extraordinary career, Neil Young's Americana-rooted songwriting has dipped into a staggering variety of styles and tones. With the live Time Fades Away, the spatial On The Beach and the liquid Tonight's The Night, Neil inadvertently presented his so-called doom trilogy -- three records that beautifully capture throwing in the towel. 1975's Zuma signaled a return from the darkness to the sunny, rural rock he first explored on Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere. Comes A Time found him hip deep in a fermentation of 1970s canyon and country rock, while Rust Never Sleeps unfolded his career multi-dimensionally as he unleashed his acoustic/electric duality to a receptive commercial and critical audience. With Freedom and Ragged Glory, Young made a valiant return to form in the late '80s and early '90s before recapturing acoustic peace with Harvest Moon, his 1992 release that many view as the sequel to his heroically pastoral 1972 album Harvest. The Canadian transplant's high, watery tenor emotes with an elasticity that can effortlessly traverse into falsetto with natural warmth and heavenly tremolo. You'll find the real Young singing the hazy guitar epics "Like A Hurricane" and "Cortez the Killer," or when songs such as the gentle "Birds" and "Motion Pictures" seem to weep from your speakers. True to form, Neil Young is one of the only songwriters in the world who can approximate the sound of a heart breaking with his voice. - Eric Shea

James Taylor

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:56 -0800

A folkie with a dark past, upbeat sound and clear pop inclinations, James Taylor was the poster boy for the '70s singer-songwriter movement. He had personal or professional ties to almost all of the era's stars, including Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Carly Simon -- his wife of more than a decade -- and several of his hits, including "Fire and Rain" and his cover of King's "You've Got a Friend," are definitive. Taylor came from a musical family -- three siblings were professional musicians -- and got his first break when Paul McCartney signed him to the Beatles' Apple Records in 1968. By then, he had already endured a 10-month stay in a psychiatric hospital for depression and was battling heroin addiction. That back-story colored his music. The collision of confessional songwriting and bright, catchy acoustic pop on Taylor's early records established the model for legions of folk-poppers. He continued racking up hits throughout the '70s with a combination of breezy originals and rootsy covers. The template has hardly changed in the ensuing decades, though hints of jazz and the classic pop songbook shine through on later albums. - Eric Shea

David Gray

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:39:06 -0800

Welsh singer-songwriter David Gray had enjoyed immense success in Ireland for years before the rest of the world caught up with him. His simple, acoustic-fronted songs are canvasses on which Gray paints emotions, with his hoarse vocals acting as the brush with which he recreates scenes from his soul. Leaving Wales to go to school in Liverpool, Gray drifted through various bands trying to find his place in the world of music. Eventually he started doing his own solo work and moved to London. He signed with Hut Records shortly thereafter, releasing A Century Ends in 1992 and Flesh in 1994. Despite strong reviews and some astonishing live performances, his music oddly failed to ignite and he was dropped by his label. He continued to play out live, and a performer-audience connection was forged in Ireland, where the crowds appreciated the singer's stark, emotional style. EMI snapped Gray up and in 1996, Sell, Sell, Sell was released. Again, the musician hit the road, this time in support of Radiohead and the Dave Matthews Band. But although the audiences were larger, sales stayed flat and he was dropped. Again. Thoroughly deflated, he went on a writing spree and with a "glass is half full" sort of optimisim, began recording his fourth album, White Ladder in his London studio apartment. The self-financed project was released on Gray's own IHT Records in 1998, and almost overnight found itself firmly lodged in the Irish Top-40, where it remained for quite some time. Dave Matthews, whom had befriended Gray on their earlier tour, signed him to his imprint label, ATO Records and released White Ladder stateside in 2000. American audiences warmed to the stirring single, "Babylon," and White Ladder went gold by the end of the year, and platinum a mere two months later. There was a glut of David Gray reissues in 2001 as well as The EPs 92-94, which consisted of three singles from A Century Ends, his very first single, "Birds Without Wings" and various other musical tidbits. This was quickly followed by 2002's A New Day at Midnight, which went gold for the singer-songwriter, despite the fact there wasn't another "Babylon" on the album. In 2005, Gray branched out from "bedroom recordings" and entered a proper recording studio with Marius De Vries (Rufus Wainwright, Madonna, U2, etc) producing. The resulting album, Life In Slow Motion, spills over with low-key but radio-friendly songs and an expansive aesthetic. - Linda Ryan

Counting Crows

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:42:41 -0800

Along with Kurt Cobain, Adam Duritz of Counting Crows will go down as one of rock's most recognizable voices of the '90s. Breathtaking in its range, his voice is more notable for its ability to convey nearly the entire spectrum of human emotion -- from elation to desolation. Eschewing fashion and production wizardry, the band's debut, August and Everything After, concentrated on powerful, intensely honest songwriting and timeless roots rock. It made a considerable impact on those within blasting radius of 20- and 30-somethings -- things just got a little more real. Duritz employs a dramatist's approach to songwriting -- in his work he takes on the personas of the damaged and the damned: the addicted, the lovelorn, the depressed. Remarkably, Duritz manages to handle his subjects with a compassion free of condescension; he makes their stories, as harrowing as they sometimes are, entertaining and inspiring. - Chad Driscoll

