Catherine Irwin/Old Baby/Istvan Medgyesi

One half of the indie alt-country do Freakwater, Catherine Irwin has been making albums without her better half for several years now. Her latest long player, the maudlin Little Heater, came out last year. A song such as “Sinner Saves a Saint” could pass for a traditional old school country tune as it feature slide guitar and melancholy vocals. Irwin’s voice cracks and creaks a bit but she sings from the heart. And before you accuse her of being too somber, check out the video for “Save Our Ship.” The low-budget video features clip of her singing and strumming her guitar her guitar while standing atop a a bar. Good stuff. (Jeff Niesel)