Wow. This album lived up to all the hype it was given and ran with it.
Bon Iver can no longer be synonymous with Justin Vernon. Starting with "Perth" and ending with "Beth/Rest" the band incorporates many new sounds like a saxophone, snare drum, and a horn section. These new instruments allow the album to have more emotional dimensions and play a crucial role in the feelings Bon Iver is trying to evoke. Justin Vernon has also lost his job as the only singer in "Himmon, TX". Another band member each sings baritone while Vernon sings falsetto in the background. The baritone is a soothing and clear voice that becomes opaque with the falsetto. The two voices intertwine beautifully.
Each song title in Bon Iver is named after a place (fictional or nonfictional) and it sounds like Bon Iver is traveling from place to place feeling a different emotion everywhere he goes. They start with a marching beat and electronic riffs showing us that we are not about to hear For Emma 2.0. Then of course, in Vernon fashion he sings about emotional past girlfriends in "Towers" and "Wash." saying lines like "what a mischief you would bring young darling! When the onus is not all your own" and "no, can’t grow up in that iron ground. Claire, all too sore for sound." He takes us back to his childhood in Michicant saying, "I was unafraid, I was a boy, I was a tender age."And then he finishes the album with Beth/Rest, a love bout I can only assume is about breaking up. His lyrics couldn't be harder to understand, but they don't really matter.
The theme of translucence and unknown are seen in different lights throughout the album. Vernon makes his voice intentionally incomprehensible to use is as another instrument and to make the music sound as if we are seeing something through a dust filled hallway. The real instruments themselves make long notes and repetition to add to that opacity. Vernon represents not being alright with drunkenness and being high saying lines like, "smoke on Sundays when youʼre drunk and dressed out the hollows where the swallow nests."
This album is absolutely wonderful. Bon Iver knows how make music that evokes so much emotion and its great to see them expanding from For Emma. Below I have links to the lyrics because there is no way you can actually understand him and if you haven't had your Bon Iver fix, there are two tracks also out that are on Calgary 12" not the album.
We can all thank my friend Vikram for finding an online streaming of Bon Iver's new album. Let's see how Justin Vernon responds to the popularity of For Emma and Forever Ago, hanging out with his buddy Kanye West, and getting a few spots in Kanye's most recent album. Thanks again Vik! Bon Iver's New Album
To coincide with my list of best albums of the year so far, here is a list of the best songs. They are mostly ordered by when they came out. All of these are worth getting and will probably make my top 50 list at the end of the year.
You Know What I Mean- Cults This song is the third most popular song on the new album and was the only real hit that was not pre released. Cults complain about how messed up there minds are and I love listening to lead singer Madeline Follin build up angst until the end when she belts out in vain "You Know What I Mean!"
Calgary- Bon Iver "Calgary" is the first single off of Bon Iver's upcoming album Bon Iver. Wisconsin's Finest isn't interested in the listener understanding his words as much as feelings his voice and accompanying instruments evoke and does he do that well.
2 Hearts- Digitalism
Digitalism hadn't released anything worthwhile since 2007 and I was beginning worry that this duo was falling off the Earth. Not anymore! 2 Hearts sounds like previous hits Pogo and Idealistic. They mix the Daft Punk dance music with a garage alternative band and make great sounds.
Flicker- Son Lux Flicker starts out sounding like it just came out of a horror film with the deep organ and keeps on that spooky path with the opera voice in the background. The words though are what give it life, a reason to care. Flicker gives the listener the sense of going to a scary movie with just a song.
Mindkilla- Gang Gang Dance
Gang Gang Dance is one of the weirdest bands I have ever heard, but since when is being weird a bad thing? Mindkilla concentrates that weirdness in its synthesizer and electronic background music. I love how GGD brings back a children's ryme by singing "mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring" in that synthesized voice. The weirdest song I've heard so far, but also one of the best.