Zac Brown Band

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:38:16 -0800

Zac Brown entertained audiences for years as a solo artist, winning people over with his deft flat-picking and original songs. Eventually, Brown added band members John Hopkins (bass) and Jimmy De Martini (fiddle) to form the Zac Brown Band; the trio expanded to a five-piece when Chris Fryar (drums) and Coy Bowles (guitar/organ) joined. The quintet employs an aggressive tour philosophy (often playing upwards of 200 shows a year) and has opened for the Allman Brothers, Willie Nelson, Travis Tritt and Sugarland, among others. Their grassroots approach to music has won them legions of loyal fans throughout the South, especially in Brown's home state of Georgia. The band's self-financed debut, Home Grown, was released at the end of 2005, and the live effort Live From the Rock Bus Tour followed in 2007. The Foundation was released in 2008, producing the Southern celebratory single "Chicken Fried," which made its way to the country charts. - Linda Ryan

Sarah McLachlan

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:52 -0800

Perhaps best known as the Lilith Fair's founder, Sarah McLachlan is alternately a singer-songwriter, guitarist, pianist, tour impresario and chanteuse who's been recording since 1988. Her work includes daring dance remixes of soulful ballads as well as covers of songs by XTC and Tom Waits ("Dear God" and "Ol' 55"). When McLachlan joined the 1990s burgeoning Adult Alternative scene she sat at the front of a class that included Alanis Morissette and Paula Cole. Almost a decade after her first release, she found mainstream success with singles such as "I Will Remember You" and "Building a Mystery." McLachlan's throaty, soaring vocals have inspired a million gloomy shower-singers and even more lonely late night drives. Hers is powerful, emotional music that's truly "better than ice cream." - Molly Ditmore

Alison Krauss

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:55 -0800

Alison Krauss was slated for greatness at an early age. At 12, the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America named her Most Promising Fiddler in the Midwest; just two years later, in 1985, she signed to Rounder Records. But even those honors barely foretold the success Krauss would eventually enjoy, breaking out of the bluegrass scene to become a bona-fide pop star with 26 Grammys to her name. Krauss' biggest record to date has been 2007's Raising Sand, which might have something to do with the participation of a certain Robert Plant. Produced by T-Bone Burnett, the unlikely project turned out to be a natural pairing, with the singers' voices hanging sweetly together over an easy, supple backdrop of rootsy Americana. The album, a critical and commercial success, followed shortly after A Hundred Miles or More, a collection of Krauss' collaborations with artists like Brad Paisley, James Taylor and Sting. Beyond singing and songwriting, Krauss also produces other artists' records, such as Alan Jackson's acclaimed 2006 release, Like Red on a Rose. - Philip Sherburne

John Denver

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:51:03 -0800

If thrift store record bins are any sort of barometer, it would seem that every person in America at one time owned a John Denver record. By this same logic, you can also guess to say that they all tossed them out at the same time. At some point, John Denver went from being America's most loved singer-songwriter to being the punchline on late-night talk shows. Blame it on overexposure or his constant mugging with Muppets, George Burns, and other bloodless creatures. Eventually, his humanitarian concerns took precedence over his folk/pop. The author of such heart-on-a-sleeve snapshots as "Sunshine On My Shoulder" and "Rocky Mountain High" died in a plane crash in 1997. John Denver's real name was Henry John Deutschendorf. He was raised on many Air Force bases, but always loved and championed the outdoors. - Eric Shea

Simon & Garfunkel

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:51 -0800

With a bubbly guitar sound and hesitant, hushed vocals, Simon & Garfunkel became a defining folk duo of the '60s and '70s. Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel began collaborating in the mid-1950s. By 1965 they had their first hit with "Sounds of Silence."

Dixie Chicks

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:52:22 -0800

Few of the millions and millions of people who bought the Dixie Chicks' major label debut, Wide Open Spaces, knew that the band had already been together for almost a decade, playing the folk and bluegrass circuit. The group was started by champion fiddle player Martie Seidel and her banjo-playing sister Emily Irwin. They went through a succession of lead singers before settling on Natalie Maines in the late-1990s. Maines' country pedigree is impressive, beginning with her father Lloyd Maines, a legendary pedal steel guitarist and studio luminary who has produced and played with Uncle Tupelo, Richard Buckner and Joe Ely, among others. With Maines in place, the Chicks dropped some of their bluegrass trappings in favor of a more conventional New Country sound. The fine-tuning paid off. Wide Open Spaces rocketed to the top of the charts, as did its follow-up Fly. But 2002's aptly titled Home found the girls returning to their bluegrass roots (despite the pop-friendly cover of Stevie Nicks' "Landslide"), which was a well-timed choice considering that by then, country music fans were caught up in old-timey fever thanks to the O Brother, Where Art Thou phenomenon. Top of the World Tour: Live was released in November of 2003, perfectly capturing the unstoppable energy and undying love for country music the Dixie Chicks exude on the live stage. Unfortunately, it was overshadowed and even boycotted by many media outlets after Maines test-drove the First Amendment on a London stage when she stated: "Just so you know, we're ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas." Following the short-lived Dixie Chicks boycott, the band released "I Hope" in 2005, a hit single recorded to garner charity funds for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Their seventh studio album, Taking the Long Way, was released in late May of 2006. - Eric Shea

Paul Simon

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:50:54 -0800

Throughout his solo career, Paul Simon has loaned his unique songwriting voice to a host of different global and ethnic musical styles. Simon's cross-cultural pollinations work so well because he makes sure that his musical interests match his personal vision. Immediately after he split with Garfunkel he recorded with Stephane Grapelli, the Dixie Hummingbirds and Los Incas, while his late '70s and early '80s work found him searching the darker emotional sides of that era, notorious for good cocaine and bad wine. 1986's Graceland was a joyous about-face, introducing North America to modern South African popular music. Since that time Simon has continued to explore -- one of his last efforts was writing for the Broadway stage. Yet no matter where he goes or what he does, his music beats with the same Folk-Pop heart that resided in Simon and Garfunkel. - Nick Dedina

The Dodos

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:55:21 -0700

The Dodos' songwriter and guitarist Meric Long grew up in the San Francisco suburbs and was making a name for himself as a solo artist in the Bay Area before hooking up with drummer Logan Kroeber for his self-released Dodo Bird EP in 2005. Long's intricate finger-picking and knack for sentimental melodies fit well with Kroeber's propulsive approach to the kit (he'd studied both African drumming and played in metal bands) and they self-released an LP, Beware of the Maniacs, in 2006. Their growing audiences in San Francisco led to some label interest and the following year they signed to Frenchkiss Records for their critically acclaimed sophomore LP, Visiter. In 2009, the duo added another Dodo to their nest, vibraphonist Keaton Snyder, and recruited producer Phil Ek (The Shins, Band of Horses, Fleet Foxes) for their third album, Time To Die.

