Stereogum Home

 

August 11, 2009

New Volcano Choir (Bon Iver + Collections Of Colonies Of Bees) - "Island, IS"

thumbnail icon: New Volcano Choir (Bon Iver + Collections Of Colonies Of Bees) - "Island, IS"

For this new project with what he's called his "favorite band" -- fellow Wisconsites and Outsiders faves Collections Of Colonies Of Bees -- Justin Vernon does much to demystify and escape the loner-folkie backwoods aesthetic/mythology that's colored his Bon Iver material to date. (Occasional dip into auto-tune aside.) The project's called Volcano Choir, and certainly its first single "Island, IS" still pulses with a warm intimacy -- this is just what happens when Vernon vocalizes -- but here Justin's unmistakable falsetto is released from its plaintively strummed trappings, paired instead with a hypnotic little world of COCOB's loops, synths, percussion, aural ephemera. It's lovely, it should be downloaded:

Volcano Choir - "Island, IS" (MP3)

Volcano Choir's Unmap LP has its roots in collaborations from dating back to 2005 -- when Vernon's DeYarmond Edison first toured with Collections Of Colonies Of Bees' on Jon Mueller, Chris Rosenau, Jim Schoenecker, Daniel Spack, and Thomas Wincek -- but this will be their first official release. It's out 9/22 via Jagjaguwar. There are no shows planned, but there should be. Here's a tracklist for you to dream about:

01 "Husks And Shells"
02 "Seeplymouth"
03 "Island, IS"
04 "Dote"
05 "And Gather"
06 "Mbira In The Morass"
07 "Cool Knowledge"
08 "Still"
09 "Youlogy"

Posted at 2:06 PM by amrit in ,
Tags:  |  |




16 Comments

Hell YES! This is fucking great! 'been waiting for something from this to appear. Does not disappoint.

Posted by: Brett at 08/11/09 2:14 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Interesting song, very jovial beat

Posted by: cam w. profile link at 08/11/09 2:17 PM  | Reply
Score = 1 Vote up Vote down

Holy dumb fuck this is good.

Posted by: OmNomNomNom at 08/11/09 2:35 PM  | Reply
Score = 1 Vote up Vote down

liked his other stuff...this song's boring

Posted by: IndieBuff at 08/11/09 2:44 PM  | Reply
Score = -1 Vote up Vote down

i love this like the watermelon i ate last night, delicious!

Posted by: lover at 08/11/09 2:49 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Why does he sound like Chris Martin in this song?

Posted by: Whaaa? at 08/11/09 3:31 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

i agree!

Posted by: Logan profile link  in reply to Whaaa?'s comment at 08/11/09 4:02 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Yeah that ruins it for me

Posted by: Brett  in reply to Whaaa?'s comment at 08/11/09 6:32 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Loop-tastic. I'm digging this.

Posted by: Hipster Wife Hunting at 08/11/09 4:37 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

They must smoke good shit in Wisconsin...

Posted by: Jenny at 08/11/09 9:06 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

We do. And I know people that have with Justin. I'm from his hometown, Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The community here loves him. Some of the shows he's played here have been incredible, unifying experiences for the Eau Claire community and music scene. Justin Vernon is really passionate about this town, and many people in the scene have had some really great interactions with him.

Remember that highschool band he played with for that show in new york? The leading men there were a few of my closest friends. The amount of time he put in with them to play this show is incredible enough, but he made sure that it was the highschool musicians, not himself, that was center stage. He's a humble and brilliant guy as far as I've seen and heard. He's doing a lot for local music too.

Posted by: Anonymous  in reply to Jenny's comment at 08/12/09 4:07 AM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

For the record, a different "Brett" thinks that he sounds like Chris Martin on this jam. Not me.

Posted by: Brett at 08/11/09 9:11 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

But he does sound like Chris Martin.

Posted by: janet  in reply to Brett's comment at 08/11/09 10:55 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Blood Bank is one of the only releases I've given 10/10 to this year so I'm very excited about this.

Posted by: Nick at 08/12/09 12:47 AM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Not sure about this one. I think they all need to be locked in a cellar for years like that Fritzel women. Then they would come up with interesting stuff. 5/10

Posted by: monkey tattoist78 profile link at 08/12/09 10:04 AM  | Reply
Score = 1 Vote up Vote down

Wow, this is really exciting. They've been trying to describe it as fairly experimental and out-there, but this is pretty straight-up enjoyable. The loops and guitar lines are great. Can't wait to hear a full record of this.

Posted by: Umm profile link at 08/13/09 3:50 PM  | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Leave a comment


Staff

  • Founder/Editor-In-Chief: Scott Lapatine
  • Executive Editor: Amrit Singh
  • Senior Writer: Brandon Stosuy

Info

Contact

Get Flash to see our mp3 player. Here are our mp3s: Jonathan Boulet - A Community Service Announcement (The Album Leaf Remix) (»)
El Guincho - Antillas (XXXchange remix) (»)
El Guincho - Antillas (»)
Wolf People - October Fires (»)
Fan Death - Cannibal (»)
Fan Death - Reunited (CCENTURIESS Remix) (»)
Chll Pll - Dick Moves (»)
Chll Pll - Pass Out (»)
Beck - Harry Partch (»)
Tim Cohen - Haunted Hymns (»)
Tim Cohen - Take Aim Goliath (»)
Ducktails - Sandglider (»)
tUnE-YaRdS - Hatari (Drunkenmonkey Remix) (»)
tUnE-YaRdS - Hatari (Karn Remix) (»)
Beach House - Norway (»)
The Golden Filter - Thunderbird (»)
Crystal Antlers - It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (Bob Dylan Cover) (»)
CFCF - How Bizarre (OMC Cover) (»)
The Acorn - Strange Animal (Gowan Cover) (»)
Black Tambourine - Black Car (»)
Boyracer - Sunshine And Violence (»)
Henry's Dress - 1620 (»)
Honeybunch - Mine Your Own Business (»)
Lilys - Claire Hates Me (»)
Lilys - February Fourteenth (»)
Lorelei - Today's Shrug (»)
Sleepyhead - Different Colored Letters (»)
Small Factory - Merry-Go-Round (»)
Swirlies - Sarah Sitting (»)
The Ropers - Waiting (»)
Velocity Girl - My Forgotten Favorite (»)
Monsters Of Folk - Say Please (»)
Rain Machine - Give Blood (»)
Wetdog - Tidy Up Your Bedroom (»)
Beck - Little Hands (Feat. Feist, Wilco And Jamie Lidell) (»)
Brendan Benson - Feel Like Taking You Home (»)
Yeasayer - Ambling Alp (Memory Tapes Remix) (»)
Solange - Stillness Is The Move (Dirty Projectors Cover) (»)
Pearl Harbor - California Shakedown (»)
LoneLady - Immaterial (»)
Andrew Cedermark - Hard Livin' (»)
Family Portrait - Super Cool (»)
The Soft Pack - Answer To Yourself (»)
Bear In Heaven - Dust Cloud (»)
Bear In Heaven - Lovesick Teenagers (»)
Atlas Sound - Doctor (Five Discs Cover) (»)
Atlas Sound - The Screens (»)
Cloud Nothings - Hey Cool Kid (»)
The Mary Onettes - Dare (»)
The Mary Onettes - Puzzles (»)
Digital Leather - Photo Lie (»)
Memory Tapes - Easy Pert Mom (»)
Memory Tapes - Graphics (Sci-Fi Edit) (»)

Progress Report logo
Commercial Appeal logo
Premature Evaluation logo
Band to Watch logo
Quit Your Day Job logo
The Outsiders logo
The 'Gum Drop logo