You'll probably, like us, have seen the acres of press coverage given over in December to 'The Next Big Thing' - a kind of record company sponsored jamboree celebrating the probable success of their own marketing departments over 2009.
This year was the year of the girl. Not just any old girl. The electro-pop girl. Such is the ubiquity of the Lady Gagas and Little Boots of this world that it's almost impossible to remember when this list seemed more about the folk girl strumming her guitar and whispering plaintively about ghosts/sea monsters/nasty ex-boyfriends.
However, there are still some flourishes if you look carefully enough. Along with musicOMH-four star-approved Emmy the Great, we watched an American folk singer called Anais Mitchell a few nights ago at the Luminaire, who damn near blew our ears off.
Now, Anais has all the trappings to be a cult folk act and no more (politically-inspired tunes, breathy vocals, etc etc) apart from one thing. Her new album, described by the singer as a "concept album based around the Orpheus myth, set in a post apocalyptic, great depression era America" has a couple of guests on it:
- Some chap called Bon Iver
- Ani Difranco
It might be nothing. But if it is more than nothing, you heard of it here first...