The Band

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:42:52 -0700

The Band's saga began in the late 1950s when they performed with Ronnie Hawkins as the Hawks. In 1965, they became Bob Dylan's band. After his motorcycle accident in 1966, they changed their name to the Band and relocated to upstate New York in a house they dubbed "Big Pink." It was here that The Band began to write and record songs that would influence anyone in love with music surrounding the myths of Americana lore. Guitarist Robbie Robertson, pianist Richard Manuel, drummer Levon Helm, and bass player Rick Danko all shared singing responsibilities. From the swamp boogie of "Up on Cripple Creek" to the pure soul of "The Weight," the Band had just begun to realize their ability to capture and release the ghosts of Okie souls in their unpretentious, down-home, roots music. While the songs available here run the gamut of the Band's almost incalculable career, many of their fans believe the sessions recorded at Big Pink to be their collective opus. Manuel took his life in 1986. Rick Danko died in his sleep on December 10, 1999. - Eric Shea

Darius Rucker

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:04:05 -0800

Contrary to popular belief, Darius Rucker is not Hootie, even if he did sell millions of albums as the frontman for the '90s roots-rock band Hootie & the Blowfish. In 2002, Rucker released Back to Then, a pop/R&B solo effort that came and went. In 2008, the honey-timbered singer released his second solo album, I>Learn to Live, and a country star was born. Learn to Live garnered rave reviews and Rucker's song, "Don't Think I Don't Think About It," went Top 10 on the Country charts. - Linda Ryan

Fleet Foxes

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 11:24:58 -0800

Drawing from the music of their baby boomer parents, Fleet Foxes dissect the tunes and tones of pioneers like the Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel and Crosby, Stills & Nash to create a cushy center of feel-good harmonic pop shimmering with gospel, folk and baroque embellishments. Receiving comparisons to My Morning Jacket and Sub Pop labelmates like Band of Horses and Iron and Wine, the Foxes started getting plenty of buzz in their hometown of Seattle even before the release of their debut album in June 2008. Gathering myriad instruments including acoustic and electric guitars, tom drums, mandolins, bass pedals, organs, dulcimers and their own delicate voices, the quintet revere the traditions of their influences while flaunting their own astute flair for wide-open melodies and lullaby harmonies. - Stephanie Benson

Chris Isaak

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:39:35 -0800

Gifted with an absolutely divine voice and a riveting stage presence, Isaak is one of the few performers that can pull off both infectious rockers and heartfelt ballads with utter conviction and unrivaled style. Though it was the former that made him cool, it was the latter that made him famous. Once his "Wicked Game" was featured in David Lynch's 1990 film masterpiece Wild At Heart, it wasn't long before people took notice; naturally, an ultrasexy video for the song with supermodel Helena Christensen didn't exactly hurt his popularity. Subsequent efforts, while smoother and less steamy than his 1980s work, have all been successes. - Doug Russell

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:56:12 -0700

The heavenly harmonies and melodic Folk-Rock of CSN&Y was born in the uncanny chemistry of David Crosby (from the Byrds), Stephen Stills (Buffalo Springfield), Graham Nash (the Hollies) and Neil Young (also from Buffalo Springfield). The supergroup formed in 1968 (Young was added in 1970), and continue to sail a wooden ship of melodic soul into the new century. The salient aspects of the band's updated sound poke out in the form of harsh, angular, electric guitar tones and glossy, allocated riffs. The production is obviously much more pristine and glossy than the quartet's first album, Deja Vu, but they still manage to stamp their signature vocal style on the sound, traversing from melodic pop to acoustic folk to Hard Rock. - Eric Shea

Jewel

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:52:06 -0800

Jewel Kilcher is a modern-day folknik who gained a huge cult following playing Southern California coffeehouses before signing to Atlantic in 1995. Her dynamic, sparkling voice can extend from a wood-nymph lightness to that of a sultry, soulful chanteuse. Born in Utah but raised in Alaska, Jewel began playing music with her parents at the early age of six. After graduating from Michigan's Interlochen Fine Arts Academy, she moved to San Diego, where she lived in the back of her van and began to focus on her music as a career. Jewel's late-'90s hits included "Foolish Games" (from the Batman and Robin soundtrack) and "Who Will Save Your Soul," co-written with singer-songwriter Steve Poltz of the Rugburns. Throughout the decade and into the new millennium, Jewel released a string of albums, yet her sales declined, despite critical praise and radio airplay. After the singer's sixth release, Goodbye Alice in Wonderland, Jewel was dropped by her label and took the opportunity to reinvent herself. Dating rodeo rider Ty Murray provided plenty of opportunities to be in Nashville, Tenn., and that is where Jewel recorded 2008's country effort, Perfectly Clear. - Linda Ryan

