and though fans won't ever admit it, if you took away the falsetto on that self-titled EP and put on normal vocals, you'd have an Emo album. Like late 90's early 2000's attempting to sound beautiful and epic kind of Emo.
Boring song arrangements, average lyrics coupled with a falsetto (making him sound unique I guess) but not appealing.
Sufjan Stevens during his pretty music heyday was worth the hype. Bon Iver doesn't move me.
7. "this is how I feel about Fleet Foxes" In response to Reply # 5 Mon Feb-06-12 01:16 AM by Nodima
who I know Austin rides for. different strokes. Bon Iver hits me on a deeply personal level, it's just a gut reaction from the moment I heard his self-titled record. I think "Skinny Love" is an all-timer. "Blindsided" is one of the most personally relatable songs I've ever come across, I mean that is basically a very vivid moment in my life written by somebody else and set to awesome music. I went back to his stuff under Justin Vernon and DeYarmond Edison and it wasn't as good but there still at least ten songs from his bum local artist era I was completely sucked in by. And this self-titled record is just gorgeous to me, a step behind For Emma but that record was perfect to me, hitting me the same way Elliott Smith used to when I was a kid.
When I saw these guys live they put on a fantastic show, too, stringing all of the songs together in medleys with a diverse array of instruments (about seven dudes in the touring band I believe) and really putting on a show. I definitely had more than a few drinks but from the very start of their show I just stood there mesmerized for an hour and a half, I felt like my first Yo la Tengo show just totally lost in the music. I don't get that feeling live very often, I'm too self conscious about the weirdness of being in an audience.
13. "here's why i like bon iver/jv" In response to Reply # 3 Mon Feb-06-12 12:36 PM by cbk
he's got a "we've all been there" story--when our young optimism hits a brick wall. he was homesick, his band broke up, and he had a bad breakup with his lady. plus some health and emotional issues. he desperately needed to start over.
dude goes home, isolates himself in his father's cabin.
starts fooling around with his dad's old guitar and his out-dated pro tools rig. pours his sorrows into the music, never meaning to have this stuff for public consumption.
realizes he was a pretty good album on his hands (kinda reminded me of a folky "dirty mind," but that's just me).
builds a fanbase with this lil' ass record. expands the sound gradually in his live shows.
then he makes a pretty dope ep.
gets sample by kanye (wtf???...but it kinda makes sense).
lays down some good stuff on "monster". i'm always a sucker for REALLY non-hip-hop guys working with rappers and the results don't stick out like a sore thumb.
i didn't check for bon iver, bon iver until it got a lot of attention late last year. i liked it. it's not my favorite LP of all time (yet...), but it keeps me company in my day-to-day. there's new stuff i hear every time i put it on. it's a slow burner that i keep going back to.
looking back, that's a pretty impressive career trajectory. from his dad's cabin to SNL, and then giving the middle finger to the grammy's.
10. "i'm guessing the unfamiliarity factor" In response to Reply # 9
the grammy's not having the balls to give an "unknown" (to the masses) artist they nominated the spotlight for a few minutes of their own music... the catch is, they did that for arcade fire last year, but it was immediately before they handed them album of the year, and the bon iver situation is probably the grammy's reverting to their old ways (see my radiohead comment) after all the backlash last year for awarding arcade fire. even last year during that show, mumford and sons, as big as they'd already gotten by that point, had to be part of a "folk" medley with bob dylan, although that included a few minutes of their own music. the grammy's are known for playing it safe.
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