Lo-fi tapes of hushed acoustic indie rock go together with Miami like(tanning) oil and (salt) water, spring break and sobriety, Florida governorJeb Bush and a problem-free day at the polls. See, what we're saying is theyseem kind of incongruous. But Mr. Samuel Beam, aka Iron & Wine, was livingin Miami crafting just such beguiling home recordings when Jonathan Ponemanof Sub Pop "discovered" him via an indie magazine in Seattle. The mesmerizedPoneman contacted Beam and hounded him for music until Beam finally mailedhim two full-length CDs. Sub Pop almost released both right off the bat, butinstead pared them down into Iron & Wine's debut, The Creek Drank theCradle, released in 2002. A hi-fi studio recording (2004's OurEndless Numbered Days) and a few EPs (including 2005's In theRein, a joint effort with Calexico) followed. For 2007's The Shepherd's Dog, Beam beefed up the musicianship, filling songs with eccentric worldly nuances, making it one of his most upbeat and cohesive albums to date.- Rachel Devitt

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