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Playlist: Brandi Carlile

Raised in rural Washington state, Brandi Carlile picked up the guitar at a young age, eventually forming a band with twin brothers Tim and Phil Hanseroth. Carlile released her debut album to some critical acclaim in 2005, and now she's followed up with the just-released sophomore album, The Story.

Produced by the legendary T-Bone Burnett and featuring a collaboration with the Indigo Girls, The Story may also soon be recognizable to listeners as the soundtrack to the two-hour Grey's Anatomy special, slated for April 12, 2007.

Carlile took a break to assemble a playlist of some of her favorite tracks for ARTISTdirect, revealing an eclectic range of influences. Tune in...

1. Queen - "Prophet's Song" [clip]
This song is so dramatic and in the middle Freddie does a breakdown harmony section where he quadruples his voice with a sampler.

2. Radiohead - "Thinking About You" [clip]
It shows their versatility and how great Thom sounds singing over acoustic guitars.

3. Elton John - "Curtains" [clip]
I love that song and it's what helped inspire me write my song "Again Today." The first half of the song has no rhythm and the second half the drums really kick in.

4. The Beatles - "Let It Be"
This song has gotten me through some hard times.

5. Neil Young - "Man Needs a Maid" [clip]
It's his most dramatic song, and my favorite Neil song of all time.

6. Tom Brosseau - "Wear and Tear" [clip]
I love the way he sings his poetry.

7. The Weepies - "Gotta Have You" [clip]
This is a band I don't think many people know about yet and their songs are amazing.

8. K.D. Lang - "Love Is Everything" [clip]
I love her version of this song. I challenge anyone to get through it without crying.

9. Roy Orbison - "Running Scared" [clip]
This song starts at the floor and ends at the ceiling. Not many people can do that.

10. The Killers - "Read My Mind" [clip]
This has such an infectious melody you can't not like it.

Brandi Carlile's new album, The Story, is available in the ARTISTdirect store.