Neil Finn If you don't like Crowded House's "Don't Dream It's Over" hang up your earphones. Since the Antipodean trio called it a day, Finn teamed up with his sibling Tim for the Finn album and released his Try Whistling This debut. He also hasn't lost his knack for a damn fine tune.
Nick Drake You might have heard his wispy "Pink Moon" on a recent Volkswagen ad, but don't look for Drake to rock your local House of Blues. After recording three masterful albums, the profoundly depressed English songwriter killed himself in 1974. Ever since, our smartest singers have been trying to capture the mystery in his voice and his unique way with a guitar.
The Beautiful South After Hull janglers the Housemartins broke up in 1989, singer Paul Heaton and drummer David Hemmingway experimented with the none-more-pop sounds of the Beautiful South. Clothing Heaton's tart observations in Bacharach-esque arrangements, they became one Britain's most successful acts of the '90s.
Will Oldham Former actor Will Oldham has changed identities more often than you've seen the Leif Garrett Behind the Music. He's been Palace, the Palace Brothers, Palace Songs, Bonnie Prince Billy … he's even made records as himself. Whether pulling an aching melody from cacophony or sounding older than a Jimmie Rodgers 78, his music positions him as a splintered balladeer from a previous century.