California- EMA
Next year I'm going to Claremont in Southern California and I have no idea what to expect. Artists like Best Coast and Wavves give me a feel of California fun in the sun, but EMA sees California in a different light. Erika A. Anderson says, "FUCK CALIFORNIA" as she looks behind the superficiality of California and tells us really how it is. Its a struggle to get bye and it changes people but we can all get through it. And that's the side to California I'm more excited to see.
BTSTU- Jai Paul
O how I like a nice redemption song. "I know i've been gone a long time but I'm back and i want what is mine" Jai Paul says during his story about coming back from sea. I love his beats in the background. The bass goes through a fantastic bridge. I hope he doesn't just become a one hit wonder. And would you have expected the guy in the youtube thumbnail to be the writer of this song? Not me.
Montezuma- Fleet Foxes
"Montezuma" begins Helplessness Blues with a bang. Remembering the old days fondly, Fleet Foxes, prepares the listener to go on an blissfully happy journey throughout the album.
County Line- Cass McCombs
This is the only song I liked on his new album Wit's End. The album was too slow for me, which you can hear in "County Line", but this has more elements. Cass uses his high and low voice in the song to really show care and emotion.
Take Off Your Shirt- Bibio
I love when Bibio sings incredibly fast in the beginning and end of the song. The lofi guitar ads a real rocker feel to the song that makes me want to blast this in the car.
Will Do- TV on the Radio
This song kicks ass. It reminds me of a newer version of their previous hit "DLZ". TOTR knows how to make a song about a failed relationship, that should be depressing, sound classically cool.
Operation- Yuck Yuck is this years LoFi band of the year. The muffled lyrics and the cool guitar riffs start the song well and then two minutes into the song everything is amplified and the action begins creating the life of the song.
Belong- Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Pains of Being Pure at Heart sings about these two who we assume are lovers, but are both not popular.But who cares. He loves her and embraces how they don't belong. POBPAT makes not being popular cool again.
Need You Now- Cut Copy
Not to ever be mixed up with Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now", this song is the highlight of Cut Copy's new album Zonoscope. All I can say is that the build up for this song is wonderful and then when it finally falls every time I hear this I want to stand up and start dancing.
Lindisfarne I & II- James Blake
James Blakes best combined songs on his album, "Lindisfarne" resembles Bon Iver's Woods. Lindisfarne" always calms my nerves and grounds me. Its such a peaceful song sung beautifully and brings out such emotion without giving the listener much to hear.
All Die Young- Smith Westerns
Smith Westerns tell us to do everything we want when we're young in "All Die Young". They sing about young love and dieing with one's chin up. This song makes me want to go outside and seize the day.
I don't know how I have gone so long without listening to Neutral Milk Hotel, but a few weeks ago, Jeff Magnum and company got a shout out on NBC's Parks and Recreation and I felt like I had to give it a listen so I listened to their most well knows album In an Aeroplane Over the Sea. Holy shit. Perfect 10. No Doubt. Please Please listen to this whole album all the way through. It is influenced by The Diary of Anne Frank, which Jeff Magnum read for the first time before writing the album. This album flows incredibly smoothly and I am a sucker for a trumpet and accordion. Seriously, listen.
I'm not one to usually like mash ups, but with two of the favorite artists James Blake and Drake, I had to listen. Its now my favorite mash up but that isn't saying much, but it was 29 minutes well spent. Best part is when he mashs Best I Ever Had and Limit To Your Love. Enjoy!
What a rhyming title! Lil Wayne follows in Eminem's footsteps in writing a song writing a song for the fans. Eminem's song, Stan talks about an obsessed fan who kills himself in the end, but Weezy raps "I’m sorry about Stan. So I wrote this to say I’m your number 1 fan." Way to go Weezy for thanking your fans. I like Dear Anne better. What do you all think?
This blog is long over due so my first few posts are going to be my Best Albums of 2011 so far, for now they are in date since they came out not how much I like them.
