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Last year I discovered the music of Bon Iver. Since then I’ve stumbled on some more great music from Justin Vernon (Bon Iver’s front man) and some of his former bandmates. Here’s some recommendations:
- Deyarmond Edison’s Silent Signs– Deyarmond Edison was Justin Vernon’s band in North Carolina before he left and started Bon Iver. They’re sound is a a bit more traditional Americana than Bon Iver.
- Blood Bank – Bon Iver’s follow-up EP to their debut album, For Emma, Forever Ago. Some really good songs on here though it does play with a bit less cohesiveness as For Emma, Forever Ago.
- Unmap by Volcano Choir, a side-project of Justin Vernon. This one’s experimental ambient folk-ish—more instrumental than Bon Iver. I’ve been really digging this album for the last few weeks.
- Gather, Form & Fly by Megafaun. After Justin Vernon left Deyarmond Edison, several of his old band-mates started this band, Megafaun. I got to see them open for Bon Iver when they came to town and they put on a great show with some great music. They have a more traditional folk/Americana sound than Bon Iver but also have a bit of an experimental streak. I’m not sure if this experimental side comes out much on the albums (as I haven’t yet purchased any of them yet) but a lot of their live music devolves into some really intense experimental stuff using their traditional folk instruments and a minimal amount of digital processing.
Enjoy!