The Volcano Choir = Bon Iver + Collections of Colonies of Bees

The origins of Unmap, the first collaboration between Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and Milwaukee band  Collections of Colonies of Bees, were recorded before For Emma, Forever Ago was mixed and mastered. Justin has credited The Volcano Choir collaborations with inspiring in him the creative courage to produce his much-beloved Bon Iver recordings.

Now more than three years in the making, Volcano Choir’s Unmap will be released on September 22nd on Jagjaguwar.  The first single, “Island, IS” is centrally constructed around the multi-layered loops and microsecond cuts by guitarist Chris Roseanu. Justin, responsible for all of Volcano Choir’s vocals, crafted consonant harmonies. Not initially concerned with lyrics, the words that came from the sounds were secondary, but ended up a tremendously meaningful stream-of-consciousness.

Justin’s admiration for Collections of Colonies of Bees came from listening to and learning from their experimental processes – throwing and painting with chords, tones and percussion.  The resulting collaboration is a genre-blurring musical expression that could not have come otherwise.

check out the first song “Island, IS”

Volcano Choir @ JagJaguwar

Volcano Choir myspace

Music: New Releases 1/20/09

A.C. Newman

Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavillion (Domino)

Antony and the Johnsons: The Crying Light (Secretly Canadian)

Bon Iver: Blood Bank EP (Jagjaguwar)

John Frusciante: The Empyrean (Adrenaline Music)

Jeremy Jay: “Love Everlasting” 12″ (K Records)

Music Go Music: “Warm in the Shadows” 12″ (Secretly Canadian)

A.C. Newman: Get Guilty (Matador)

Andrew Bird: Nobel Beast (Fat Possum)

Ben Nichols: The Last Pale Light in the West (The Rebel Group)

Will Sheff / Charles Bissell: Will Sheff Covers Charles Bissell / Charles Bissell Covers Will Sheff 7″ (Jagjaguwar)

Angelo Spencer Feat. l’Orchidee d’Hawaii: “My Music is My Sweat” 7″ (K Records)

Thom Yorke: The Eraser Rmxs (XL)

Bon Iver – Blood Bank Ep (Track by Track review)

from amazon.com

How will Bon Iver follow up his critically acclaimed debut “For Emma, Forever Ago”?

Do You Know How to Use RSS?

From time to time I like to post interesting things I’ve found out about from my RSS program RSSOwl.

Muzzle of Bees writes about a new Bon Iver Ep called Blood Bank via Jagjawwaur records on 1/20/09.  Track list of 4 songs on the Ep include Baby; Blood Bank; Beach Baby; Woods.

Gorilla Vs Bear talks about one of their favorite artists Marissa Nadler coming out with a new songs via her blog including the beautiful “So Long Thresa.”

You Ain’t No Picasso lets us know about a new song from Cotton Jones Basket Ride called “Gotta Cheer Up.”  I’ve become a bigger fan of Cotton Jones than Page France and can’t wait for their album Paranoid Cacoon to come out on Suicide Squeeze Records sometime next year.

5 Reviews 10/2/08

Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago – 7.5/10 – This is a good solid record.  I don’t get off to these guys like everyone else, but I am a fan.  This record is heavily built on the formula of slow rising creshendo and americana.  It’s good and I like it, but it’s nothing I have heard before.  Say this guy came out the same time as Iron and Wine then the gushing would be appropriate.

Mark Kozelek – 7 songs Belfast – 5/10 – Look MK is my boy and I know the economy is bad, but you gotta give me a break here.  I was sort of getting the tip he was just re-releasing stuff for the money.  I don’t know if it’s Mark or Caldo Verde.  The Ep just that, an Ep of live songs that we’ve all heard before.  Good song selection, but it’s not like Koz puts out many stinkers.  At least it was free with a purchase of any CD.

Ida – My Fair, My Dark Ep – 6/10 – Ida has a formula and a niche for their music.  If it’s not broke then don’t try to fix it.   Their formula isn’t broke by any stretch of the imagination as evidenced by these 7 songs.  Ida crafts beatifuly slow weaveing tunes.  They add a two covers and the drumming of Levon Helm from The Band for a few songs.  They still have Dan and Karla and that’s all you need.  This Ep is exactly what it was meant to be; an extension from their record, Lovers Prayers.

Bound Stems – The Logic of Building a Body Plan – 7.5/10 – The up-and-coming Chicago band that I hope you’ve heard of before now.  I’ve become an immediate fan of their off kilter pop style.  They’re a little rough around the edges, but in a good way.  Slightly darker pop with drunken wheezy vocals that gives them some spark and some spunk.  It’s another EP and it’s sort of a precursor to their full length, Appreciation Night.

Brian Wilson – That Lucky Old Sun – 3/10 – Yes.  Yes, I did buy this Brian Wilson record.  Yes.  Yes, it does suck.  Like most everyone else, I had read the reviews, both good and bad I might add.  But theirs no getting around it.  The album just straight sucks.  I like the song, “Good Kind of Love” but it could have been released in the 60 or 70’s and still been good.  The album is just overcooked and overdone with the California Days harmony pop.  Yeah we sort of knew what we were getting into here, but we didn’t expect it to be so forced and overdone.

Bon Iver and Conan O’Brien

BON IVER will take the stage​ at 30 & Rocke​felle​r on Late Night​ with Conan​ O’​Brien​ tonig​ht.
Don’​t miss your chanc​e to see what we are expec​ting will be anoth​er stell​ar perfo​rmanc​e from Justi​n,​ Mike,​ & Sean.

The show start​s at 12:​35p (ET) on NBC.