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The 5 Best Side Projects Of 2010

It's been a banner year for side projects. The advancements in technology that threaten to destroy the music industry as we know it have also made it easier for artists to do what they want when they want. The machine no longer dictates when musicians can jump in the studio with friends and get creative. There's less set-up time, quicker turnaround and a whole wide web full of marketing and distribution.

Some of these side projects might turn out to be short-lived, but who knows? Look at Blur's Damon Albarn, who turned Gorillaz into one of the biggest bands on the planet. These days, Jack White spends more time with The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather than with The White Stripes. Here are five of this year's most noteworthy side projects, all of which build upon what we already loved about these artists and their "real" bands.

Copyright 2010 WFUV

A nationally recognized tastemaker with a broad knowledge of and passion for music, Rita Houston shapes the musical direction of WFUV's acclaimed City Folk® format. With the help of staff, Houston selects the songs that become part of City Folk®, establishes theme days and creates popular features like "New Release Monday" and "Guilty Pleasures Day." Well-known for her rapport with artists, she books the on-air interviews, hosting a number of them herself. Houston also serves as executive producer of the nationally distributed City Folk Live concert series, and produces annual benefit CDs of performances from WFUV's Studio A.