Chris Cornell + Bhi Bhiman

It's been tough to watch Chris Cornell flounder—aesthetically, if not commercially—in his various post-Soundgarden forays. Audioslave's tepid output was one thing, but ’09's Timbaland-abetted Scream disc represented a new low. Even though Soundgarden is back together and gigging intermittently in support of last year's uninspired comeback effort, King Animal, Cornell is still working the solo angle. (We've got our fingers crossed for "Seasons," the songsmith's stirring contribution to the Singles soundtrack.) Bay Area singer-songwriter Bhi Bhiman gets things going with his soulful, bluesy folk.