Neko Case

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:43:17 -0700

Neko Case sings revved-up Americana in a throaty, expressive voice that's as fiery as her iconic red hair. She ran away from home at the young age of 15 and started playing punk rock with the raucous and rootsy punk pop band, Maow, before cutting her country teeth in a band called the Weasles. Since then, she's pretty much stayed true to the twang, assembling a tight alt country backing band called the Boyfriends with members of Zumpano, Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet and the Softies. Case also joined Carolyn Mark for a more retro country project called the Corn Sisters and she's also been known to cast her lot in with the rootsy power pop outfit known as the New Pornographers. In 2004 she teamed up with Canadian country rockers the Sadies who brought a psychedelic, surf-tinged sound to her sultry songs. - Eric Shea

Linda Ronstadt

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:52:06 -0800

Though she started out as part of the California Country Rock and Folk Rock movement, Linda Ronstadt is one of the few modern singers whose career has been closer to classic pop vocalists - she doesn't succeed at every style she attempts, but that hasn't stopped her from exploring new avenues. Full of top session players, her '70s albums slowly shifted from rootsy folk and slick country to '50s rock and R&B to New Wave. Once Ronstadt helped break Elvis Costello and Warren Zevon to the general public, she recorded three albums of standards with famed arranger Nelson Riddle. Though she has a beautiful voice, Ronstadt doesn't really have a natural feel for jazz influenced material and she is more suited to Mexican mariachi, American country, and upscale Adult Contemporary. While you await her Death Metal phase, check out her Trio recordings with Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton; they are essential listening for fans of any kind of music. - Nick Dedina

Crosby, Stills and Nash

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:55 -0800

The heavenly harmonies and melodic Folk-Rock of Crosby, Stills and Nash was born in the uncanny chemistry of David Crosby (from the Byrds), Stephen Stills (Buffalo Springfield), and Graham Nash (the Hollies). The supergroup formed in 1968 (Neil Young was added in 1970 -- he kind of plays whenever he feels like it), and continue to sail a wooden ship of melodic soul into the new century. The salient aspects of the band's updated sound poke out in the form of harsh, angular, electric guitar tones and glossy, allocated riffs. The production is obviously much more pristine and glossy than the trio's self-titled debut, but they still manage to stamp their signature vocal style on the sound, traversing from melodic pop to acoustic folk to Hard Rock -- and even experimenting with some silly '80s pop, as seen here. - Eric Shea

Indigo Girls

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:51 -0800

Throughout time, there have been classic duos: Lenny and Squiggy, Cagney and Lacey, Hall and Oates. The Indigo Girls are no exception. Their pristine and luminary vocal harmonies alone make crowds hoot and holler. Each song has a totally different energy and tension. With their more lighthearted and witty songs, Emily Saliers and Amy Ray play off each other like a comedic duo. Other times, their songwriting and arrangements are so clever, you would think that the two fight crime on the side. Their musical relationship takes on many turns, loops, and jumps. Saliers' musical roots dig deep into Joni Mitchell's gentle song soil, while Ray's influences stem from a much harder background of influences, including the Pretenders and the Husker Dude, Bob Mould. - Eric Shea

The Avett Brothers

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 11:46:52 -0800

Thanks to relentless touring, a ferocious performance ethic and some flat-out kickass songs, the Avett Brothers have recently exploded onto the Americana scene. The young, mostly acoustic trio from Greenville, North Carolina comprises Scott and Seth Avett on banjo, guitar, and vocals, and honorary brother Bob Crawford on upright bass; they play Appalachian-style string band music with punk-rock abandon. If there was ever a band to make jaded rock 'n' rollers fall in love with acoustic music, it's the Avetts. From high and lonesome balladry to hip-hop inflected screamers to sweet, pop-grass harmonies, their sound spans styles and eras but always retains a disarming sense of honesty, passion and joy. - Jonathan Zwickel

Sufjan Stevens

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:24:33 -0800

Through a handful of masterful LPs, a few self-perpetuated myths (he claims to have been left on his parent's Detroit doorstep in 1975) and a memorable name, Sufjan (pronounced "soof-yawn") Stevens has charmed the Dickies off America's underground. As if all that wasn't enough, the guy claims to have taught knitting to the blind.

Stevens first took the stage while a student at Michigan's Hope College with little-known Michigan indie act Marzuki, though he left the band in 1999 to embark on a solo career in New York City. His first record, A Sun Came, debuted in 2000 to modest critical acclaim; Enjoy Your Rabbit followed it up in 2001. But it was Stevens' stunning dedication to his home state, 2003's Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lakes State, that earned him a wide international following. Michigan's cleverly orchestrated songs and the songwriter's ambitions to release a record for each state of the union received loads of critical lip service and made Michigan a popular hit. Though its follow-up, Seven Swans, had no geographical themes, Stevens came back to the states for project 2005's Illinois. Two records came in 2006: a collection of outtakes, The Avalanche, and a sprawling three-disc collection of holiday music, Songs for Christmas. - Nate Cavalieri

Joni Mitchell

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:06:00 -0800

When it comes to women's music in the twentieth century, Joni Mitchell stands as the preeminent trailblazer. With musings in almost every genre, Mitchell paved the way for many other popular female singer-songwriters. Like many others, she got her start playing folk music in coffeehouses during the early 1960s. In 1967, Reprise Records released her self-titled acoustic debut. 1969 saw the release of her second album Clouds, followed in 1970 by the successful Ladies of the Canyon, which featured the chart-topping "Big Yellow Taxi." But it was the moody and cathartic Blue (1971) that put her on the map of musical genius: the album even inspired Bob Dylan to write "Tangled Up In Blue." Mitchell dialed up the jazz on Court and Spark (1974), which spawned three major hit singles -- "Free Man in Paris," "Raised on Robbery" and "Help Me." Throughout her career, Joni Mitchell has experimented and taken risks with her music. To this day, she continues to explore new ground and hark back to the old folkie ways that gave her snowball its first push. - Eric Shea

