Josh Rouse is a great example of a genome artist. He didn’t open my eyes to something new or expand my musical horizons. He just landed right in the sweet spot of my established preferences.

He’s a little bit ‘Pure Pop,’ a little bit ‘Folk Rock Derivative,’ with a dash of ‘Melancholy’ for flavor. He’s Paul Simon (both pre- and post-Graceland) crossed with a more upbeat Elliott Smith and a less glam The Smiths.

And yes, he’s a terrific songwriter and performer. Of course that’s a prerequisite for anybody to show up on this list. Half the local bar bands in America will claim The Beatles and Bob Dylan as major influences, but that doesn’t mean they’re any good.

Rouse, though, is not just generally excellent, but specifically excellent in the ways that appeal most to me. That’s what the whole genome conversation is about… discovering which sounds, which moods, flip my switches more than others.