- Play
- Prev
- Next
- Pause
- Mute
- Unmute
- Chrome
4AD and Jagjaguwar have collaborated on a live session that captures a truly unique Bon Iver performance, featuring Justin Vernon and Sean Carey. On recent tours fans will have become accustomed to seeing Vernon flanked by an eleven-piece band, with the swell in numbers lending a grandiose element to even his most delicate songs. Sidestepping expectations, the idea Vernon presented for this session was to provide a wildly different experience.
Recorded in AIR Studio's Lyndurst Hall - a building that was originally a church and missionary school designed in 1880 by the great Victorian architect Alfred Waterhouse (designer of the Natural History Museum) - Vernon was joined only by Carey, with the pair positioning themselves opposite one another at two grand pianos. Although neither Justin nor Sean's first instrument is piano, they were able to remodel the songs in a way that showcases their complimentary vocals and, perhaps more strikingly, a seemingly effortless ability to experiment with form and structure.
As such, fans are treated to jaw-dropping interpretations of several songs from both the new album and the Blood Bank EP, as well as a cover of Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me". And interpretation is an apt word, as these songs are artfully abstracted from their original incarnations. Rather than layer the sound as on Bon Iver, Bon Iver, the focus is on paring back, in part evoking the minimalist approach of contemporary classical music, while remaining true enough to the source material to retain those elements characteristic of Bon Iver.
As on "Babys" and "Hinnom, TX", Vernon's trademark falsetto is positioned centre stage, framed by subtle and unexpected instrumental flourishes that render the performance simultaneously weighty and airless. It's quite an achievement that songs so widely-known and loved in their recorded form are able gain in emotional impact, and stands as testament to Bon Iver's singular talent.
1. Hinnom, TX
2. Wash.
3. I Can't Make You Love Me
4. Babys
5. Beth/Rest
Director: Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard
Recording & Mixing: Jake Jackson with Brian Joseph
Recorded in London at AIR Studios, October 16, 2011
"Hinnom, TX", "Wash.", "Beth/Rest" (c) 2011 April Base Publishing (ASCAP)
"Babys" (c) 2009 April Base Publishing (ASCAP)
"I Cant' Make You Love Me" (c) 1991 BMG Songs, Almo Music Corp., Bird Blues Music, Hayes Street Music (ASCAP)
We'll be touring around Coachella this April with our good friends and fellow Volcano Choir comrades, All Tiny Creatures. And if you haven't already heard, we're set to headline Sasquatch in May! See dates below...
04/12/12 - Las Vegas, NV - The Joint*
04/14/12 - Indio, CA - Coachella Music & Arts Festival
04/17/12 - Davis, CA - Freeborn Hall @ UC Davis*
04/19/12 - San Francisco, CA- Bill Graham Civic Auditorium*
04/21/12 - Indio, CA - Coachella Music & Arts Festival
04/22/12 - Santa Barbara, CA - Santa Barbara Bowl*
04/23/12 - Tucson, AZ - AVA Ampitheater
04/27/12 - New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
05/27/12 - George, WA - Sasquatch Music Festival
* w/ All Tiny Creatures
Announced today, Jagjaguwar will release a digital-only Deluxe Edition of Bon Iver, Bon Iver on November 29th.
Comprised of individual visual works for each of the album's ten songs, the Deluxe Edition is the comprehensive vision for the record captured in moving picture. The visual works both complement and enrich the audio on the album, and were in themselves, another year in the making. Featuring work by Dan Huiting, Isaac Gale, David Jensen, JoLynn Garnes, Andre Durand, Ryan Thompson and Justin Vernon, the video work is meant to be consumed as a visual extension of the music, to enhance each listener's experience. While not music videos per se, these visual accompaniments are striking in their distinctive atmosphere, and compelling works in their own right.
The Deluxe Edition will be available on November 29th digitally through iTunes, and as a free DVD for a limited time with the purchase of the record at any participating record store or through Jagjaguwar's mailorder starting in early December.
