I can’t quite figure out why, but Ben Lee’s 1999 album Breathing Tornados had a profound effect on me. I listened to it almost nonstop for a considerable length of time after getting a copy when it was first released. But that was six years ago. Do I still feel the same way about the young Australian singer/songwriter?

Lee’s dreamy new album Awake Is The New Sleep (New West) is subtler and less slick, but nevertheless does the trick. “Whatever It Is,” from whence the album title is drawn, is a soothing anti-lullaby. “Begin” has a similar effect, the musical equivalent of sleepwalking – but with the knowledge that you’re walking along a perfectly paved sidewalk in a wonderful neighborhood rather than down the middle of a busy super-highway. There is a dramatic shift of gears on the clap and stomp “Catch My Disease,” about the way Lee likes it, and is persuasive enough to get listeners to open their hearts and see things his way. “Apple Candy” is as sweet and sour as its title suggests, and “Ache For You” brings the pain. That’s actor and musician Jason Schwartzman playing the drums on the propulsive “Close I’ve Come,” and Lee pays up in the gorgeous and heartbreaking “The Debt Collectors.”

On his second full-length solo studio album, Songs For Silverman (Epic), Ben Folds remains faithful to the formula that has worked so well for him for some 10 years. His dazzling and sometimes dizzying piano work complements his intelligent, touching and often amusing songs, all delivered in his trademark vocal style. Fatherhood has given him the impetus to examine fathers in general (“Bastard”) and also his own fathering skills (“Gracie”). Suburbia, covered on his 2001 solo debut, makes an appearance in the remarkable “Jesusland,” on which, as only Folds could do, McMansions get name-checked. Other standout tracks include the loss-of-privacy tune “Trusted,” the break-up number “Give Judy My Notice” and “Late,” a song for Elliott Smith, to mention just a few.

Nearly 10 years ago, Ben Arnold released his major-label debut disc Almost Speechless. As with so many artists signed to major labels in the mid-’90s, Arnold’s disc didn’t sell enough to keep the suits happy and he was dropped. His newest album, Calico, (Sci Fidelity) displays that the singer/songwriter is adept at a variety of musical styles, including radio-friendly pop on “House of Cards,” contemporary blues on “Wilderness,” modern country on “Gotta Get ’N’ Go,” and Rolling Stones-style rock on “Pickin’ The Lock.”

With his album Edible Darling (Bardic), edible and darling Ben Arthur also seems poised to cash in on the wave of popularity of male singer/songwriters such as Brendan Benson, John Mayer and others. Arthur incorporates all sorts of studio trickery, including programming and turntablism, into his songs, giving them a freshness and potential for broader appeal, as you can hear on opening track “Mary Ann” and “Mercy.” But Arthur also has a knack for the traditional pop and rock tune, as he exhibits on the title track, “Tonight,” and “Sight Of Your Tears,” and even an ear for twang as on the country-influenced “Keep Me Around.”

Rufus Wainwright joins Ben Folds as part of their “Odd Men Out” tour, coming San Diego Aug. 21. Wainwright, the son of folk musicians Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle, is a singer/songwriter who came onto the scene back in 1998 with his self-titled album Rufus Wainwright. It made the top-10 albums lists in The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, The New Yorker, The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times. He was named best new artist that year by Rolling Stone, and Canada awarded him the Juno for best alternative album.

Wainwright’s ability to compose stunning arrangements on the piano, coupled with his knack for penning esoteric yet elaborate orchestral pop tunes, has truly set the Canadian apart. Openly gay since he was a teenager, the 32-year-old has nothing to hide and continues to tackle sensitive subject matter like addiction, emotional imbalances and heartbreak in his songwriting.

Wainwright was turned onto opera during his adolescence, but his classically trained roots soon turned into more intense yearnings for rock ’n’ roll rumblings. He attended the prestigious Millbrook School in upstate New York and briefly studied music at Montreal’s McGill University before branching out into his successful solo musical career.

He released his second album, Poses, in 2001, which garnered him additional critical acclaim with original anthems like “California” and “Cigarettes & Chocolate Milk.” Wainwright spent most of 2001 and 2002 playing solo shows and opening for Tori Amos on her “Scarlet’s Walk” tour before getting back into the studio to record his next album. Having written and recorded over 30 songs for that project, the material was released in segments, with the first album, Want One, hitting stores in September 2003. The album’s songs focused on Wainwright’s desires in life and on his personal relationships. On “Dinner At Eight,” which features a striking string arrangement, he tackles his difficult relationship with his father.

This past November Wainwright released the second part of the Want sessions with Want Two, which also included a DVD of a performance at the Fillmore in San Francisco. The album features the aptly titled “Gay Messiah” among other ballads like “One You Love.” He wrote “Memphis Skyline” about late musical legend Jeff Buckley, who tragically died in a car accident in 1997.

Recently Wainwright has used his vocals for another talent in his arsenal – acting. He had a small role in the independent theatrical release Heights, an exquisite drama starring Glenn Close and Jesse Bradford. First-time director Chris Terrio said he cast Wainwright in the role of Jeremy because of how idiosyncratic he was in front of the camera during his audition. Wainwright even had a scene with the legendary Close, which, he said, he savors to this day.

Ben Lee, Ben Folds and Rufus Wainwright play Copley Symphony Hall Aug. 21, starting at 7:00 p.m. Copley Symphony Hall is located at 750 B St. Tickets start at $34.50. For tickets and more information, call (619) 235-0804 or (619) 220-8497.