Iron & Wine

The beard is the first thing that comes to mind. Thicker than chimney smoke and as soft and scratchy as the sides of a sponge, it brings to mind blustery winters, weathered and wise souls, and writing by candlelight. Which is perfect, really, given the timeless and strikingly tender nature of Sam Beam's actual songs, from the soft-focus snapshots of his bedroom-bred debut (The Creek Drank the Cradle) to the fuller, richer studio arrangements of Our Endless Numbered Days and Beam's Dylan-gone-electric moment, the EP Woman King. As for his popular, synth-free cover of the Postal Service's "Such Great Heights," it's been used in everything from an M&M's commercial to the Garden State soundtrack, thanks to its ragged, Southern Gothic edge and tear duct-flooding vibe. Yes, his songs are that good.