On his latest solo effort, A Year in the Wilderness, singer/bass guitarist John Doe infuses a set of alt-country tunes with the same raw emotional honesty that drove his work with legendary LA punk band X. Having explored the commonalities of American roots and punk music as part of post-X project the Knitters, Doe is an old hand at stripping themes of love, loss, and redemption to their barest essences. Named one of 2007's best CDs by WNYC's John Schaefer, Wilderness features outstanding contributions by Kathleen Edwards and pedal-steel master Greg Leisz, among others. For another Doe gem, check out "Pressing On" from the soundtrack to Dylan biopic I'm Not There.