Gary Louris

Best known as one of the key members of the venerable alt-country band the Jayhawks, Gary Louris has earned a reputation as one of the premiere songwriters of his generation, as well as an estimable guitarist and a vocalist who can communicate the mood and tone of his material with eloquence. While he's capable of writing with humor and joie de vivre, the bulk of his songs are character studies with an overcast mood that reflects their emotional honesty, though his melodies are strong and graceful in their rootsy, evocative tone. Louris' breakthrough came with the Jayhawks' 1992 album Hollywood Town Hall, while he contributed memorable material to 1995's Down by the Old Mainstream, the debut LP from the alt-country supergroup Golden Smog, and he made his belated solo debut with 2008's dynamic and wide-ranging Vagabonds.