Nomads -  Indians - Saints
Amid a musical landscape where "alternative" had quickly been co-opted by MTV and the fashion industry, Emily Saliers and Amy Ray tapped a vein of cultural and sexual dissatisfaction and yearning (if not rebellion) in their 20-something peers. Their first hit, "Closer to Fine," had an insinuating folk-pop groove and enough philosophical trappings to suggest this feisty acoustic duo had bigger things planned. Their third album proved it: the arrangements are aggressive and their pop temperament bubbles to the fore on songs like "Hammer and a Nail" and the handsome, sweet "Southland in the Springtime."--Roy Francis Kasten