Lists like this often end up being only superficially about the artist's work. The focus shifts instead toward triangulating which act is going to be the next to blow up (as if being the best were somehow a prerequisite for achieving blown-upness).

Paste Digital Edition |
September '08 | Cover
Web Extras | Subscribe
Renew | Back Issues
CD Sampler Sleeves
Lists like this often end up being only superficially about the artist's work. The focus shifts instead toward triangulating which act is going to be the next to blow up (as if being the best were somehow a prerequisite for achieving blown-upness).
Continue reading The Best of What's Next.
Hometown: Leipzig, GermanyBook: How The Soldier Repairs The Gramohone
For Fans Of: Gabriel García Márquez, Günter Wilhelm Grass, Jorge Luis Borges
"There's nothing there. Just sheep and me." Saša Stanišic happily describes the Swiss setting where he's retreated to write. One can't blame him for seeking a quiet place. The war in Bosnia still rings in his ears.
Continue reading Saša Stanišic: Magic in Motion.
[Above: White Rabbits]Mugison
Hometown: Ísafjörður, Iceland
Album: Mugiboogie
Why He's Worth Watching: Mugison likely embodies the person Led Zeppelin envisioned when writing “Immigrant Song.” One moment, this man from the land of the ice and snow is sounding the hammer of the gods, alternating between an infernal howl (much like Robert Plant’s) and a guttural heavy-metal groan, the next, he’s crooning to twanging guitar over eerie strings. He’s a shape-shifter and a funnyman, and Mugiboogie builds on his four previous genre-transcending works.
For Fans Of: Tom Waits, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Led Zeppelin
Acceptance Speech: “When I was 14 years old, I was voted the best-looking guy in school, but after the ceremony I found out that some of the girls in the school were running a campaign behind my back. The campaign was called ‘Vote the Freak.’ I also found out they did this to piss off the guy who’d won it three years in a row—they had some unfinished business with him. Is this something similar?”
Mugison on MySpace
Continue reading 22 up-and-coming artists you ignore at your own peril!.
Hometown: Eau Claire, Wisc.Album: For Emma, Forever Ago
Why He's Worth Watching: Justin Vernon’s homespun album is full of intimate songcraft, and has already whipped up a veritable hurricane of blog buzz, not to mention perfect five-star ratings in major U.K. music rags Mojo and Uncut.
For Fans Of: Iron & Wine; Phosphorescent; Loney, Dear
Justin Vernon looks slightly out of place. The bearded songwriter who performs under the moniker Bon Iver (pronounced “bohn ee-VARE”) sits placidly on a black leather couch in an ultra-slick Manhattan photo studio. It’s dark in the back of the room and the screen of Vernon’s MacBook laptop throws a wan campfire glow on his face. If you didn’t know he was waiting patiently to have his picture taken for this magazine’s cover feature, you might mistake him for one of the photographer’s assistants. He’s in a hooded sweatshirt, ratty jeans and a T-shirt advertising some Wisconsin brewery, and has no plans to hit wardrobe. But his look serves as a reminder: It wasn’t cool that got him here; it was the cold.
Continue reading Bon Iver.
Hometown: Oxford, Ala.Album: Limits of the Sky
Why They're Worth Watching: Raised on praise-and-worship hymns and classic-rock vinyl, The Bridges deliver organic pop bliss devoid of saccharine filler. Their debut, Limits of the Sky, perfectly captures the majestic folk harmonies of its three female vocalists with retro production flourishes from Matthew Sweet. The Bridges are poised to introduce the digital generation to the forgotten analog beauty of ’70s-era album rock.
For Fans Of: Eisley, Fleetwood Mac, the beach
It’s hard to imagine another band with members as close as the musicians in folk-rock collective The Bridges. The group—consisting of three sisters, one brother and one cousin—has lived under the same roof in Oxford, Ala., since lead singer Brittany Painter moved in with her Byrd family bandmates in 2002. Six years and one magnificent debut album later, the quintet is still spending every conceivable moment in each other’s company. How a tour van full of siblings made its way from an extended family reunion to a signed contract with Verve Forecast is a tale as charmingly surreal as the pop gems the group has spent the last year polishing.
Continue reading The Bridges.
Hometown: AtlantaAlbum: Metropolis: The Chase Suite (Special Edition)
Why She's Worth Watching: Janelle delivers daring, engaging, fun and thoughtful fusions of American music, and her live show can’t be topped.
For Fans Of: Prince, Talking Heads, Barack Obama
“This is a historic night,” the emcee shouts to the crowd. Waving blue and white inspirational signs, the assembly chants louder. The excitement is palpable. The diversity of the crowd—young and old, black and white, male and female—is itself a sign of the hope offered. When the shouts reach a fevered pitch, the guest of honor emerges. Welcome Janelle Monáe.
