2009 Music from 2006 & 2008

In an attempt to drag myself up to date with current trends and new music (the first thing I listened to in 2009 was Nina Simone's African Mailman), I've jumped in the deep end with this post. I don't know anything about any of these people, but Uncut magazine sung their praises in the end of year lists. As Fergal Sharkey says, a good list is hard to find. I'm so behind the times I'm sure this lot deserve to be in a 2008 review, but, with a readership of 4, I'm prepared for the backlash.

The man in the hat is Bon Iver. After reading many a review that contained words like touching, heartfelt, haunting and authentic, I was a bit taken aback to hear a certain Jimmy Nailesque lilt to his falsetto. Further inspection led me to his appearance on David Letterman, which is a beautiful cross between Richard Thompson and Adam and The Ants Ant Music. When I say him and his I really should be saying them, as Justin Vernon may be the focus, but Bon Iver is the band. The recorded Bon Iver sounds very different from the live output, as there are so many overdubs on the album. Legend has it Vernon recorded it in a remote cabin in Wisconsin, only leaving the cabin to kill animals to eat.

Skinny Love by Bon Iver

Sub Pop's Fleet Foxes are another band who should have featured in The Best of (insert previous year) but seem to have come to the fore in 2008. I'm not due to discover them till about 2015, so it's an added pleasure to be enjoying their harmoious pop now. I suppose the obvious comparisons are The Beach Boys and Crosby, Stills & Nash, although there's a real folky sixties twang to them too. Lord knows why I should write about them when you could just watch the video.

English House by The Fleet Foxes (Live on Conan O'Brien)