1. Box Full Of Letters- Wilco

• "Wish I had a lotta answers, 'cause that's the way it should be, for all these questions, being directed at me, I just can't find the time, to write my mind the way I want it to read." I didn't start listening to Wilco until 2005 or so and "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" was my introduction to the band. "Box Full of Letters" comes from their 1995 debut "A.M." and like anything on that album it doesn't have the sound I associate with the band. I'm sure long time followers of the band see "A.M." as a landmark and probably think this is how Wilco is supposed to sound. To me "A.M." doesn't sound that unlike Uncle Tupelo- the band lead singer/songwriter Jeff Tweedy was a member of prior to forming Wilco. The alt-country sound is great but I feel like the band didn't hit their stride until their sophomore release "Being There".

2. Pittsburgh- Mason Jennings

• "Grocery stores in the middle of the night shine their own kinda light, high school halls and shopping malls never fit me right, but my heart would swing free like a lasso from my hand, when I'd hear that sound and put the pedal down." Mason Jenning's last studio album, 2009's "Blood of Man" through me for a loop. Gone were the mostly upbeat acoustic songs I had come to expect and in their place I found loud electric guitars and dark lyrics. It turns out the material is brilliant and "Pittsburgh" is a primary example. The lyrics reference abandonment, drug overdose, a cemetery, and a suicide wing for good measure. I don't know if this is autobiographical in any way but "Pittsburgh" is sung with enough conviction that I'm inclined to think this is based on some personal experience. Despite the dark tone, when the song gets to the chorus (quoted above) there is something so uplifting about it....as if the protagonist is going to overcome all the negativity around him. There are a few live version of "Pittsburgh" available that give the song even more energy than on the studio recording. My favorite is the version from the "Live at Fingerprints" limited edition CD.

3. No Stopping Us- Jason Mraz

• "Would it take a baker's dozen to get my point to you, would it take a half a pound to roll a joint for you, would it take some hailing Marys so full of grace to get my sound to you, will you help me break it down and get on through." My favorite album from 2002 would have to be Jason Mraz's "Waiting For My Rocket To Come". It's jam packed with goodies. "No Stopping Us" finds Jason in funk mode. It also leads us to believe that he had a few Earth Wind & Fire records in his collection as a child. In the early stages of his career as an independent artist Jason Mraz was a classic coffee shop singer songwriter- his acoustic guitar and vocals were typically augmented by nothing more than bongos courtesy of long time partner Toca Rivera. As he found more success, more and more instruments found their way into the equation, especially in concert. It all comes together nicely but I prefer his stripped down acoustic sound. The most captivating performance from his last live album "Jason Mraz's Beautiful Mess- Live on Earth" is a solo acoustic version of another song from "Waiting For My Rocket to Come"-"The Boy's Gone".