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Dec 23, 2010 Web Exclusive By Under the Radar Staff

For Under the Radar’s 8th annual Artist Survey we emailed some of our favorite artists a few questions relating to 2010. Pick up a copy of Under the Radar’s Year End issue for interviews with: The Antlers, Bon Iver, Caribou, Club 8, Delphic, Rose Elinor Dougall, Gayngs, Hot Chip, Lost in the Trees, Love is All, The Love Language, Mogwai, of Montreal, Okkervil River, Yoko Ono, Owen Pallett, Plants and Animals, Mark Ronson, Superchunk, Tame Impala, Vampire Weekend, Sharon Van Etten, and Vivian Girls. Here’s a survey from S. Carney of Bon Iver.

Top 10 Albums of 2010

1. Sufjan Stevens: All Delighted People EP

2. David Bazan: Curse Your Branches

3. The National: High Violet

4. Sufjan Stevens: Age of Adz

5. The Tallest Man on Earth: The Wild Hunt

6. Beach House: Teen Dream

7. Sharon Van Etten: Epic

8. Califone: All My Friends Are Funeral Singers

9. The Morning Benders: Big Echo

10. Sade: Soldier of Love

What was the highlight of 2010 for either you personally or for the band?
Opening up for The Tallest Man on Earth.

What are your hopes and plans for 2011?

Find inner peace.

What are your thoughts on President Obama’s job performance in the last year? Has your optimism, if you were an Obama supporter, waned?

I still support him.

What are your thoughts on the Tea Party movement?

I’m not into the party, however, I think it would be really interesting if we had more than just two main parties.

With the Internet making every artist’s music potentially available to a wide audience, is it now easier to find listeners or more difficult because you have to compete with so many other musicians?

Overall: Easier.

Who would you rather listen to—a totally original musician whose compositions are groundbreaking but difficult to listen to or a musician whose songs are immediately enjoyable but derivative? Why?

It depends. I get really sick of new music that doesn’t say anything new, that isn’t interesting in at least one facet. But I love hearing new music that takes an obvious derivative, but pushes it in his/her own direction. Example—Tallest Man on Earth can be compared to a modern day Dylan in certain aspects of his approach, but his own sound, his own lyrical approach, and more sophisticated guitar playing makes his music really fresh. I also really appreciate artists that are pushing boundaries, breaking ground. Both of these, it really depends on the feeling behind it, the intent of the music.

In the race to find new bands, are too many unworthy bands being hyped up by music blogs and websites? How are music fans supposed to filter through all these new bands being hyped?

People depend on reviews way too much. Yes, I think bands get hyped up, and sometimes I really don’t agree, but you have to keep in mind that hype could just be one person’s opinion. You have to realize you can’t listen to, absorb everything that is coming out. You won’t like it all either, but that’s fine. Pick the stuff you like and dig deeper into it.

If your house was on fire, what would you grab as you were running out?

My puppy.

If you could relive one day of your life, which would it be?

The day my wife and I first hung out. It was amazing. We stayed up all night, outside, in the November cold. We were crazy. Super fun getting to know someone new.

What’s the strangest fan encounter you’ve ever had?

Some girl in Iowa gave a detailed description of these pancakes she would make for me in the morning on her blog. Pretty funny stuff.

If you had a bucket list, what would be the Top 4 things on that list?

1. Live in New Zealand for a summer.

2. Climb Kilimanjaro.

3. Watch Radiohead Rehearse.

4. Go Green.

(www.boniver.org)