Vicente Fernandez

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:09:56 -0800

Considered the king of the rancheros, Fernandez's romantic, nostalgic sound typifies old Mexico. He wields exquisite control over his voice, surging from intimacy to drama at the drop of a hat. Fernandez is heir to singers like Jorge Negrete and Pedro Infante, but his story is also bound up with the rise of television. Born in Jalisco in 1940, Fernandez had his first brush with musical success when he won a Guadalajara singing contest. But it wasn't until he won a small role on a television show called La Calandria Musical that his career really got moving. He began singing for many of the major mariachi groups of the 1950s, and famously gave an impassioned concert in Mexico City just after learning his father had died. - Sarah Bardeen

Dolly Parton

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:23:01 -0800

Dolly Parton is almost more famous for her impossibly curvaceous figure and huge hair than for her music -- which is somewhat of a shame. She is, after all, a distinctive and important part of country music, representing a link from the music of her Appalachian birth place to country's crossover to pop. Parton is a multifaceted artist whose first success came as a songwriter in the mid-1960s, with hit songs recorded by Bill Phillips. After she became Porter Wagoner's singing partner, her career took off and she became a solo artist by 1971. She consistently charted throughout the '70s and crossed over to the Pop charts with " Here You Come Again" in 1977. Along the way Parton became a genuine pop culture icon. Despite the glitzy, glamorous aura that surrounds her, on her recordings Parton always manages to include some element that seems like pure country. As Nashville in the '90s has continued to show its disdain for veteran performers -- and for that matter any artist who doesn't seem genetically engineered -- Parton seems to be backing away from her own image. Her latest releases have been straight bluegrass and countrified folk-pop albums that she's recorded with members of Nashville's elite community of virtuoso bluegrass pickers. - Eric Shea

KT Tunstall

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:39:06 -0800

KT Tunstall was born just knowing she was meant for big things. The adopted child of two academics, born in the college town-cum-golf Mecca of St. Andrews, Scotland, the singer first tried her hand at children's theater, constructing dioramas. While she insists that she only showed marginal musical talent, she's forged a career as a recording artist out of a fierce determination, an engaging but offbeat personality, a knack for spotting telling moments in fractured relationships and then writing about them, and a great love for eccentric music. Tunstall, who was born Kate Victoria (the KT is both an affectation to hide her gender and a homage to PJ Harvey), taught herself guitar from a busker's book at the age of 16, when she spent a year abroad attending high school in Connecticut. Earning pocket change singing on the streets, she knew that her life would never be the same. "I never had a backup plan, nor did I want one," she insists in an exclusive interview with Rhapsody. Returning home to Scotland, she enrolled in the Royal Holloway College, where she studied music by day and listened to the seditious music of Lou Reed, the dark sadness of Billie Holiday, and the proud idiosyncratic rhythms of Tom Waits. She convinced a friend who played mandolin to enter a battle of the bands, and the duo won to everyone's surprise but her own. "I've always thought I was the golden child," she claims with only a little bit of irony, and much humor.

Now everyone agrees. Teaming up with noted producer Steve Osborne, who has been behind the boards with such notable talents as U2, Suede, New Order and Shaun Ryder, she crafted an album, Eye to the Telescope, that was both introspective and feral; a love letter to her physics professor father and a deconstruction of the small, telling moments in human relationships. "My lyrics look closely at relationships, what goes on when to people are sitting close together when no one is watching," she explains. But now everyone seems to be watching. Prominent fans like Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne and the Cure's Robert Smith extol her talents and regularly attend her shows. She has been nominated for Britain's coveted Mercury Prize and a Brit Award for Best Female Solo Artist, but the real accolade is how a song like "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" sticks in the listener's mind. "Our producer Steve Osborne said he didn't get much sleep making this record -- not because we worked such long hours, but because he said he couldn't get my songs out of his head," she says. Now that's a real barometer. - Jaan Uhelszki

The Byrds

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:38:10 -0800

The Byrds are one of rock 'n' roll's most underrated bands. There is so much more to The Byrds than the Folk Rock of "Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There is A Season)" -- they were the first group to blend the harmonies and backbeat of British Invasion with the warm, lyrical blood of folk music. The sustenance to their sugar was the evocative mash of Roger McGuinn's trademark, chiming 12-string Rickenbacker, soaring, three-part, gossamer vocal harmonies, and innovative pairing of analog synthesizers with country music's elastic tonal twang provided by the Telecaster B-bender (a string-stretching device invented by the late, great Clarence White and Gene Parsons to approximate a pedal steel's fluid cry). The Byrds effortlessly flew like a feathered Lear jet through Dylan-esque musings, inner galactic Psychedelia, and Cosmic American Music soundscapes that helped bring country music to a wider audience. - Eric Shea

Bon Iver

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:24:33 -0800

Bon Iver (aka Justin Vernon) is a singer-songwriter from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. His smoldering, acoustic guitar soundscapes take cues from Will Oldham's side-project Bonnie "Prince" Billy and Iron & Wine. The band name is French for "good winter," which aptly describes the stark, drifting quality of Vernon's music. Bon Iver's debut album, For Emma, Forever Ago, was recorded while Vernon spent four months locked away in a cabin in rural Wisconsin, which is reflected in its bleak, barren sound. - Dan Shumate

