I got into a minor debate over PJ Harvey and when she started to rule. I am biased, having bought Rid of Me right when it was released. I had heard about her relationship with Steve Albini (recording and personal) and songs from Dry, so I had a pretty good feeling. Here’s one my old friend Karen (Lulu) wanted to cover back when we were both part of the local music scene:

I’d argue that Polly Jean was ruling things out of the gate. She’s reinvented her musical style many times, collaborating with lots of other folks and keeping herself more than relevant. And, 25 years later, she still kicks ass.