Our first taste of Bowerbirds’ forthcoming album, The Clearing, arrived this morning with a big endorsement from the indie darling of last night’s Grammy Award nominations announcement: “My favorite songwriter living,” Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon said. “This album is scary good.” Although his opinion might be a bit skewed by the fact that this set was recorded in part at his own April Base studio in Eau Claire, WI, once the glorious, harmony-filled crescendo kicks in around the 3:30 mark, it’s pretty clear that this excellent tune can get people talking on its own merit. You can hear the North Carolina group’s new cut above and grab a free download here.
Justin Vernon
Watch Bon Iver, Feist Visit Jools Holland
Given their one-off live duet and Justin Vernon’s “The Park” cover, it’s fitting that Bon Iver and Feist just shared the Later with Jools Holland stage. Perhaps more appropriate, though, is that the pair have new records to promote — Bon Iver, Bon Iver and Metals — for which they’ve assembled some of their best … Read more
Hear Bon Iver Cover Don Williams
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Ever since Elliott Smith’s perfectly imperfect live version of Hank Jr.’s “All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down)” at Largo, I’ve had a soft spot for covers of early ’80s country tunes. And while it’s hard to beat that half-reverent take, Bon Iver made an equally unusual pick at Nashville’s famed Ryman Auditorium this summer: “If Hollywood Don’t Need You (Honey I Still Do),” a 1982 Don Williams hit about his lover leaving Amarillo for Tinseltown. The lyrics don’t really expand beyond the title, but there is this priceless, dated shout-out: “Oh, and if you see Burt Reynolds / Would you shake his hand for me / And tell ol’ Burt I’ve seen all his movies.”
Hear the faithful take above, as Justin Vernon and friends have since retired their nod to “Music City.”