My buddy, Kevin Cawley, has listed his favorite 20 albums of 2008. Some good stuff on there, including The Welcome Wagon. I totally missed this album and just ordered it online because I love their stuff at MySpace. Paste has a nice article. Sufjanesque sound. From their label, Asthmatic Kitty...
The Welcome Wagon is a married couple, the Reverend Thomas Vito Aiuto and his wife Monique, who execute a genre of gospel music that is
refreshingly plain. Their hymns are modest and melodic takes on a vast
history of sacred song traditions, delivered with the simple desire to
know their Maker—and to know each other—more intimately.
Bon Iver covers The Outfield's 1985 hit "Your Love." Cooler than cool...p>
Alaska in Winter with "Berlin." Crank it!
If you like Conor Oberst, and you should, then you probably will like David Dondero's Tiny Desk Concert. For a taste, here's his video for "Rothko Chapel." You may want the lyrics nearby.