John Prine

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:55 -0800

They give him Grammies as a folk artist, but you can't really categorize a genius as big as John Prine's. He's as deft with Memphis skronk as he is with Nashville sentiment, and a long time ago, people were calling him the next Dylan. He may never have reached Mr. Zimmerman's heights of fame and influence, but Prine has spent almost thirty years crafting a unique body of work. Like Kurt Vonnegut's early novels, Prine's songs are notable for both their bite and their warmth -- the gentle surface of ballads such as "All the Best" often hide a dark heart, while angrier numbers like "Angel from Montgomery" always seem to forgive the targets of their indignation. He's a true hero, and his devoted cult of admirers will be pleased to hear his first studio album in four years, a collection of classic country duets featuring Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris, Iris DeMent, and more. - Eric Shea

Brett Dennen

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:48 -0800

Born in 1979 in the small town of Oakdale, Calif., Brett Dennen has evolved from a home-schooled kid to a nationally recognized singer-songwriter. Echoing folk-legends like Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Paul Simon and Taj Mahal, BD's music blends folk, afro-beats and reggae with campy melodies, shimmering vocals and unfeigned lyrics. His eponymous debut, released in 2004, remained undiscovered until his 2006 breakthrough album, So Much More , gained attention from heavyweights like John Mayer and Dave Matthews. Backed by drummer Randy Schwartz and ALO guitarist Dan "Chops" Lebowitz and bassist Steve Adams, BD opened for John Mayer for his 2007 summer tour with Sheryl Crow. He's also played shows with Xavier Rudd, Shawn Colvin, Jackson Brown and Ziggy Marley. - Sabrina Sutherland

Steve Earle

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:53 -0800

Texas-raised/Nashville-based artist Steve Earle got his start as a young teenager on the vibrant Texas coffeehouse circuit of the 1960s, absorbing the material and emulating the bad habits of his heroes Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clarke. Earle worked on-and-off as a staff songwriter in Nashville before he finally got a decent record deal of his own and released the chart-topping, critically acclaimed Guitar Town in 1986. The record combined twanging, tuneful Country Rock material with tough, unsentimental songwriting that had more in common with Bruce Springsteen than anything Nashville had going on at the time; the fact that it also yielded a couple of Top-10 hits was the icing on the cake. Earle continued to release ambitious Country Rock material, but he failed to repeat the chart success of Guitar Town, and a lifetime of substance abuse finally caught up with him. He wound up in a jail/rehab facility with an uncertain future, a dwindling fan base, and no record deal. He later emerged clean and sober, and proceeded to put out the best, most lucid work of his career -- Train a Comin', I Feel Alright, and El Corazon -- in quick succession. He also started his own record label E-Squared, on which he releases his own records and the material of other artists he admires. - Eric Shea

Emmylou Harris

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:51 -0800

The otherworldly and yet accessible voice of Emmylou Harris has helped bring country music to wider audiences. After the untimely death of her protege Gram Parsons, Harris kept the cosmic American music spirit and sound alive in her own solo recordings. She was blessed with a warm and nurturing singing voice that seems like it was destined to bring beautiful high-lonesome harmonies to life. Whether she's singing soulfully by herself or harmonizing with other folks, her elastic and dynamic vocals unfold and soar to astral heights, adding new dimensions and organic depth to whatever song she graces. Her incandescent inflections have accompanied the likes of Neil Young, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Beck, Sheryl Crow, The Band, Jackson Browne, Rosanne Cash, and Glen Campbell to name a very few--but her rich phrasing and harmonious articulation has never been as powerful nor as heartbreakingly emotional as when she sang in close harmony with the late, great Parsons. - Eric Shea

Vince Gill

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:56 -0800

A former singer for the Country Rock band Pure Prairie League, Vince Gill found success as a solo artist with his 1983 solo debut Turn Me Loose. From this album, Gill's first single "Victim of Life's Circumstances" broke Top-40 and he's been on an uphill hayride ever since. Gill's Country Rock upbringing sometimes makes its way into his traditional-tinged Country Pop, and his latest recordings are saturated with the kind of passion you just can't fake. Gill's buttery vocals bring his sweeping ballads to life in a way that lets you know he's a man in love. - Eric Shea

Brandi Carlile

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:39:20 -0800

The beginning of Brandi Carlile's story has all the makings of a spectacular CMT movie of the week: a childhood spent in the isolated foothills of rural Ravensdale, Washington, teaching herself to sing by listening to Patsy Cline and daydreaming about appearing on the Grand Ole Opry -- until one day her momma got serious and took her to sing on a local country radio show, jumpstarting Carlile's career. Fast forward to the musical montage, where we find a 17-year-old Carlile developing an ear for rock, making a go of it in the big city (Seattle), gigging wherever she can, forming a band with twin brothers Tim and Phil Hanseroth, and gradually building a following out of sweat and determination and raw talent. But then Carlile goes and messes up the whole Sunday matinee movie plot. She skips over the drinking and the failed marriages and the senseless tragedy that usually flesh out these stories and heads straight for the big, triumphant climax: a deal with Columbia to record her self-titled debut and then a whirlwind tour, opening for big names like Chris Isaak and Tori Amos, all at the ripe old age of 23. Carlile headed into the studio with producer T-Bone Burnett to work on sophomore album, 2007's The Story. 2009's Give Up the Ghost featured a collaboration with Carlile's longtime idol, Elton John. - Rachel Devitt