1. Cults- Cults
I have a friend who once referred to this band as The Cults and if I hadn't enjoyed this album as much as I did I would have corrected her. Cults was unknown until their single Go Outside went vital last spring. While the background music may sound sweet and poppy, the lyrics talk about dystopias and post teenage angst. Band member, Brian Oblivion, says a lot of the songs came from the idea of joining an actual cult. There album mentions past cult leaders Jim Jones, Charles Manson, and Patty Hearst. The first three songs on the album Abducted, Go Outside, and You Know What I Mean make a killer start to anyone's day. Oblivion has come a long away from being in a Slayer cover band.
2. Helplessness Blues- Fleet Foxes
I just got back from a trip to my friends Canadian cabin where we spent 5 days without internet, cable, or cellphone service. Pure bliss. This album fit in exactly with that setting (soon the new Bon Iver album will as well). Frontman, Robin Pecknold, has a voice I always love listening to no matter what he's saying. Fleet Foxes have continued to define modern folk music and will not stop now. Some songs to for sure take out of this are Montezuma and Helplessness Blues.
3. Nine Types of Light- TV of the Radio
I bought this record on International Record Day and it was well worth it. TOTR keeps coming out with steller albums with catchy singles like You and Will Do, but show their depth with songs like Killer Crane and No Future Shock. They will be headlining Pitchfork this summer and selling out all over the country, sadly without their bassist Gerald Smith who died earlier this year.
4. Belong- Pains of Being Pure at Heart
I was really excited with this album came out because it had such hype around it. They did not evolve much from their first self titled album, but it was still great. Probably the most guitar heavy album on the list, Pains knows how to rock hard and still have a sweet message. Songs to get for sure are Belong, Heart in a Heartbreak, and My Terrible Friend.
5. Zonoscope- Cut Copy
Honestly, Need You Now makes this album amazing. Over all I like Cut Copy's electronic beats with good songs like Take Me Over and This Is All We've Got, but without Need You Now this album would be nothing.
6. James Blake- James Blake
James Blake, unknown until making three EPs last year, is my breakout artist of the year so far. This album James Blake uses his voice much more than in the EPs, but still keeps the minimalist beats, repetition, and subtle dubstep bass. This whole album is wonderful and I would recomend every song on it, but if I had to choose a few The Wilhelm Scream, Lindisfarne I, Lindisfarne II, and Limit To Your Love would be the best. Did you know Lindisfarne is a small island off the coast of England that occupies 162 people? Cooool.
7. Dye It Blonde- Smith Westerns
Smith Westerns have come along way from singing at Northside College Prep talent shows and drinking milk out of cartons at 21+ concerts. Dye It Blonde, their sophomore album, rocks out with more age and experience than their first album. The songs flow together and the melodies and really catchy and fun. Songs that you should get are All Die Young, Weekend, and End of the Night.
Each song title in Bon Iver is named after a place (fictional or nonfictional) and it sounds like Bon Iver is traveling from place to place feeling a different emotion everywhere he goes. They start with a marching beat and electronic riffs showing us that we are not about to hear For Emma 2.0. Then of course, in Vernon fashion he sings about emotional past girlfriends in "Towers" and "Wash." saying lines like "what a mischief you would bring young darling! When the onus is not all your own" and "no, can’t grow up in that iron ground. Claire, all too sore for sound." He takes us back to his childhood in Michicant saying, "I was unafraid, I was a boy, I was a tender age."And then he finishes the album with Beth/Rest, a love bout I can only assume is about breaking up. His lyrics couldn't be harder to understand, but they don't really matter. 
The theme of translucence and unknown are seen in different lights throughout the album. Vernon makes his voice intentionally incomprehensible to use is as another instrument and to make the music sound as if we are seeing something through a dust filled hallway. The real instruments themselves make long notes and repetition to add to that opacity. Vernon represents not being alright with drunkenness and being high saying lines like, "smoke on Sundays when youʼre drunk and dressed out the hollows where the swallow nests."
