Sparklehorse

The project of Mark Linkous, Sparklehorse's noisy rock, pastoral folk, psychedelic pop, and gently devastating ballads were always grounded in empathy. 1995's Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot introduced the singer/songwriter's gift for tapping into timeless folk and country traditions and updating them with heady sounds made with vintage equipment saved from the trash heap. The album also introduced the tug-of-war between hope, wonder, weariness, and despair that Linkous explored later. On 1998's Good Morning Spider, his songs tipped toward darkness; on 2001's It's a Wonderf...