Greg Brown

Despite Grammy nominations and Prairie Home Companion appearances, Greg Brown has mostly flown under the radar, like Townes Van Zandt before him. The folksinger's fan base, however, is stacked with high-profile admirers like Shawn Colvin, Jack Johnson and Joan Baez. The devotion speaks to Brown's knack for creating perfect arrangements around each of his subjects. From lost teeth and ugly babies to beatnik revivals, he finds magic among the mundane and, not surprisingly, the miraculous. Simple words convey elaborate sentiments that resemble a Nick Cave-like struggle with God: "Oh Lord, I have made you a place in my heart/And I hope that you leave it alone." Brown delivers Delta and country blues with elements of soul that play straight to the spirit. His star has slowly been rising of late, thanks to support from Ani DiFranco and less attention from Garrison Keillor.