Stream Bon Iver's Blood Bank EP

January 8, 2009

Stream Bon Iver's Blood Bank EP • We heard the title track to Justin Vernon's four-track, victory-lapping extended player some weeks ago, now the whole set's up for streaming at MySpace. Featuring piano, falsetto, and a healthy dose of autotune. It's out 1/20 via Jagjaguwar.

Posted at 12:16 PM
Tags: Bon Iver

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25 Comments

I love love love this EP. Between this and Merriweather, 2009 is off to a really exciting start.

The title track stays on repeat.

Posted by: EmanuelV

at 01/08/09 12:32 PM | Reply
Score = 3

This EP is amazing....well, except for the last song. Goodness, I can't stand it.

But the genius of Blood Bank more than makes up for it!

Posted by: Evan at 01/08/09 12:36 PM | Reply
Score = 1

"Babys" is a real tear-jerker live.

Posted by: B at 01/08/09 12:55 PM | Reply
Score = 0

does it come with a free head lice comb?

Posted by: root at 01/08/09 1:08 PM | Reply
Score = 4

woods is absolutely stunning. i'd love to see how he would execute it live. probably a loop pedal of sorts or a small lovely choir kinda like lovin's for fools. basically, bon iver is perfection.

Posted by: jfk at 01/08/09 1:13 PM | Reply
Score = 1

Love the guitar work on Blood Bank - dissonance and falsettos never gets old.

Posted by: Cousin Chris at 01/08/09 1:40 PM | Reply
Score = 0

Do I hear a little autotune on "Woods"?

Posted by: perty good at 01/08/09 1:51 PM | Reply
Score = 0

Yeah, "Woods" is a mess. Like T-Pain attempting heartfelt a cappella folk. Dig the rest of it, though.

Posted by: tmushett

at 01/08/09 1:57 PM | Reply
Score = 1

I personally can't stand the autotune. People are going to say "He is expanding his horizons!" or "trying not to trap himself in his old cabin-story sound" but this seems unnecessary and somewhat antithetical to what his music seems to be. It seemed very organic and with autotune added, it almost feels like a fake song made for irony. I like the song itself but think of it fully realized without autotune. If he had brought on a choir or something, it would have been absolutely majestic versus getting very mixed responses.

Posted by: william in reply to tmushett's comment at 01/08/09 2:21 PM | Reply
Score = -1

There was auto tune on For Emma, Forever Ago.

Posted by: EmanuelV

in reply to william's comment at 01/08/09 5:28 PM | Reply
Score = 3

I realize this. However, there is a difference in the auto tune on for emma, where it can be heard in places and this T-Pain type use where it is essentially its own instrument. My point isn't really the auto tune, although for me personally it is a huge turnoff - especially when Justin Vernon's voice is so good - but more that here it is used in bad taste, and that the song would be better if they had tried to get a similar vibe using harmonies or a chorus.

Posted by: william in reply to EmanuelV's comment at 01/08/09 5:53 PM | Reply
Score = -2

I have listened more. Still don't like the auto tune...but I really like this EP as a whole. Where is hazelton? I thought that was gonna be on here. It's better than any of these songs.

Posted by: william in reply to william's comment at 01/08/09 8:51 PM | Reply
Score = -1

I mean, I guess it's just preference. As a pretty large T-Pain fan, I have no problem with auto-tune. I think it is an interesting texture, I don't get "gimmick" or anything like that out of it, especially when the people using it have shown that they're certainly capable of performing without it. It's just an aesthetic choice, and I guess that's a battle that will never end.

Posted by: EmanuelV

in reply to william's comment at 01/08/09 9:26 PM | Reply
Score = 3

Thought I saw on a setlist that he did Woods at one of the Town Hall shows. Yes/No? Can anyone report on what he/the band did? The two people I know who've heard this LOVE Woods but me, not so much.

Posted by: Foster at 01/08/09 2:05 PM | Reply
Score = 0

woods opened the first town hall show. started by himself and then the other band members came in singing the harmonies. iirc e-bow guitar noises entered in the middle and got louder during the song. no autotune. different than the ep version (which i LOVE), but still chilling.

Posted by: sellout in reply to Foster's comment at 01/10/09 12:33 AM | Reply
Score = 0

Am I the only one to think, "Um, no you didn't" at the very first lyric? Everything in Blood Bank might be something that actually happened exactly as described but it's not the least bit believable. And yeah, Woods. Haha. I like when he goes all Mariah at the end.

Posted by: Paul at 01/08/09 2:21 PM | Reply
Score = -4

anybody ready to throw out "best EP of 2009" just for shit's sake?

Posted by: kurt at 01/08/09 4:08 PM | Reply
Score = 1

Let's take one for the team...

"BEST. EP. OF. 2009.
OH. EM. GEE."

...look about right?

Posted by: Lucretius in reply to kurt's comment at 01/08/09 4:22 PM | Reply
Score = 5

That said, I really love the EP. Gorgeous as always, thanks Mr. Vernon!

Posted by: Lucretius in reply to kurt's comment at 01/08/09 4:26 PM | Reply
Score = 3

"Woods" reminds me pleasantly of Imogen Heap. That's how you make auto-tune shine.

Posted by: Jackattack at 01/08/09 4:20 PM | Reply
Score = 1

It's absolutely a response/homage to Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek," right down to the jarring falsetto harmonies near the end. (Not as affecting or well-executed as her song, either, IMHO, but I dig what he's going for.) She used a DigiTech harmonizer, though -- I suspect there's some of that going on here as well.

Posted by: kenskids in reply to Jackattack's comment at 01/22/09 9:24 PM | Reply
Score = 0

"Woods" just gave me chills like 37 times. And "Babys" sounds like Mr. Vernon's been listening to a lot of Steve Reich, which is always a good thing. This EP sounds like the work of a guy who knows his strengths and knows how to tweak them just enough to keep things interesting.

Posted by: vlad at 01/08/09 4:41 PM | Reply
Score = 1

I allready said it but this is a fantastic EP and Woods is what I like about auto tune. It makes the song... I don't know, so diferent... I trust Vernon and I follow his choices, even when he chooses to sound like Hide and seek by Imogen Heap!!!

Posted by: Frédéric at 01/08/09 6:02 PM | Reply
Score = 1

Yeah, "Woods" is Bon Iver's version of Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek"... except Imogen made it sound good (or, at the very least, much better).

Posted by: Micah at 01/09/09 12:58 AM | Reply
Score = 0

"Woods" is no longer on myspace. Thank God.

Posted by: Jeff at 01/12/09 2:16 PM | Reply
Score = 0