Album: Maria Taylor, Lady Luck (Nettwerk)

It's probably just me but a certain type of US TV drama is increasingly spoiling my love of a certain type of US music. So you're watching, say, Grey's Anatomy, when there, in the background of the sad reflective scene, is an artist you thought of as your own: a Jason Molina or a Maria Taylor. Inevitable, I guess, and Taylor's polished pop fits the bill perfectly – all Carole King meets Lone Justice. And just in case Mr TV Dude's not listening, Michael Stipe pops up on the final track.

Pick of the Album: Big ballads get no bigger than 'My Favourite ... Love'