My Christmas Present To You

2008 has been all about debut albums, from the Fleet Foxes to Bon Iver to Grand Archives. So as we at fork/knife get ready to post our top albums of 2008, I am beginning to look forward to 2009, and the great music that will be released. Now we all know about the major releases of 2009, from Animal Collective to Wilco, but I'm trying to find those bands that will shock all of us.


After imerging myself in the world of music the past few months, I have decided that the band to look out for in 2009 is Local Natives, an indie band from Silver Lake, California. The Local Natives have only released two original songs, and one of them is a christmas song. Despite this I have had these two songs, and their cover of the classic Simon & Garfunkel tune, Cecilia, on repeat for the past week. This band flawlessly combines the broken R&B piano of the Cold War Kids, the energtic playfullness of Ra Ra Riot, the drumming that rings a familiar tune with Animal Collective or Grizzly Bear at moments, the great vocal harmonies of Fleet Foxes, and the huge choruses of Arcade Fire into one fantstic genre of music.



The Local Natives have been living and recording together in a two bedroom house in California for the past six months and have set the release of their debut album, Gorilla Manor (coming from their living situation), for early '09. All five members of the band share duties on multiple instruments along with three of them sharing vocal assignments. They are also know to put on one hell of a live show; Their bio states "Local Natives is one of those rare bands who is defined by their ability to deliver live. In fact, it has been more of a challenge for the group to translate the vibrant and exciting nature of their performances to a recording than vice versa."

So give them a listen and tell me that they are not the shit.

Local Natives - Airplanes
Local Natives - We Come Back (Christmas Original)


-Bishop