I can't say I feel like I've not been keeping abreast of the new talent this year, with so many bands I've liked for a long time coming out with new albums this year (Basement Jaxx, Lightniing Seeds, A-Ha, Martin Carr, Manic Street Preachers) new 'new' bands/artists have seen elusive (to me at least)

what 2009 bands have impressed you?

(for me)
- Shadow Boxer
- Golden Silvers
- Empire of the Sun
- Engineers (Reading UK band, commercially unreleased songs, heard a song on BBC1 I loved)

La Roux, La Roux, La Roux.

Though I agree 2009 so far has been more about established acts than new acts for me.

I'm a music fanatic & listen to a lot of newer stuff & by far the best debut of 2009 is Dark Mean's debut EP. Features probably the two best songs of the year with "Lullaby" & "Happy Banjo", I can't recommend those songs enough.

I'll check them out. Googled and saw that they're letting people download the EP for free on their site, which is cool.

Also, Giles, Engineers' self-titled debut came out a couple years ago and was pretty solid. You should check it out if you haven't.

Here are my favorites so far, with the genres next to them:

jj (indie pop)
Cymbals Eat Guitars (indie)
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (indie)
Japandroids (garage rock)
Zola Jesus (experimental)
Ganglians (indie)
Fever Ray (electronic)
Micachu and the Shapes (experimental)
The Rural Alberta Advantage (indie)
Passion Pit (electronic pop)
Blue Roses (folk)
Anni Rossi (folk)
Florence and the Machine (indie pop)
Mi Ami (experimental)
The Dead Weather (alternative rock)
Martyn (dubstep)

I am thinking these are 'New', at least on my radar.
The previously mentioned, Pains at Being Pure at Heart, Japandroids, Fever Ray, and Cymbals Eat Guitars

Bad Veins
Ume
We Were Promised Jetpacks
Calm Blue Sea
Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band
French Miami
O+S
Quest for Fire

actually it's a drum n bass group not who you think it is.

I've yet to stumble across anyone "new", or relatively even, from this year that's impressed me so far. Still holding out hope, though.

The Rural Alberta Advantage is by far my favorite 2009 new band.

Street Sweeper Social Club


Even though the members are far from new, it's a new group