SWIKs I Missed in 2009

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As 2009 draws to a close and everyone compiles their best of lists, I’m taking the opportunity to cover a few new albums that I never got around to writing about this year. In the R&B category Mary J. Blidge and Alicia Keys released albums at the end of 2009. There were also some excellent greatest hits collections from Janet Jackson and Dolly Parton that I never reviewed. All of these women deserve their own SWIK posts. Unfortunately (or fortunately), there were so many great SWIK releases this year that there’s not enough time or space to cover everyone. In addition to some of my favorites mentioned in SWIK Music such as, Imelda May, The Raveonettes, Melody Gardot, Diane Birch, and Camera Obscura, following are a few new artists, at least new to me, that I discovered this year.


I’ll begin with one of my recent and most exciting discoveries. Earlier this month in one of my favorite magazines, Bust, I read a review of Florence + The Machine. British singer Florence Welch has been categorized as part of the soul-inspired indie rock movement. (Really? Yet another music sub-genre? Read more on the related post.) Welch’s vocals have a bluesy tone, but listening to her debut album, Lungs, which came out in July, I didn’t immediately think of soul music. Her overall sound reminds me of Jefferson Airplane’s Grace Slick. Jefferson Airplane was a pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement of the late 60‘s and early 70‘s. Their songs “Somebody To Love” and “White Rabbit” are classics. Some of Welch’s songs are mellow, but when she really belts it out she channels Slick. The sound is also reminiscent of the percussion crescendos of Siouxsie and The Banshees (see post). Welch's voice is powerful and emotional while her lyrics are honest and heartfelt. Apparently she tends to write songs when she’s drunk or hungover, which brings a raw honesty to her music.



On the mellower side, I discovered Schuyler Fisk on one of Slim’s mixes (read more about Slim here). Her album The Good Stuff came out in January. Fisk is the daughter of Sissy Spacek and is also an actress. She’s done a couple movies and made several TV appearances, but her talent is truly as a singer songwriter. She had a small hit with “Paperweight,” used in the movie The Last Kiss. While The Good Stuff is mainly full of mellow guitar-based pop tunes, the songs range from folk to country influences. She sounds a bit like a folky Cheryl Crow. My favorite from this album is “Fall Apart Today,” which nearly brought me to tears when I first heard it. But the album has a diverse collection of tunes. Other stand outs are “Who Am I To You” and “Hello.” While the lyrics tend to be reflective and thoughtful, the overall sound is catchy.

Several months ago, I saw Ingrid Michaelson on Live from the Artists Den, a PBS series that features artists performing in unique settings. Examples include Alanis Morissette at the Judeson Memorial Church in NYC and Shawn Colvin at Christie’s (the auction house). (You can view them on the Artists Den website.) Michaelson performed at the Cape Cinema in Cape Code. Although her performance was simple, the music immediately pulled me in. Her album Everybody came out in August and I keep coming back to it when I’m relaxing or writing. She also fits into that indie-pop singer songwriter category that can be traced back to Joni Mitchell and more recently Sarah McLachlan. Michaelson had a hit in 2007 with “The Way I Am.” Her new album is less indie and more pop than her first. It’s full of simple and catchy well-crafted tunes with a bit of quirkiness.

A Fine Frenzy’s Alison Munro sounds similar to Michaelson, but with more of a piano base to her sound. One could say she comes from the Carole King through Tori Amos lineage, although she sounds like neither of them. Like Michaelson, her sound is more folk rock. Yet Munro’s songs are full where Michaelson’s are sparse. Her second album Bomb in a Birdcage came out in August, but I only recently discovered it. The more I listen, the more I enjoy the album.

Neko Case is one of those artists whose name I heard constantly for a few years before I finally picked up an album. She released Middle Cyclone in March and is considered part of the ‘indie pop folk lineage.’ I would tie her more closely to country music rather than folk. Her vocals remind me of Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline, but her voice has a powerful haunting sound that draws you in. The album has made many best of 2009 lists, which is rightly deserved. She was recently nominated for a couple of Grammys. While Middle Cyclone is growing on me, I prefer her album Blacklisted from 2002.

I first read about Imogen Heap in an interview with Annie Lennox of the Eurythmics. Heap’s album, Ellipse, came out in August. While her voice is softer than Lennox’s, she certainly channels some early Eurythmics. Ellipse reminded me of the very first, and relatively unknown, album by the Eurythmics called In The Garden. Her sound is also reminiscent of another indie 80‘s singer songwriter, Kate Bush (see 1989 post). Her sound is very electronic, but it’s powerful. Amid a more ethereal sound there are catchy yet complex songs. This is Heap’s third studio album. I’ll be picking up the others as well.



