(FORTUNE Small Business) – The Anti- record label—an offshoot of the independent imprint Epitaph—was founded in 1999 as an antidote for artists sick of the major-label run around. Filling its roster with the likes of Nick Cave, Daniel Lanois, and Tom Waits, Anti- is best known for signing counterculture legends who have paid their dues. So the self-titled release from A Girl Called Eddy, a Neptune, N.J.--bred newcomer (real name: Erin Moran, not to be confused with the actor who played Joanie on Happy Days), merits attention.

Moran's alternative-acoustic sound is similar to that of Aimee Mann, another singer-songwriter and one who has her own tortured history with major record companies. Mann has complained that she was bounced from label to label while record executives heaped money and attention on more commercial acts. She got the last laugh, though; her songs for the Magnolia soundtrack won her an Oscar nomination and three Grammy nominations. Mann now publishes her music on her own label, SuperEgo Records, for an army of loyal fans.

Some of Moran's dolorous, down-tempo ballads are meant to be played at a college café on a rainy Sunday. But don't be put off by the misery inherent in songs with such titles as "Heartache" and "People Used to Dream About the Future." Moran's keen ear for uplifting cadences and sweeping choruses transcends the dreary lyrics to create something genuinely engaging.

As Aimee Mann's experience proves, the quickest route to an adoring audience doesn't always run through the major labels. Here's hoping that Moran's path will be as straightforward as her songs—and her success just as sweet. —Jason Tanz