Justin Vernon has is an indie folk band named Bon Iver who has been around since 2007 and who I haven't heard of til last year. Apparently they have a huge folkie following and are finally getting some mainstream attention. Saturday Night Live being all cutting edge and forward thinking have booked this band as tonights musical interlude.
Its an odd thing, who is the booking agent for SNL? They're all over the place which is great- but there are some of the oddest bands this season. Diverse is fabulous but the popularity gage on this is what's getting me. As I look back over the guests SNL has featured I suppose its always been a mix up of everything, it just seems a little too strained this year. Grasping for cool, and really pushing the hipster card.
That's OK its exposed me to a load of new artists to despise. For this I am grateful. I am familiar with "Holocene" a squawky strained pain vocal pretty much shut me off, I think hes saying something but it sounds too church whine for me to give a crap.
Helen Bach wrote those words before falling asleep where she drooled on her pillow and made so much noise she drowned out Bon Iver… not by snoring, but just by breathing.
With his face covered by two microphones and a beard and a seven piece band, including four horns, muffling in the back ground, Justin looked awful -really, Justin, you have a cute girlfriend, lay off the Breakfast burritos, and between the lot of them they whispered into the night. Justin has a a very sweet falsetto, he is like Art Garfunkle with the soulful bottom. And while I never much cared for the song he chose to sing, the surprise, surprise, single from last year's album, "Holocene", I dislike it a lot less after watching it performed. If only because of the bloke playing the loneliest sounding trumpet known to man.
So do I wish I was drooling on my pillow with Helen? You betcha. But I think I'm gonna go see Bon Iver next time they play the city.
*yawn.. .good morning. First off I dont drool, I thrash and I suggest a co-editor prepare accordingly. I can turn a bed into a mosh pit. Speaking of breakfast burritos, what sort of heap of laundry is this Bon Iver crap. Mother of Jesus the pants.. what is in his pocket a marble? See this is the trouble with recording. I have the time to horrify myself with stop motion. I loved how every member of the band had their eyes closed at some point. I would too- hoping no one could see me if I couldn't see them.
This is music for campus life. What Iman failed to mention is there is a hero in this band. Fat Buckwheat. He shaked that shakey thing like a boss.
Once I realized that Bon Iver wasn't pronounce "Bahn EYEver", I realized they were nothing but pretentious assbags.
Here is a tip, if your face contorts that much to hit a note, chances are you shouldn't be aiming that high. If you require the entire neighborhood to accompany you as your band and you're not an orchestra- you're trying to hard.
Here it is in a nutshell. BONE EEvAIR..sucks.