Damien Jurado

Seattle singer-songwriter Damien Jurado favours hushed, acoustic settings for his highly personal songs, but something in his demeanour telegraphs "indie" over "folkie," and that indescribable hipness--and an ear for haunting melodies--has attracted loyal fans who otherwise might not bother with guy-and-guitar winsomeness. Jurado has been releasing albums on various respected indie labels since 1997, and keeps things interesting by occasionally going off the map--e.g., an album of spoken word and found sounds or a collection of rockers.

• rock
• pop rock