1. Warren Zevon, Life'll Kill Ya (Artemis). Even when he was an Excitable Boy, Zevon was an old curmudgeon in spirit. Twenty-odd (in all senses of the word) years later, he's finally grown into the part.

2. Aimee Mann, Bachelor No. 2 (SuperEgo). A batch of love songs free of sentimentality but still full of heat. How cool can you get? From industry orphan to Oscar nominee: Voices do carry.

3. North Mississippi All-Stars, Shake Hands With Shorty (Tone-Cool). Delta blues dragged into the 21st century, kicking and screaming — and holding on for dear life, too. Naturally, it came from Memphis.

4. Ryan Adams, Heartbreaker (Bloodshot). Can't call this alt-country rocker the second coming of Gram Parsons just yet. He is getting close, though, isn't he?

5. Judith Edelman, Drama Queen (Compass). More "folkabilly" than even Nanci Griffith, this bluegrass alumna demonstrates that good things come in quirky packages.

6. Kevin Gordon, Down to the Well (Shanachie). Still earnin' that "blue-collar dollar," Gordon plays music that hits you in the brain and the solar plexus. No wonder Lucinda Williams likes him.

7. Billy Bragg & Wilco, Mermaid Avenue Vol. II (Elektra). More of Woody Guthrie's lyrical wisdom, on subjects ranging from flying saucers to Joe DiMaggio to God, put to music by obviously true believers.

8. Ray Condo and His Ricochets, High & Wild (Joaquin). Door-to-door maniac Condo refuses to give up the rock-boppin'-daddy ghost, bless his warped little heart. Blame Canada.

9. Koko Taylor, Royal Blue (Alligator). A big-city belter with country blues coursing through her veins, Taylor's still pitchin' that wang dang doodle — all night long.

10. Various Artists, The Best of Broadside 1962–1988 (Smithsonian Folkways). Once upon a time, people used words and music to try to move minds and nations, for the benefit of all. What a novelty.

(Billy Altman is MTVi's album reviews editor.)

(Click here to see all of Sonicnet's critics' picks, in rock/pop, hip-hop/R&B, dance/electronic, country, blues/folk, world, jazz and classical.)