Just recently I was given as a gift the new Vinicio Capossela CD - Marinai, Profeti e Balene. I certainly recommend it.  Capossela is known as the Tom Waits of Italy, his lyrics are very original, often inspired by literary sources such as John Fante, Geoffrey Chaucer , Oscar Wilde,Charles Bukowski and Samuel Taylor Coleridge among others.
His musical influences range from 19th century opera, Italian tarantella, Balkan gypsy music and is one of the most eclectic musicians in the Italian musical scene.
Marinai, Profeti e Balene is a double CD inspired by the classics of world literature about the sea and its frightful spawning of amazing creatures, human, animal, and mythological. The creativity and originality in this album is fabulous.