Adams ryan

Much-travelled Carolinian marks return with compelling, grown-up pop record

Grammy-nominated at five (for 1973's "Daddy What If" duèt with famous country dad Bobby Bare), Junior took the Nashville blood and jacked it up with a punk speedball and heaps of seedy Memphis Soul. His second YCSL release is a dark narcotic delight, the beat-up voice straddling the grainbelt between Jeff Tweedy and Ryan Adams, and flipping the bird with all the wry sarcasm of Red Star Belgrade's Bill Curry. And the back-up's top drawer—Will Oldham, plus Lambchoppers Paul Burch, Paul Niehaus and producer Mark Nevers.

Guitar-laden second album from New York punk-rocker turned alt.troubadour

Exquisitely bittersweet, pain-blasted country-rock from America's West Coast

Three individual box sets featuring miniature CD facsimiles of every EC single from 1977 to 1987

Deeply disappointing follow-up to Gold, Uncut's 2001 album of the year

Warm and gentle pop from John (Wilco) Stirratt and Pat (Ryan Adams) Sansone

Second album of the year, recorded with just a four-track and a healthy dose of vitriol

Veteran folk queen turns to the alt. country songbook

Lonesome highway drivetime provides the backbone for US indie flick about football