These newer artists tend to innovate the genre, drawing inspiration from various areas of traditional music, and making it their own. There are literally thousands of folksingers touring the country at any given time, many of whom we may never hear about, unfortunately.
Still, now and then new artists manage to rise above the fold and eke their way into our consciousness, whether it's through their debut album or they've been around for years. I, for one, was thoroughly impressed by many of these folks, but compiled a best-of list for the sake of year-end nostalgia.