Jim Croce

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:52 -0800

Bruce Springsteen owes a lot to the late, great Jim Croce. Not just on a singer/songwriter level, but that whole appealing-to-the-blue-collar-man-through-music thing was really Croce's idea first (or second if you count Woody Guthrie). Whether he was capturing a hauntingly passionate moment in a narrative or just playing a little acoustic boogie, Croce could tap into a multititude of musical styles while retaining his own signature urban-troubadour sound. Like many great songwriters, Croce began writing songs and singing while attending college, though he grew up listening to Dixieland jazz and teaching himself how to play guitar. He married his wife Ingrid after graduation and kept food on the table and a roof over their heads by working construction, taking on random teaching jobs and playing his music in small clubs and bars. It wasn't until he took a job writing songs for radio jingles that he was discovered by ABC/Dunhill records who released his 1972 hit album You Don't Mess Around With Jim. The most popular song on the album "Time In A Bottle" hit No. 1 on the charts, allowing him to record another album entitled Life And Times which yielded another No. 1 hit with "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" in 1973. Croce died an untimely death that year in a plane crash, and though other recordings of his surfaced and were released posthumously, speculations of what he could have accomplished abound whenever anything is penned or produced about the man. He was survived by his wife Ingrid and son A.J. (who is a brilliant singer/songwriter in his own right). - Eric Shea

Amos Lee

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:52:06 -0800

Amos Lee got his big break when Norah Jones invited him to be the opening act for her 2004 tour. Taking the stage with just an acoustic guitar, his soothingly smoky voice and a collection of the sweetest soul-folk grooves this side of Come Away with Me, Lee proved to be charmingly mellow enough to tame arenas full of rabid Norah Jones fans. In fact, he may even out-Norah Jones Norah Jones one day. Originally from Philadelphia and environs, Lee got his start as a performer while in college at the University of South Carolina. He picked up a guitar and, like James Taylor with soul, started writing songs steeped in the warm, easygoing sounds of '70s greats like Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers and John Prine. After graduating with a degree in English, Lee spent some time as an elementary school teacher before leaving the profession to wait tables, bartend and refocus his energies on music. He self-released two EPs before being picked up by Blue Note, which released his eponymous debut full-length in 2005 and Supply and Demand in 2006. - Rachel Devitt

Son Volt

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:52:08 -0700

The splintering of Uncle Tupelo into Jay Farrar's Son Volt and Jeff Tweedy's Wilco divided the alt country scene as bitterly as a civil war. One felt obligated to pull for one side or the other and knock the competition for stagnating or selling out. It was silly, really, since the alternative roots rock scene now has two great bands for its money, where before it had the one. Trace, Son Volt's 1995 debut, runs shank to flank with Uncle Tupelo's Anodyne as one of the finest documents of the No Depression scene. Dave Boquist's exquisite touch on Dobro, fiddle, banjo and lap steel guitar lends tunes like "Windfall" and "Tear Stained Eye" the crisp warmth of sun-dried sheets. Ace production prompts every note to snap off the stings with its tail wagging. Trace is a beautiful, honest record that embraces life with a bear hug. The follow-up Straightaways was a continuation of the themes and textures Farrar had captured on the debut, while Wide String Tremolo pushed the band in a straighter rock/pop direction. Further Son Volt albums continue to rock hard and bite with more political venom as Jay Farrar flexes his First Amendment muscle, waxing protest against the Bush administration like Woody Guthrie with a distortion pedal. - Eric Shea

Nick Drake

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:50:54 -0800

A sound more gentle than the soft, almost timid singing of Nick Drake never passed human lips. Of all the melancholy balladeers of the past fifty years, none have so effectively captured the sound of the human heart in conflict with itself. Of course the saddest thing about Drake's music is that "Pink Moon" is being used to sell Volkswagens. If the first time you heard Drake was during a car commercial, then buying Fruit Tree straightaway is the least you can do to make amends. The collection gathers Drake's three studio albums and the posthumous disc Time Has Told Me. Though it's impossible to pick favorites with Drake, his debut Five Leaves Left may turn out to be the album you play most. It takes listeners on a gorgeous sojourn through rustic themes, wafting strings and Drake's lapidary acoustic guitar playing. The follow-up, Bryter Later, is a more urbane record; a purple-prose serenade from a dream corner of London. The partly cloudy skies of Bryter Later suddenly turned gray and glowering on the last album Drake recorded. The stark, eerie Pink Moon contains what is arguably some of the saddest music ever recorded, which is precisely what makes it so ineffably beautiful. - Chad Driscoll

Drive-By Truckers

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:13:12 -0700

If the Old 97's weren't R.E.M.-adoring spastic nerds, they might sound a little bit like the Drive-By Truckers from Athens, Georgia. This country rocking quintet writes Americana anthems for the modern day working man and woman. Touched by the hooves of Crazy Horse, these guys have a rich and crunchy guitar tone, sounding like a string of Neil Young's tweed Deluxe amps turned all the way up out in an open hay field. Their music is basted in tangy harmonies and patiently marinated in both southern soul and small town honesty. These songs are powerful and cathartic creations that display unpretentious arrangements and true grit. - Eric Shea