A 2009 best of list would not be complete without the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' album, It’s Blitz. Released in March, it features the song “Heads Will Roll” which, for an indie rock band from Brooklyn, seemed to be everywhere this year. The album was recently nominated for a Grammy as Best Alternative Music Album. (When did THAT category get added?) Singer Karen O has been compared to Debbie Harry of Blondie and Siouxsie Sioux (see post). They certainly have that post-punk sound with the electronic twist of many 80’s bands. I think its safe to say that they Yeah Yeah Yeahs led the way in the resurgence of 80’s sound that we’re hearing in bands like the Ting Tings or the Raveonettes (see posts). Singer Karen O also worked on the soundtrack to the movie Where The Wild Things Are, which is worth checking out.

Gossip Photo: Lee Broomfield 

Continuing in that 80‘s resurgence is the Gossip. While singer Beth Ditto often gets more attention for her size than her voice, she adds powerful vocals to this funky punk band. Ditto’s voice is reminiscent of a bluesy Stevie Nicks or even Dolly Parton. Some writers have said Janis Joplin, but I don’t think she has quite that amount of soulful power. Their latest album, Music for Men, came out in June. Although entirely different from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the Gossip has an electronic 80’s sound. The music is decidedly more punk than dance, but still catchy. Some of the bass guitar lines are reminiscent of the iconic 80’s new wave band, The Cure. The songs are also peppered with twists on lyrics from several decades. They’ve had more success in the U.K., but did make the cover of Rolling Stone earlier this year, so expect to see and hear more.


For the moody ethereal 80’s sound, there’s Bat For Lashes, the stage name for British singer-songwriter Natasha Kahn. Her second album, Two Suns, came out in April and makes her the obvious next generation Kate Bush. She plays piano, guitar and harpsichord. Her vocals are strong, yet soft. She can reach dizzying heights as Bush does. The music is generally dark and mellow, but some of her songs have some catchier grooves behind a quiet melody. It brings me back to my goth days, but I really enjoy her updated twist on the sound. She’s had some hits in the U.K. and has had exposure in the U.S. with a network debut on Letterman in June. There are also some dance and club remixes of her songs available, so I expect we’ll hear more from Bat For Lashes.

Since a few readers have asked, I’m including a few new releases from SWIK classical artists. I was delighted to find out that Anonymous 4 had a new album out this year. I discovered Anonymous 4 in 1992. I heard An English Ladymass while working in the classical department at Tower Records in Boston. They are an a cappella vocal ensemble, covering mainly medieval chant. If you are familiar with Gregorian chant sung by monks, imagine these verses sung by four women. As it turns out, in the 13th century women sang a great deal of this complex music. Anonymous 4 tends towards polyphony, meaning two or more melodic voices. Their latest release Four Centuries of Chant is a sort of greatest hits for these women, who have been singing together since the mid 80’s. It also provides a beautiful overview of the evolution of plainchant. I find their voices and this music particularly soothing and relaxing. So much so that it may lull you to sleep.

Classical music is not my forte, so I did a bit of research and found a few other SWIK classical releases from 2009 that may be of interest. Classical guitarist Sharon Isbin’s Journey to the New World includes an interesting centerpiece called “Joan Baez Suite, Op 144.” I listened to a sample of the suite that included “Where Have All The Flowers Gone” that was stunning. (I haven’t been able to upload it to Grooveshark, so included an older song of hers on the mix.) Baez also joins her on two short pieces. Another album that looks interesting is Angela Hewitt’s The Well Tempered Clavier. (For U.S. readers, currently the CD is only available as an import so you may want to wait for the domestic release, which will be cheaper.) Hewitt has been called one of the most thoughtful performers of Bach since her Canadian compatriot, Glenn Gould, whose Bach partitas and Goldberg Variations are legendary.

So there you have it. Of course, that’s not everything. But this is what I’ve been listening to lately. It doesn’t even begin to touch some of the R&B and hip-hop albums that came out this year, like Angie Stone’s Unexpected and Queen Latifah’s return to rap in Persona. For whatever reason, lately I’ve been drawn to mellow singer songwriters and retro-80’s inspired sounds. I’m looking forward to getting back to some R&B as I'm eagerly awaiting Sade’s new album in February. (I have already pre-ordered it on Amazon so it will arrive on my doorstep the day it comes out. Um, yes, I’m a HUGE Sade fan.) It will also be interesting to hear what Toni Braxton has been up to on her new album. Another release to watch for in 2010 is Nneka’s Concrete Jungle. This will be the first U.S. release for this Nigerian-German hip-hop artist and by all accounts it should prove to be exciting.

Before concluding, I want to mention how grateful I am that you take time to read or listen to SWIK Music. I appreciate the comments here and on Facebook. I want to thank everyone who has suggested artists for SWIK Music. Even if I haven’t covered them yet, it’s been great to build up my catalogue and find new music. I hope that in the past seven months you’ve found a new artist or rediscovered an old favorite. For me, SWIK Music is the beginning of what I anticipate will be a long journey. I’m not yet certain where it will lead, but I’m enjoying the process. Thanks for reading and listening.

Happy New Year! Let me know your favorite SWIK releases from 2009.