Continue reading Janelle Monáe.
Hometown: Berlin, Germany (via Brighton, U.K.)Album: Jim
Why He's Worth Watching: With a background in electronica, Jamie Lidell is an unlikely candidate for soul-music stardom, but with his multilayered live shows, disarmingly personal lyrics and intricate revisions of 1960s classics, the British musician proves that he doesn’t care about rules or expectations. As he continues to fuse the past and the present, his scope will only increase—even Lidell may not know where he’s going next.
For Fans Of: Amy Winehouse, Stevie Wonder, Caribou
Jamie Lidell and Conor Oberst have a lot in common. Alright, not a lot. But they do have one significant thing in common: a determined, earnest pursuit of authenticity. Their methods, though, couldn’t be more different, which is why, on a beautiful Saturday morning in June when he’d rather be outdoors than in the lobby of a photo studio, Lidell has a hard time competing with Oberst, whose music bellows at us through the speakers. “I can’t fucking concentrate with this shit,” Lidell gripes. “Shut the fuck up!”
Continue reading Jamie Lidell.
-
Most Read
- Multiple Chuck Palahniuk novels set to hit the big screen :: Books News
- Stephenie Meyer drops Twilight sequel :: Books Culture News
- M.I.A. officially retires :: Music News
- Does a McCain/Palin ticket = Tigh/Roslin Battlestar ticket? :: Ctrl-V
- Young Jeezy: The Recession :: Music Reviews
- Kevin Smith will debut his Porno next month :: Film & TV News
- Following The Dark Knight's success, what villain now? :: Film & TV News
- 5 Biggest Democratic Musicians and 5 Biggest Republican Musicians :: High Gravity
- New Kanye West, Jay-Z albums to drop in December? :: Music News
- Ryan Adams already defensive about forthcoming book :: Books Music News
-
Most Listened
- the everybodyfields - "Let it Be Me (A Capella)"
- The Low Anthem - "Charlie Darwin"
- Langhorne Slim - "We Love the Animals"
- Donavon Frankenreiter - "Life, Love & Laughter"
- Iron and Wine - "Innocent Bones"
- Langhorne Slim - "Hummingbird"
- The Low Anthem - "To Ohio"
- Johnossi - "Man Must Dance"
- Greg Laswell - "It's Been A Year"
- The Low Anthem - "THe Horizon is a Beltway"
-
Most Watched
- The Hush Sound - "We Believe In (Barack Obama)"
- Lori McKenna - "Drinkin’ Problem"
- Dragon*Con 2008 - Paste at Dragon*Con 2008
- Langhorne Slim - "Restless"
- The Submarines - "You, Me and the Bourgeoisie"
- Carla Bruni - "L’Amoureuse"
- Joseph Arthur - "Temporary People"
- PasteVision - "Episode 4 -Bonnaroo 2008"
- Lori McKenna - "God Didn’t Build You That Way"
- Katie Herzig - "Songbird"
-
Around the Web
Your one-stop source for entertainment news
- 'Bangkok' Not-So Dangerous - E! Online Google News - Entertainment
- iW NEWS | Weekend Estimates: "Django" Leads Again indieWIRE
- Pal: Ashlee and Pete Expecting Twins E! Online
- Gary Coleman's Truck Hits a Fan E! Online
- Jessica Simpson sings at Tenn.'s Grand Ole Opry USATODAY.com Music - Top Stories
Give the Gift
of Music
11 magazines
+ 11 CDs
+ the priceless joy of finally having someone to debate good music with
Give Now >
Paste offers a variety of subscription services online to best serve you.
Order Paste
Subscribe
Gift Subscriptions
International Subscriptions
Back Issues
Your Subscription
Account Maintanence
Address Change
CD Sampler Sleeves
Contact Us
FAQs
Pay Bill
Renew Subscription
Where to Buy
Order Paste
Subscribe
Gift Subscriptions
International Subscriptions
Back Issues
Your Subscription
Account Maintanence
Address Change
CD Sampler Sleeves
Contact Us
FAQs
Pay Bill
Renew Subscription
Where to Buy
Contests.
- Win a Langhorne Slim Autographed Guitar
- Win an autographed copy of Donavon Frankenreiter's Pass It Around
- Win Lost Boys 2: The Tribe on DVD
Want to win free stuff?
Check out Paste's contest page!
Paste Magazine Culture Club.
Episode 70
August 19, 2008
We're bringing you some of the artists we think are the best of what's next. Featuring selections from Slow Runner, Janelle Monae, The Spring Standards and more!
// More Info
// Download
// More Info
// Download

