Update of Justin Vernon Cache.

So Justin Vernon is the man behind Bon Iver, and I'm a pretty big fan of everything he's done. The Hazeltons record someone sweet was kind enough to direct me to after a bit of searching. Still haven't found his records released under JD Vernon or Mount Vernon, but I'm trying.

"The band began as friends from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, evolving from Justin Vernon's early band Mount Vernon and takes its name from Justin Vernon's two middle names. The members first met at the H.O.R.D.E. Festival in 1997, bonded at a Wisconsin jazz camp, and played together in various combinations before finally playing as DeYarmond Edison in 2002. The band's style is a blend of folk and Americana sounds with more modern atmospheric and electronic elements. DeYarmond Edison recorded two albums while in Eau Claire, a self-titled album and Silent Signs.

After a period of success in Eau Claire's music scene the band decided to move to Raleigh, North Carolina to begin a musical career in a new location. The band experienced some success in Raleigh, but eventually broke up because of tensions caused by different musical directions and philosophies and personal reasons. The breakup also occurred subsequent to Vernon falling severely ill with a form of mononucleosis that damages the liver.

Following the dissolution of DeYarmond Edison, Vernon eventually returned to Wisconsin to live in his father's cabin, and over the course of 3 months of isolation, he produced what became the Bon Iver album For Emma, Forever Ago. The remaining members DeYarmond Edison formed Megafaun, eventually releasing their own album Bury the Square."

Also since I can't seem to find a cover, here's a link to another Deyarmond Edison album "The Bickett Residency".


During the Deyarmond Edison days Vernon recorded a couple of solo albums which can be found below.








And if you don't know Bon Iver by now, shame on you, but here's their full length and EP so you can remedy it.

Batch Of Randomness.

We'll start with Death From Above 1979's only studio album "You're A Woman, I'm A Machine". Dudes broke up in '06 and it's a shame because I dig the album, and it also makes for good running music. They make some pretty good noise for being two dudes and mainly utilizing drums and a bass guitar with some synth thrown in. Anyway, I dig Black History Month, Sexy Results, as well as Blood On Our Hands for taste tests.










Strange Geometry is a 2005 album by London's The Clientele. Dudes are known for reverb heavy sound and dudes breathy and distinctive vocals. Since K Got Over Me is good and we'll go with I Can't Seem To Make You Mine as well.













2006 EP by blues rock group The Black Keys. These are all covers of songs by Junior Kimbrough whom I keep intending to grab some albums by and never do. Anyway, some sexy songs on this EP. Work Me for example. Nobody But You is a good one as well. Aaand we'll finish with Meet Me In The City.

Blasts From My Past.

First up are two albums from Eels. More or less the outlet for Mark Everett with an ever rotating cast helping dude out.



Released in 1998 and written as a response to his sisters suicide and mothers fatal battle with lung cancer, shit's a little bleak. Album starts off with Elizabeth On The Bathroom Floor, a song composed using one of his sisters final diary entries. Followed with Going To Your Funeral and Cancer For The Cure. Also of note is Climbing To The Moon which is about visiting his sister in a psychiatric facility.












This guy came out in 2000. Third album they did. Good shit here and right here. Oh and of course there is always this one. Plus you can't forget It's A Motherfucker.















Concept album from Cursive. Shit's about a couple (as evidenced by the cover I'd assume). Roughly patterned around Kasher's divorce. The Casualty is a good one, as is The Martyr.














Another concept album by Cursive. This one essentially being a Pinocchio story, only with love and empty sex. Art Is Hard is a standout track as are The Recluse and Driftwood: A Fairy Tale.














What do you know, another concept album by Cursive. Well, loosely at least. This one revolves around a small town and deals with religion and hypocrisy. Album opens with Opening The Hymnal/Babies (the latter half of which manages to have stuck that "baby baby baby" line in my head since I first heard it). That's followed by Dorothy At Forty, which is then followed by Big Bang. Those should give a fair indication as to the subject matter and sound.

Little Old, Little New(ish)...

Still haven't heard Farm, but I will soon and it'll probably end up on here. In the mean time, here goes...



Second effort from Dinosaur Jr. and one of my favorite albums really. Sadly I always forget how much I like it, but as soon as Little Fury Things kicks in I'm instantly reminded. Go ahead and check out Sludgefeast while you're at it.













Upon it's release in 2007 this was their first album in 10 years. It also came out 20 years after You're Living All Over Me. Best part being? It's a fucking solid effort, especially for a bunch of 40 year old dudes. Examples to be had here, here and here.












PS, if you haven't already be sure to check out Witch in which J Mascis switches from his guitar/vocals gig in Dino Jr and does drums. Shit's also great.

(Mostly) Instrumental Nonesense.

Debut from Ólafur Arnalds. Eulogy For Evolution. Dude is from Iceland and drummed in some metal bands that I'm pretty sure are probably terrible. Anyway, he made this album and an EP released the following year and both are good. Sample time.












This of course is the aforementioned EP Variations Of Static. Same deal. Piano, loops and beats. Sample to be had here.














These next three I take no credit for (although I do appreciate them very much) and came to me by way of someone sweet.


Honestly don't know too much about Bosques besides that it comes from Spain and that I like this album a lot. Check this out, and this too while you're at it.














Post rock outta the UK. Anyway this is a 60 some odd minute long EP titled Enjoy Eternal Bliss (I guess it still qualifies as an EP due to only having 4 tracks) and it's good. Do it up.















2006 effort from Roberto Di Gioia's Marsmobil. Examples to be found here aaaaaand here.

Quite The Mix.

Classic shit, yo. Well maybe, either way blast from the past type shit. Megahit Runaway Train and a couple other gems, here's one.
















Solid fuckin' Spoon record and easily my favorite of theirs. I'm big on Everything Hits At Once as well as The Fitted Shirt and 10:20 AM.















Shouldn't really require an introduction or blurb of any kind, but this is the album dude put out three days prior to his death (on his 32nd birthday) that everyone pooped their collective pants over, and rightfully so. Rather than link the album in it's entirety I'll stick to...three tracks and call it a day. First up is Time: Donut Of The Heart, second is One For Ghost (with what might be the dumbest video I've seen attached to one of my favorite beats of all time), and last (but of course not least, duh) is Walkinonit. Bonus nod goes to Ghost for what he did with his beat, turning it into Whip You With A Strap on Fishscale.

Jawbreaker.

Good shit, but not my favorite. Up more for completions sake than anything. Example to be had right about here. This style of singing caught up to him and he had throat surgery prior to recording the next album.













Getting there. Highlights include their response to being called sell outs and a few others that there don't seem to be videos for.












Here we are. My favorite of their albums I do believe. This guy as well as this dude are two of my favorites as far as songs of theirs go. Yeah, I guess this one as well.