The top nine unconventional CD releases of 1999

What do the following pairs have in common: a Scottish soul sister and a techno wizard, a country singer and a cutting edge dance duo, a folk singer, and an Icelandic electronica act? They all released excellent albums in 1999. In a year where pop music became so omnipresent that even boy bands got Grammy nominations, it was easy to forget about the great music being made that didn't necessarily score big with pre-pubescent girls. While, unfortunately, this writer didn't get to hear all the great music this year, (Macy Gray and Moby would likely have made this list) here is a list of nine of the best albums in 1999.