In an era where seemingly every RB artist's voice is digitally molested to resemble something from Daft Punk's "One More Time," Anthony Hamilton (www.anthonyhamilton.com) stands out as a paragon of days when record producers, along with the listening public, valued the sound of an honest-to-God human voice.

Phontes vocals are sparse and genuine, telling tales of real human experience and the emotional aftermath of such. Numerous guest vocalists offer just the right complement and harmony from track to track. Yahzarah does so in particular on If She Breaks Your Heart and If This Is Love, sounding sweetly sentimental yet seductive at the same time.

Some of the most revered musicians are quite often referred to as being an acquired taste though it's also a casual way of saying that their music is wholly inaccessible to most. Tom Waits comes immediately to mind. Much of his music sounds like a cluster of noise and grunts to many, but good luck in getting tickets to his shows.

I believe the exact opposite to be true. Since it went into production, the narrative course resembles the three acts of dramatic theater with Axl Rose a kind of anti-hero.

Theres one thing that any up-and-coming singer-songwriter should take into consideration during the production process and that is to merely strive to be understood. I dont mean that on any metaphorical level, but in the simplest terms possible.

Its been four solo studio releases and Jerry Chapman (www.jerry-chapman.com) has settled into quite a songwriting groove.

Popskull refers to any poorly crafted homemade likker that elicits such a sense of misery the day after drinking that ones feels as if their skull will literally pop. Its said that well-made moonshine, on the other hand, is akin to high art in the distilling cultures.

Doug Davis (www.myspace.com/dougdavis) is no stranger to putting out albums. As a veteran producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, hes worked with artists like Chris Daughtry on the production side and has spent plenty of time in working bands.

For a chance to have your bands CD reviewed, mail it to: YES! Weekly, 5500 Adams Farm Lane, Suite 204, Greensboro, NC 27407. ATTN: Ryan.

Singer/songwriter Greg Humphreys is a man of many faces, musically that is. An artist who escapes categorization, Humphreys was instrumental in the bustling 80s Chapel Hill music scene as singer and guitarist for seminal powerpop band Dillon Fence.