With the MacWorld keynote come and gone you’re probably wondering which day on your calendar you should circle next.  Let me help out: Jan. 20.  That’s the day we get new music from both Andrew Bird and Bon Iver and, from what I’ve heard, I’ve got high hopes for both!

Bon Iver was my number one album last year and this is his third mention on the blog.  I’m always a little nervous about a follow-up album (or even a 4-track EP) in this kind of situation.  The first was so good but a bad second could taint it.  The last thing I want is for my three-blog-mention allstar of 2008 to wind up as a one hit wonder.

Good news.  So far, I’m disappointment free.  The first single, Blood Bank, manages to keep the warm “folk + reverb” that we came to love in “For Emma, Forever Ago” but supplements it with a band and an ever more confident vocal.  Check it out below!

Second is a full-length album from the prolific Andrew Bird (who snuck a full 8 songs into 2008 without me noticing! Thanks Nate/Jonathan for the heads up).  You can hear the whole album streamed from NPR.  Seriously?  NPR.  Not sure if that makes him seem more or less cool…it doesn’t change the fact that this is a great listen though.  I guess it makes sense that a guy who can rhyme “closeness” with “mitosis” would show up on NPR first.