The Best Folk Music of 2009

2009 was a great year for folk music. Here are some of the best albums of the year.

The Avett Brothers

The Avett Brothers are an American folk rock band from Concord, North Carolina. The Avett Brothers combine bluegrass, country, pop, rock and indie folk. The band is made up of two brothers, Scott Avett and Seth Avett along with Bob Crawford and Joe Kwon. Mike Marsh is the touring drummer.

The Avett Brothers were voted “Artist of the Year” at the 2009 Americana Music Honors & Awards show. The Avett brothers were also nominated for 4 Grammy awards in 2010 and their album “I and Love and You” was nominated for best Folk Album.

Fleet Foxes

Hailed by many critics as the best folk album of 2009, Fleet Foxes’ self-titled debut is a stunning collection of understated, beautiful songs. Robin Pecknold’s crystal-clear vocals float over intricate arrangements of guitars, banjo, mandolin, and percussion, creating a sound that is both timeless and modern. The album’s standout tracks include “Mykonos,” “White Winter Hymnal,” and the gorgeous “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song.”

Bon Iver

Bon Iver’s album For Emma, Forever Ago was one of the best-reviewed albums of 2008. So it was no surprise that their self-titled follow-up, released in 2009, would be one of the most anticipated albums of the year. And Bon Iver did not disappoint. The album is a beautiful collection of folk songs that are both haunting and hopeful. Bon Iver’s music is the perfect antidote to a cold winter’s day.

Mumford & Sons

The debut album by Mumford & Sons, Sigh No More, was released in October 2009 in the United Kingdom and February 2010 in the United States. It entered the UK Albums Chart at #4 and the Billboard 200 at #21. The album’s first single “Little Lion Man” peaked inside the top 40 on three Billboard charts and Mumford & Sons won the award for Best New Artist at the 53rd Grammy Awards.

The Decemberists

The Decemberists are an American indie rock band from Portland, Oregon. The band consists of Colin Meloy (lead vocals, guitar, harmonica), Chris Funk (guitar, multi-instrumentalist), Jenny Conlee (piano, keyboard, accordion, melodica), Nate Query (bass guitar), and John Moen (drums).

The band has released six studio albums, three extended plays (EPs) and two live albums. Their debut album, Castaways and Cutouts, was released in 2002 to critical acclaim and sold more than 300,000 copies. Their second album, Her Majesty the Decemberists, was released in 2003 on the same label and again achieved critical and commercial success; it sold more than 650,000 copies. The group’s third album Picaresque was released in 2005 to similar acclaim and became their first top 10 album on Billboard 200; it sold more than 900,000 copies. The group’s fourth album The Crane Wife was released on October 3 2006; it debuted at number 26 on the Billboard 200 selling approximately 29 000 copies in its opening week becoming the group’s highest charting release to date. Reworks songs from the last two albums as well as three new songs.

The fifth studio album entitled The Hazards of Love was released on March 24 2009 after several delays due to art direction disputes. It is a concept album based on a 17th-century English ballad of the same name; it received mixed reviews but still peaked at number nine on the Billboard 200 selling 31 000 copies in its opening week. Longtime collaborator Shara Worden made significant contributions to the album as both featured vocalist and co-writer; she would later join the group as a full-time member during live performances.

Iron & Wine

Iron & Wine is the stage name of singer-songwriter Sam Beam, who debuted with the 2002 release The Creek Drank the Cradle. Based in North Carolina, Beam’s music combinesrustic folk and country elements with indie rock sensibility, resulting in a sound that has been likened to such artists as Nick Drake, Neil Young, and Will Oldham. Following a series of EP releases, Iron & Wine’s full-length sophomore album, Our Endless Numbered Days, was released in 2004 to critical acclaim. The album peaked at number two on Billboard’s Top Heatseekers chart and number 16 on the Independent Albums chart. 2005’s Woman King EP was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical. Beam has since released two more full-length albums, 2006’s The Shepherd’s Dog and 2007’s Kiss Each Other Clean.

Punch Brothers

With their debut album Punch, the five-piece bluegrass band Punch Brothers established themselves as one of the most exciting and innovative groups in contemporary music. Led by mandolin virtuoso Chris Thile, the group – which also includes banjo player Noam Pikelny, fiddler Gabe Witcher, bassist Paul Kowert, and guitarist Chris Eldridge – creates a unique blend of bluegrass, country, jazz, and classical music that is both highly technical and immensely beautiful.

The Tallest Man on Earth

The Tallest Man on Earth is the stage name of Kristian Matsson, a Swedish singer-songwriter. He often performs with only his acoustic guitar and his voice. He has been compared to Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, and Hank Williams.

Andrew Bird

Andrew Bird is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. His style of music has been described as a mix of folk, jazz, and classical. He has released 12 studio albums, and his 13th album is set to be released in 2019. He was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Folk Album in 2010 for his album ” Nobird ” .