1. Julie Miller, Broken Things. Along with husband Buddy, Julie's fashioning some of the most innovative and exciting folk/country/rock fusions coming out of Nashville--or anywhere--today. With this disc, she has never been better lyrically--and her vocals range from wounded innocence to a new, self-assured rock and roll strut. We knew Julie was sensitive and shy--but this girl ROCKS!

2. The Mary Janes, Record No. 1. Janas Hoyt's exuisite musical vision. An album-long take on truth and the peace it can fashion from loss and pain. From its innovatively layered strings to its Lou Reed-style rock and roll bottom ends, these tracks are carefully crafted sonic gems.

3. Wilco, Summer Teeth. Alt-country boys create pop masterpiece! Deconstructed echoes of most everything cool, from the Shondells to Brian Wilson, can be found in these grooves, if you listen long enough. Also includes the year's scariest song--"Via Chicago"--"A cracked door moon says I haven't gone too far..."

4. The Backsliders, Southern Lines. Music as fought over, reworked and re-recorded as this usually sounds stale, smooth and defeated by the time it is released. Not so here. Chiming guitar urgency mixes with sandpaper vocal regret to create the ultimate late night bar band disc.

5. Jesse Winchester, Gentleman of Leisure. Jesse returns with an album of songs as strong as any he's recorded--and a voice that's smooth as buttered rum. "Just Like New" is just about the best Elvis song ever written. And that's only one of 'em!

BEST LIVE PERFORMANCE: Soy Bomb, backed by Robert Zimmerman, at the Grammy Telecast. "I don't BELIEVE you...You're a liar..."

BEST HOLIDAY SONG: "X-mas On The Isthmus" by Terry Allen (on his Salivation album). Any song with bridge lyrics like; "Bethlehem...Bethle her...Bethle me...Any song with bridge lyrics like; "Bethlehem...Bethle her...Bethle you...Bethle me....Mucho" has to be on some "best of" list!

WORST PRODUCTION/PERFORMANCE CONCEPT: Whiskeytown's version of "Silver Wings" on the Poor Little Knitters on the Road album. Ryan, Hag's gonna get you for this!

BEST MUSICALLY RENDERED OBSESSION: Seven Days in May by Chip Taylor. A whole album focused on Taylor's one week relationship with a 5-months pregnant French woman whom he met in a Soho bar in New York, including a song, in absentia, to the Frenchman who impregnated her. (If this album was less--ahh--emotionally focused, it might have made the top 5. It's clearly written, uncomfortably honest, and, musically, very damn good.)

HEAVIEST BOX SET: The Complete Hank Williams (10 disc) Box Set. 3 lbs, 2 oz.--excluding shrink wrap and souvenir postcards.