Tune in Saturdays: Bon Iver
Well, it's more Sunday now, but you know...stuff and all that.
Anyway, this week we have Bon Iver, the moniker of Justin Vernon, Wisconsin-based singer songwriter. It's a brilliantly quiet and introspective record that I haven't been able to stop listening to since I bought it last week. It even made it's way into my Obama video. It's perfect for those times when you need to be alone with your thoughts, or produce the next big campaign, or just need to catch your breath during your drive to lunch. This may sound odd, but it sounds like it was recorded...
From pitchfork:
The biographical details behind the creation of an album shouldn't matter when it comes to a listener's enjoyment, but For Emma, Forever Ago, Justin Vernon's debut as Bon Iver, exudes such a strong sense of loneliness and remoteness that you might infer some tragedy behind it. So, to skirt the rumor mill, here are the particulars, as much or as little as they might apply: In 2005, Vernon's former band DeYarmond Edison moved from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, to North Carolina. As the band developed and matured in its new home, the members' artistic interests diverged and eventually the group disbanded. While his bandmates formed Megafaun, Vernon-- who had worked with the Rosebuds and Ticonderoga-- returned to Wisconsin, where he sequestered himself in a remote cabin for four snowy months. During that time, he wrote and recorded most of the songs that would eventually become For Emma, Forever Ago.
Check it out. It's an inspired, moving piece of work.
Bon Iver - Skinny Love (mp3)
Bon Iver - Lump Sum (live video)