She's one of those artists who feels like they do things on their own terms, and isn't afraid to experiment throughout their career even if it doesn't automatically win them the most fans. I can't think of many artists who can balance the rocker/ethereal aesthetics as well as she, and I feel like even this current…

Really enjoyed the albums by Viet Cong, Sleater-Kinney, Julia Holter, etc. but my vote for best album has to go to Joanna Newsom's "Divers." It's one I've repeatedly been going back to since it came out and all the songs are completely solid. I think it may be her best album yet, and considering her track record so…

Captain Beefheart. I'd already been into plenty of musicians who've claimed him as an influence (Waits, PJ Harvey) but it wasn't until buying a copy of Trout Mask Replica this summer that all of his, to my eyes, preconceived weirdness began to make more sense. I re-listened to Ice Cream for Crow and can now say I'm…