Bon Iver

Infobox musical artist

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Name = Bon Iver
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Justin Vernon
Born =
Died =
Origin =
Instrument = Vocals, Guitar, Bass Drum
Touring Band = Justin Vernon, Mike Noyce, Sean Carey
Genre = Indie rock
Folk
Singer-songwriter [ [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:ajftxqlrldae Style analysis on All Music Guide] ]
Label = Jagjaguwar, 4AD
Associated_acts = DeYarmond Edison
The Shouting Matches
Mount Vernon
Megafaun

Bon Iver is the name of indie folk singer-songwriter Justin Vernon's current band and most notable music project to date. The band now consists of Mike Noyce and Sean Carey. The name, Bon Iver, is an Anglicization of the French, "bon hiver" (good winter). Vernon independently released Bon Iver's debut album, "For Emma, Forever Ago" in 2007, the majority of which was recorded while spending three months in a remote cabin in Wisconsin.

Biography

While in high school and college, Vernon founded bands Mount Vernon and DeYarmond Edison, both indie-rock bands from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, where he still resides. [cite web | last=Foley | first=Ryan | title=Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago | publisher=Stylus Magazine | date=2007-09-11 | url=http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/bon-iver/for-emma-forever-ago.htm] [cite web | last=Deusner | first=Stephen | title=Bon Iver: For Emma, Forever Ago | publisher=Pitchfork Media | date=2007-10-04 | url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/45817-for-emma-forever-ago] DeYarmond Edison consisted of Vernon, Brad and Phil Cook, and Joe Westerlund. After a long period of success in the Eau Claire music scene, the four band mates decided to leave their longtime home and move to Raleigh, North Carolina to try their musical hand in a new place. The band released two records themselves, the first self-titled and the second titled "Silent Signs" [ [http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A28075 Indy Week Article on DeYarmond Edison] ] and an EP of unreleased material is available on their myspace page. [ [http://www.myspace.com/deyarmondedison DeYarmond Edison on MySpace] ] After nearly a year in Raleigh, Vernon left for Wisconsin after a breakup with the band and a girlfriend. The remaining members of DeYarmond Edison went on to form a new band called Megafaun and remain good friends with Vernon. [http://www.treblezine.com/features/143.html Treble Interview] ]

Justin Vernon is joined live by Sean Carey (drums, vocals, piano, vibes) and Mike Noyce (vocals, baritone guitar, guitar). Noyce was Vernon's guitar student during high school while Carey approached Vernon during one of the first Bon Iver shows telling him he could play and sing all the songs after which the two played a number of them together. [ [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/49814-interview-bon-iver Pitchfork Interview] ]

For Emma, Forever Ago

After the breakup of a band, relationship, and bout with sickness, Vernon left Raleigh and moved back to Wisconsin spending three months in his father's cabin in the woods of northern Wisconsin. He did not intend to write or record any music during the time but rather to recuperate from the events of the previous year. Eventually a record began to evolve during this cathartic time of isolation. [ [http://www.ambledown.com/boniver_bio.html Amble Down Records Bio] ]

Vernon had recently finished helping the band The Rosebuds do some recording and had with him some basic recording gear when he made his move to the cabin. Vernon played all the instruments during recording and each song was heavily edited with a large number of overdubs. Vernon wrote most of the lyrics for the album by recording a word-less melody and listening to the recording over and over and writing words according to the sound of the syllables of the melody.this text does not matter]

The record was almost not released and was originally intended as a group of demos to be sent out to labels and potentially rerecorded. But after getting very encouraging reactions from a number his friends, Vernon decided to release the songs himself in their present state text] After significant positive reception, helped by word of mouth and its popularity throughout the blogosphere, Vernon decided to sign to the indie label Jagjaguwar which subsequently gave the album a proper release. [ [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/46725-bon-iver-signs-to-jagjaguwar Bon Iver signs to Jagjaguwar] ]

Since being released by Jagjaguwar on February 19, 2008, "For Emma, Forever Ago has garnered critical acclaim. [cite web | last=Maher | first=Dave | title=Bon Iver Signs to Jagjaguwar | publisher=Pitchfork Media | date=2007-10-29 | url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/46725-bon-iver-signs-to-jagjaguwar ] The album was released in the UK and Europe by iconic indie 4AD on May 12, 2008. [cite web | title=Black Mountain, Bon Iver Kick Off Joint Tour Tonight | publisher=Pitchfork Media | date=2008-02-19 | url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/48811-black-mountain-bon-iver-kick-off-joint-tour-tonight ]

When released in the UK, "For Emma, Forever Ago" received 5/5 and "Album of the Month" reviews in both MOJO and Uncut magazines. It is currently the third highest rated album of 2008 on review-aggregator site Metacritic, with accolades from publications including The Village Voice, The Hartford Courant and The A.V. Club. [cite web | title=Metacritic Music High and Low Scores | publisher=Metacritic | date=2008-05-16 | url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/bests/index.shtml ]

Bon Iver's track "The Wolves (Act I and II)" was featured in season 4 of "Grey's Anatomy" on May 15, 2008 in the episode "Losing My Mind," and later, "Skinny Love" was used in the series' season 5 premier. The track "Re: Stacks" was played during the season 4 finale "Wilson's Heart" of the TV show "House M.D." on May 19, 2008. On September 8, 2008, Bon Iver made their debut performance on national TV with the track "Flume" as guests on NBC's "Late Night with Conan O'Brien". The digital download track "Skinny Love" was selected to be iTunes (UK) single of the week and was available for free during that time, as well as being featured as the track of the day on National Public Radio.

Discography

Albums

* "For Emma, Forever Ago" (late 2007, self-released; February 19, 2008, US; May 12, 2008, UK)

ingles

* "Skinny Love" (April 28, 2008) (digital download only)
* "For Emma" b/w "Wisconsin" (September 15, 2008) (7" vinyl)

References

External links

* [http://www.boniver.org/ Official homepage]
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* [http://www.jagjaguwar.com/artist.php?name=boniver Jagjaguwar] - US label page
* [http://4ad.com/boniver/profile/ 4AD] - European label page
* [http://weekendamerica.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/01/24/wintersongs/ Bon Iver interview] - interview on Weekend America
* [http://exclaim.ca/musicreviews/generalreview.aspx?csid2=850&fid1=29876&csid1=119 Bon Iver on Exclaim]
* [http://www.wirelessbollinger.com/content/view/1463/84/ Wireless Bollinger interview]
* [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/45817-for-emma-forever-ago PitchforkMedia review]
* [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/18671866/review/19517353?utm_source=Rhapsody&utm_medium=CDreview Rolling Stone review]
* [http://www.indieboards.com/boniver/ Bon Iver Forum]
* [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18073513 Bon Iver at NPR Music]
* [http://www.beatlawrence.com/2008/04/bon-iver-interview.html Bon Iver Interview April 2008]