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Tonight though he switches it around and plays the whole of his second full release, the eponymous ‘Bon Iver’. On the first he played the whole of the latest album in order and the second set a sprinkling of tracks from his other three releases. This is the second of an eight night sold out residency. but not to the extent of last album ’22, A million’ which I think is fair to say has divided opinion.
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Since the low fi beauty of ‘For Emma, Forever Ago’ Justin Vernon has experimented with sounds, auto tune, loops, etc. It’s not without a little trepidation that we head out to the Odeon tonight. “Bon Iver” utilises a vast selection of musical accompaniments and earned Vernon two Grammys, for Best New Artist and Best Alternative Music Album in 2012. The self-titled sophomore album was released in June 2011 on Jagjaguwar and recorded at Vernon’s own April Base Studios in Fall Creek, Wisconsin. A year later Vernon was enlisted by Kanye West to provide vocals to the tracks “Woods”, “Monster”, and “Dark Fantasy”, from Kanye’s “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy”.īon Iver’s full-length follow-up proved to be far more ambitious than the debut with luscious and textured orchestration, thanks to the involvement of bass saxophone player Solin Stetson and pedal-steel guitarist Greg Leisz. and Canadian tour alongside members Sean Carey and Matt McCaughan among others, Bon Iver released the EP “Blood Bank” in 2009. The release subsequently became one of the most popular albums of 2008, both among music fans and music critics, and led to Vernon becoming a prized-cow in the industry.Īfter embarking on an extensive U.S. With exposure granted by the likes of CMJ Music Marathon and a glowing Pitchfork review, Bon Iver signed with Jagjaguwar in October 2007, who reissued “For Emma, Forever Ago” in January 2008. “For Emma, Forever Ago” was released in 2007 initially limited to 500 CDs, however popularity for the album grew exponentially when the record, and its story, hit the blogosphere. The musician then moved into his father’s cabin in Dunn County, Wisconsin, U.S., and with very modest recording and musical equipment, began crafting a collection of introspective and emotionally-intense songs.īon Iver, the name derived from a misspelling of the French for “cold winter”, initially intended the songs to form a demo, however after hearing feedback from his manager and friends, decided to self-release the recordings. After DeYarmond Edison’s disbandment, the breakdown of a relationship, a stint with mononucleosis hepatitis, and a marathon intake of the ’90’s TV series “Northern Exposure”, the groundwork for Vernon’s new project was laid.
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Justin Vernon’s journey as Bon Iver grew out of the embers of his previous band DeYarmond Edison.
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