Last week, when video emerged of a chest-bearing Thom Yorke dancing next to his new bandmate Flea, it seemed like things were a bit backwards. Had Yorke lost a bet? Had we? But the collaboration appeared to be a success, perhaps because it took both Yorke and Flea out of their element. After all, when was the last time Flea wore a shirt?
From Patrick Wolf and Tilda Swinton to Lil’ Wayne and Weezer, 2009 has been the year of surprising collaborations. Though previous years yielded some amazing partnerships (Johnny Marr and Modest Mouse, Mike Watt with Kelly Clarkson), the past ten months have seen collabs that initially seemed improbable, or, technically impossible (see: Black Keys and Ol’ Dirty Bastard). Check out our favorites from this year below, and a couple of predictions for the rest of 2009.
