Four Artists Similar To Bon Iver
Justin Vernon's spacey folk music project Bon Iver became a household name with its 2012 Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best Alternative Album.
To those outside of "the know" in indie music, it seemed to come from nowhere.
But no matter your introduction to the artist, if you were mesmerized by the music as I was you're probably on the search for other artists similar to Bon Iver.
Here are a few to get you started: Nick Drake Any soft-spoken, folk-based artist today has to trace his/her lineage back to Nick Drake ultimately.
The Englishman died unexpectedly at age 26 in 1974 after releasing three stunning albums, most notably his final record, the sparse Pink Moon, where his struggles with depression were painfully on display.
Hushed, poetic, dignified, Drake's music and legacy live on in a new generation of folksters and other artists similar to Bon Iver.
The National High Violet (2010), the most recent album from The National, is a landmark record for many.
Moments of rich darkness combined with sublime revelation make for an intense listening experience.
A lot of the rhythmic experimentation heard in BI's 2011 Bon Iver has much in common with The National's stuttering and surprising turns throughout High Violet.
Even the common use of saxophone on Bon Iver calls to mind the frequent clarinet appearances on High Violet.
Lyrically there is much to compare as well; sometimes mystifying, both artists experiment with language and syntax, rarely attempting to tell a story, opting instead to communicate feelings with words and sounds.
Alexi Murdoch While much simpler and sparser musically than Bon Iver, Alexi Murdoch evinces the hushed poetic beauty of Nick Drake.
You can also count on Murdoch for extended musical meditations similar to BI's "Re: Stacks" or "Blindsided," both from For Emma Forever Ago (2008).
You also get the sense he records his albums in a snowy cabin, as Vernon did with For Emma...
Iron & Wine Sam Beam's project also harkens back to the quiet simplicity of Nick Drake.
But, similar to Bon Iver, Iron & Wine doesn't draw the line at acoustic guitars and conventional song structures.
After four fairly traditional folk albums, Beam experimented with production styles and modern aural textures beginning with 2007's Shepherd King.
In fact, Sam Beam and Justin Vernon epitomize the current generation's spirit of melding organic folk music with electronic influences, and have had the most success in creating something both fresh and compelling.
To those outside of "the know" in indie music, it seemed to come from nowhere.
But no matter your introduction to the artist, if you were mesmerized by the music as I was you're probably on the search for other artists similar to Bon Iver.
Here are a few to get you started: Nick Drake Any soft-spoken, folk-based artist today has to trace his/her lineage back to Nick Drake ultimately.
The Englishman died unexpectedly at age 26 in 1974 after releasing three stunning albums, most notably his final record, the sparse Pink Moon, where his struggles with depression were painfully on display.
Hushed, poetic, dignified, Drake's music and legacy live on in a new generation of folksters and other artists similar to Bon Iver.
The National High Violet (2010), the most recent album from The National, is a landmark record for many.
Moments of rich darkness combined with sublime revelation make for an intense listening experience.
A lot of the rhythmic experimentation heard in BI's 2011 Bon Iver has much in common with The National's stuttering and surprising turns throughout High Violet.
Even the common use of saxophone on Bon Iver calls to mind the frequent clarinet appearances on High Violet.
Lyrically there is much to compare as well; sometimes mystifying, both artists experiment with language and syntax, rarely attempting to tell a story, opting instead to communicate feelings with words and sounds.
Alexi Murdoch While much simpler and sparser musically than Bon Iver, Alexi Murdoch evinces the hushed poetic beauty of Nick Drake.
You can also count on Murdoch for extended musical meditations similar to BI's "Re: Stacks" or "Blindsided," both from For Emma Forever Ago (2008).
You also get the sense he records his albums in a snowy cabin, as Vernon did with For Emma...
Iron & Wine Sam Beam's project also harkens back to the quiet simplicity of Nick Drake.
But, similar to Bon Iver, Iron & Wine doesn't draw the line at acoustic guitars and conventional song structures.
After four fairly traditional folk albums, Beam experimented with production styles and modern aural textures beginning with 2007's Shepherd King.
In fact, Sam Beam and Justin Vernon epitomize the current generation's spirit of melding organic folk music with electronic influences, and have had the most success in creating something both fresh and compelling.
