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Rice's music demands close attention: Whether he's singing in an aching whisper or yelling amid strings and other pomp (often in the same song), he's a nuanced performer who isn't afraid to lay his feelings bare. "Elephant" finds him carrying on in top form, in an epic ballad that showcases his considerable emotional and vocal range.

Walker's sweet tenor carries an edge of pain, as well as affection for blue notes. His blues music isn't just about guitars and drums, just as it isn't about the torn jeans and unshaven face he presents on his Web site. Topping off that hobo look is a fedora with a sharp crease — a cool, nostalgic hat that's the sartorial equivalent of "I Got a Song."

Always provocative, the band jettisons post-punk thrash in favor of a sturdier Top 40 pop sound that recalls the early to mid-'80s.

Commentator Rob Kapilow explains how Copland's pure, American sound springs from two simple chords that open the ballet Appalachian Spring. Stacked upon each other, the chords reveal a sound like all of America, like the purest values, and like Shaker simplicity.

Hayes Carll made a stir in Americana music with his self-released 2004 album, Little Rock. Music critic Robert Christgau says that Carll has matured some since then, and that maturity sounds good on him. Carll is good for a laugh, but Christgau says his sensitive side puts his new album, Trouble In Mind, over the top.

The Nashville star helps us break down the appeal of the beloved 2000 song by Wheatus, a truly strange cult hit that has stood the test of time.

Guitarist Sean Shibe pushes his instrument to the limit in new music written for him by Thomas Adès, and softens the vibe with intimate pieces by Bach, Mompou and the eccentric street musician Moondog.

By the time she was 18, Wang had carved out a niche as a performer to call when older big-name pianists couldn't make it to their engagements. But now, at 22, she's headlining a project of her own: Her debut CD, Sonatas and Etudes, has been nominated for a Grammy.

In an era when some classical musicians are struggling, New York-based flutist Claire Chase, the founder of the International Contemporary Ensemble, is keeping very busy.

This year, pop critic Ann Powers offers something a little different — 10 deserving albums that might have topped lists in any other year.