10 New Artists to Watch in 2009

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Last year brought us terrific debut albums from Vampire Weekend, MGMT, Fleet Foxes, Santogold, Bon Iver, Lykke Li, Ra Ra Riot and more. So, who’s on deck for 2009? Here are 10 artists on my radar in the new year, excluding the artists we've given various amounts of ink to in the past. (That would be: Passion Pit, Janelle Monáe, Samantha Crain, Dent May, Glasvegas, Rye Rye and Chester French, all of whom will release debut full-length albums in the new year.) Feel free to comment on what bands you're anticipating in '09.

Angus and Julia Stone

Hometown: Sydney, Australia
For Fans Of: The Swell Season, The Weepies, Kasey Chambers

Australian brother-sister duo Angus & Julia Stone make a compelling pair. Angus' voice is, strangely, the softer of two, while Julia's is a bit coarse and reminiscent of Björk in spots. Together, they've crafted A Book Like This, an album of delicately constructed folk songs, some lushly orchestrated (the absolutely gorgeous "Silver Coin"), others with twinges of jazz (on "Private Lawns"). Their debut album drops in the States this March, and the two will support Brett Dennen on tour shortly thereafter. Look for a feature on the two in an upcoming issue of Paste.

Angus and Julia Stone on MySpace

Angus & Julia Stone's "Silver Coin":