The xx have put out one of my favorite records of 2009. It's their self-titled debut and it was released on Young Turks/XL Recordings.

The Young Turks label is worth mentioning because the band has an unusually good relationship with them. They were given as much time as they needed to make the record. The label never pressured them to finish even though demand for more material from the xx was pretty high after they released a couple of singles. Young Turks even got them a couple of different high profile producers, including Diplo, who the band eventually decided not to work with in favor of producing it themselves.

I had a chance to talk with the xx's Romy Madley Croft, Oliver Sim and Jamie Smith before a show opening for Friendly Fires at Webster Hall earlier this month. They told me all about their recent adjustment to becoming a trio after their guitarist and keyboardist Baria Qureshi left the band, their vocal stylings, future plans and much more.

Last Saturday, December 5, I caught an excellent double bill at Webster Hall: Friendly Fires and the xx. I sneaked into the venue early and had a chance to talk to Friendly Fires' frontman Ed Macfarlane and lead guitarist Edd Gibson while the xx were soundchecking.

Macfarlane and Gibson talked with me about their Mercury Prize-nominated debut album, plans for their sophomore release, due out in 2010, and what touring has been like for them in the States and around the world. As the guys revealed, since they often play with bands that have a totally different sound from their own punked-out, dance party vibe, the crowd can sometimes be unpredictable: