Paul Baribeau

Paul Baribeau - Chelsea Hotel No. 2 from If You Make It on Vimeo.

I'm not sure it is possible for me to overstate how much I love Paul Baribeau. Listen to his music this instant if you have not heard it yet.
His self titled album, according to the liner notes, is a compilation of demos that he recorded over a very short period of time. The album "Grand Ledge" is a bit more... focused at only 9 songs in length and it sounds like he spent more time on it. Both albums have their individual strengths and it is truly a difficult proposition for me to try to pick my favorite between the two.
You can buy both of them on the cheap here.
Also look at him on Myspace if you want to hear some recordings of him doing his own songs (although for some reason that Leonard Cohen cover tears me up).