It's the time of year when all the "Ones To Watch in 2009" lists start to proliferate across the internet, many of them regurgitating content from elsewhere to keep up with whatever the current tastemakers (whoever they are) are recommending for the New Year. I'm not one for following the crowd, so here's a little twist on the concept.
Five artists you didn't watch in 2008 but really should have:
1. Carina Round - currently holed up in a studio in North Hollywood recording her fourth album, this woman channels the dense poetry of Patti Smith with a ferocious power all her own. A mesmerising live performer, Wolverhampton-born Carina toured with Annie Lennox in 2007 and The Gutter Twins in 2008, but remains one of the music scene's best-kept secrets. More people deserve to hear her in 2009 - keep up to date with her blog and YouTube channel.
More after the jump:
2. Chelsea Wolfe - after happening across this Sacramento-based singer/songwriter online a couple of years ago I rushed to buy her debut album "Mistake In Parting" from CD Baby and it's been in my regular rotation ever since.
Chelsea's a busy woman - not only is she currently finishing off her second album and playing solo gigs, she also performs in rock band Red Host and released an EP over the summer with Terra Tobias of Sister Crayon under the name Winter Trees.
As if that wasn't enough, she's just posted a cover of "White Christmas" on her MySpace page!
3. Bowerbirds - Beth Tacular, Phil Moore and Mark Paulson make up this "nu-folk" trio, performing gentle but insistent songs about humanity and our place within the world. The name comes from Phil's stint tracking birds for the North Carolina Museum of Sciences, during which the first Bowerbirds songs were written in a secluded cabin in the woods. Beware: their tender melodies will grab you and never let go. Beth Tacular is also an excellent visual artist - click here to visit her site.
4. Giant Drag - Annie Hardy's inventing a new model for funding albums - asking fans to pay. After being dropped from her label in 2007 despite debut album "Hearts and Unicorns" garnering Giant Drag supporters from across the globe, Annie's struck out on her own, raising money to record forthcoming EP "Swan Song" through donations from fans.
New tracks "Swan Song" and "White Baby" are currently available to listen to on the MySpace page, with the full release due soon. In the meantime keep an eye out for the odd quirky eBay listing from the Giant Drag camp, with previous items including a "tote bag of surprises".
5. The Young Punx - with debut album "Your Music Is Killing Me" recently nominated for a Grammy plus new single "MASHitUP" out now via Beatport and getting national radio play, the future's bright for this London based mashpop collective. Featuring multi instrumentalist producer Hal Ritson, axe shredder Guthrie Govan and a host of other characters including sometime guest vocalist, um, Laura Kidd - hold on a sec - that's me! Oops, you've found me out. Still, I can excuse this naughtiness by saying I only put us at number five on my list, right? OK, thanks!
Over to you - who else has the world missed in 2008?