Fiona Apple

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:38:11 -0800

Tidal, Fiona Apple's major label debut, came out when the singer-songwriter was only 18, yet she managed to sound old beyond her years, hooking in listeners all over the age spectrum and bypassing the teen pop ghetto that comes with a fiercely enforced "sell-by" date. Her debut single, the darkly baroque "Shadowboxer," was a moderate hit on both alternative rock and adult contemporary radio and along with Apple's often harsh back story and moody, highly photogenic beauty, Tidal became a worldwide hit. Apple's follow-up LP was hindered by having an entire poem as its song title and a cover shot that downplayed her austere beauty. If that seemed like a deliberate attempt to make listeners concentrate on the music, it worked -- especially when When the Pawn... went on to win rave reviews and shoot up to No. 1 on the then-new Internet sales chart. Once again, Apple's pained songcraft slightly obscured how good she really is. If an indie rock band crafted arrangements that recalled the experimental orchestral side of the Beatles and the strum-und-drang clang of Tom Waits, they'd be getting major music magazine space instead of features in Jane magazine. After this, the emotionally fragile Apple did take a considerable amount of time off to make up for all the work she did in her teen years. Then, news started spreading on the internet that her record company was holding back her third album. AppleÃÂs esteemed producer, Jon Brion, who had earned a reputation for layering psychedelic orchestral flourishes and off-key musique concrete elements into songs, had pushed the already experimental artist farther than they'd gone before. AppleÃÂs rabidly dedicated fanbase started posting these tracks on the internet, while demanding that such beautiful compositions be allowed to enter the market place. Whether by corporate pressure or personal choice, Apple went back into the studio and reworked many, though not all, of the songs with a new producer. When Extraordinary Machine was finally released in 2005, most of its tracks were stripped of ornate arrangements and AppleÃÂs already intricate songcraft was easier to appreciate. Controversy aside, Extraordinary Machine was another superb Fiona Apple album and it sailed to the Top 10 without the aid of any hit singles. Since Fiona Apple is content to work at her own pace, perhaps her record company will please her impatient fans by releasing a two-disc edition of Extraordinary Machine until her next album comes out. That way everyone can decide which version of each song they prefer. Regardless of this episode, Fiona Apple remains one of the most artically challenging and inventive recording artists to sell millions of albums in the 1990s and 2000s. - Nick Dedina

Peter, Paul and Mary

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:55 -0800

Peter, Paul and Mary combined thought-provoking lyrics with artfully arranged vocal harmonies to become one of the most successful -- and certainly most enduring -- folk acts of the 1960s. Their music captured the zeitgeist of the racially and politically charged early '60s and offered it up to the public in a beautifully wrapped package. - Linda Ryan

Lucinda Williams

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:51 -0800

Any musician who has ever been courted by a label knows all about the pressure to appeal to the mainstream. Just ask Lucinda Williams. The "Man" has been trying to compromise her sound ever since 1979 with Ramblin' On My Mind (a collection of old country and blues standards). Although the majors tried to coerce Williams to crank out over-produced hit singles for mass quantity consumption by Wal-Mart shoppers, she has stuck to her guns through all these years. Her music is her own: rooted in crafted songs tinged with twang, slide, and the gritty soul of her ragged vocals. - Eric Shea

Ani DiFranco

Tue, 6 Oct 2009 09:54:02 -0700

Ranging from gloriously outraged to beautifully blunt, the folk/punk poetry of radio reject Ani DiFranco has earned her a loyal cult following of beloved listeners which originally sprouted at the grass roots level, only to be sown mainly by word-of-mouth sustenance. Boasting an impressive discography roughly comprising one full-length album a year, this music industry iconoclast proves that staunch determination and dedication to the DIY ethic can lead to success. Acclaimed for her sound that is both painfully honest and respectfully real, this best-friend-next-door-turned-living-guru backs her raw, emotive lyrics and poignant acoustic guitars with an ever-evolving, multi-colored musical style that moves from candid spoken word to full-band rock, over to brassy jazz stylings, and back to singer-songwriter simplicty. - Eric Shea

Tegan and Sara

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:04:14 -0700

Tegan and Sara each rise to complement the other's vocal strengths. One plays the clenched-jaw bad cop, taking few breaths between her breakneck assault; the other is the softer, cooing good cop. Their songs work off the yin yang seesaw that the Indigo Girls have down pat, but they update the music for a younger demographic by adding Techno beats to the non-traditional genre of Urban Folk. - Jennifer Maerz

Taj Mahal

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:23:01 -0800

Here is a man who has closely studied and preserved the roots music of African Americans since he began playing the Boston folk scene in the 1960s. He studied the history and formulas of Caribbean, West African, Zydeco, rock, jazz, and R&B. In fact, it was always the music of Country Blues that has influenced most of his own music. After learning how to play a multitude of instruments, Taj Mahal moved to Los Angeles and teamed up with Ry Cooder to form the Rising Sons, who split after one single was released (more songs from these sessions were released in the 1990s). Taj Mahal finally recorded his first solo album in 1968, shortly before playing an incredible performance of the Banks/Parker hit, "Ain't That a Lot of Love" on the Rolling Stones' Rock & Roll Circus with the late, great Jessie Ed Davis on lead guitar. Following what his fans believe to be his prime years, Taj Mahal went on to experiment with whatever music genre he was infatuated with at the time, and also wrote some scores for the stage as well as television and film. Those who know his music well can testify that when he played Country Blues, the Taj was at his best. His rich soulful singing has an ultra-deep dynamic range that fits perfectly with the driving shuffle-beats and bass bounce of this particular blues subgenre. - Eric Shea

Donovan

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:09:54 -0800

Generation X moviegoers thank him for producing Ione Skye, while Details readers are into his son's band Nancy Boy, but aging Aquarians know that Donovan was one of the key artists of the revolutionary 1960s. He started his career as Britain's answer to Bob Dylan, and his first two acoustic folk albums are charming, low-key winners; but he turned into a "Sunshine Superman" just in time for the Psychedelic revolution. If all you've heard from Donovan is "Mellow Yellow," do yourself a favor and check out his late '60s material. He remained a folk-popper at heart and the ultra-groovy production touches are completely in key with the current Indie scenes in America and Europe. Donovan's career didn't survive the post-Altamont age of '70s cynicism, but in 1996 he cut his album Sutras with Rick Rubin, showing that his flowery style is as groovadelic as ever. - Eric Shea