UPDATE: The article also had a link to a video of Frere-Jones interviewing Vernon which you can see here.
New Yorker music critic Sasha Frere-Jones takes on one of the biggest indie sensations of 2008 and one of recess’ favorite artists, Bon Iver. It drips of that typical Frere-Jones prose and is just great.
Sometimes I am surprised by the fragmentary lyrics on “For Emma”; more often, I am moved by the beauty of Vernon’s massed voice, and held in place by the force of each careful, dogged song. You don’t need to know about breakups or solitary stretches in the woods to feel a line dragging these songs forward. As pretty as Vernon’s musical tendencies may be, the line pulling “For Emma” along is not light and could not have been easily found.
Note the reference to Raleigh-based Bowerbirds’ Mark Paulson on the second page. For the full story, click here.
Also, Bon Iver’s new EP, Blood Bank, comes out Jan. 21 on Jagjaguwar. Check back to this blog in the coming days for a review of that EP.
From the Times’ ArtsBeat comes a great Podcast about top 10 lists. A handful of music critics and TV on the Radio’s Kyp Malone discuss the year in music. Unlike most top 10 lists, the Podcast gets to the root of the music, analyzing 2008 and its trends. It’s a smart and interesting discussion, with a few gems, including a discussion of Bon Iver:
That’s the new thing for ‘09: go find a cabin
and on auto tune:
T-Pain actually can sing. It’s not used for pitch correction. It’s an aesthetic thing for T-Pain, whereas many people–say half of Nashville–use it to get the notes right, and Kanye West uses it to pretend he’s getting the notes right.
For the rest, click here.
Former Bill Clinton aide Howard Wolfson offers up his favorite albums of 2008 over at his blog Gotham Acme. The list includes Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes and Bonnie “Prince” Billy to name a few. His take on Beach House:
The sounds of the carnival at night: hazy, gauzy, just over the ridge. Who knew Mazzy Star was going to be this influential?
It’s the making of a great music critic and further insight into why America’s youth love Bill Clinton.
(Hat tip: Ben Smith/Politico)
Two-thirds of Megafaun and all of Bowerbids sing with the Rosebuds' Kelly Crisp at NC Rocks for Change. Photo by Andrew Hibbard
The Triangle played host to plenty of great music events in 2008, drawing names like the Silver Jews, Wilco, Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes and Spoon. But there was also a rich local music scene. Unranked but in chronological order, here are some of 2008’s best moments in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area.
The Dodos & Megafaun at BCHQ – March 28, 2008
This San Francisco duo on Frenchkiss had a huge year in 2008, topping several year-end lists. But the fact that they stopped at BCHQ instead of 506 or the Cradle was a power move for the small venue. To boot, the Dodos followed Silje Nes and Megafaun was the last to play. The Durham trio might not have been headlining, but playing last makes it seem like they were. Regardless, it was still a great show.
Arcade Fire and Superchunk Rock for Obama – May 2, 2008
It’s no secret that Mac McCaughan is an Obama fan. So when 90s Chapel Hill rockers Superchunk joined up with the Arcade Fire to put on a free show right before the North Carolina primary, it was a huge deal. In part, because Arcade Fire only played a handful of shows in 2008. But also because Superchunk shows are a special treat whenever they come–and Superchunk’s awesome kids stole the show.
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Justin Vernon. Courtesy rcrdlbl.
A whole 17 days before the year ends, we did it. We summarized the best our favorite music of 2008 on our humble blog, and its name was Justin Vernon. The Jagjaguwar re-release of Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago, our favorite album of the year, made it into six of our nine lists, all in the top five (that was a lot of single-digit numbers, more coming). The lists had three mentions of “re:stacks,” two of “Skinny Love” and one of “Lump Sum.” Some other numbers after the jump.
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