Cowboy Junkies junky needs to expand

Awightman1,
The closest that I have come across is Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter. Sometimes pidgeon-holed as country noir or goth country, they have a beautiful melancholy sounding lead singer, and play slow, moody, dirge-like ballads and the like. Usually pretty dark in tone. Instrumentation is sparse, and Junky-like, and the sonics are really good on both CD and vinyl. The notable lead guitarist is Phil Wandscher who previously played for Whiskeytown. Check out "Oh My Girl" and "Reckless Burning" on their site or on Amazon. BTW, another good searchable "music similar to XYZ" site is http://www.last.fm/

Love the Cowboy Junkies and have seen them in concert a couple of times. Along with good selections above, I'd highly recommend Over the Rhine, The Innocence Mission (used to open for TCJ), perhaps Gillian Welch if you like to push it a bit towards country/folk/roots stuff...hmmm, maybe The Be Good Tanyas and Po'Girl (also Candadian bands)...Beth Orton, Lucinda Williams, early Trespassers William (Anchor).

neko case and brandi carlile. you will thank me

Check out Great Lake Swimmers - self titled. Very much has a Trinity Session feel to it. Recorded in a silo, and they too hail from Toronto. The defunct magazine No Depression was a great source for music, and their web site may suit your purposes. Pandora would help as well, and you may want to check out allmusic.com for recommendations for similar artists. Good luck!

I've probably listened to more CJ than an other single artist/group.

Of those mentioned, I second Be Good Tonya's (better than Po Girl), Lucinda Williams (!), Gillian Welch, and Jesse Sykes, and Brandi Carlisle (but not her most recent).

Ollabelle is a neat suggestion, but heavily Gospel.

I add Shannon McNally (!), Wailin Jenny's, Jenny Scheinman, Vic Chesnutt (!), Kendall Carson, Julie Miller, Crooked Still.

John