Weekly Study Playlist from katzak on 8tracks Radio.

- Katrina Zheleznyak, cohost of The Omnichord’s Dilemma, Sunday mornings 8-9am

Weekly study playlist from katzak on 8tracks Radio.

Alright, I know this seems like a cop out. You may already be asking yourself, “Wait, didn’t this band break up in 2006?”. The answer to that question, my friends, would be yes, they did.  These musicians created songs of simple beauty that are often overlooked due to the later successes of each individual artist. This is why I am taking the time to give public appreciation to an unsigned band of the past, a ghost in our musical memories that deserves more than a lingering itch of what could have been. 

DeYarmond Edison, a band comprised of Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver), Christopher Porterfield (of Field Report), and three other Wisconsin natives that went on to form the band Megafaun, represents the beginning of many great things.

I wouldn’t say that all good things must always come to an end, but when they do, we have to try and remember what made them so good in the first place. While DeYarmond Edison may be overshadowed by Bon Iver’s beautiful, heart-wrenching albums and Field Report’s lonesome melodies, there is something incredibly raw about both the sound and lyrics of this band. “And I hold you in my mind/As you sit right next to me/On this dusty road so kind”. We all know that Vernon has a gift for sad songs, but listening to this reminds us that everybody starts somewhere, and no matter how simple this beginning may sound, you can hear the emotion in his words that led him to the fame he has achieved today.

What intrigues me most about DeYarmond Edison is what they represent. They are unsigned, they never really “made it”. They are that first band that didn’t work out, yet they still produced fantastic music that will continue to last, despite the different paths chosen by each of the involved musicians. This is a musical compilation of great beginnings that will forever be held as such, and it is worth every listen.

One great song: 

What they’re doing now: Bon Iver : Field Report  : Megafaun

~Mary Ellen Funke, host of Folk Yeah!, Mondays at 10am

If Arcade Fire, Bon Iver, Devandra Banhart, and Lavender Diamond came together to create a musical baby (album), out would come the Bowerbirds’ third album, The Clearing. The trio’s latest album packs a much greater punch than their first two in terms of instrumentation and lyrical quality. The Clearing, however, sounds much more like an album produced by an indie-rock band rather than a freaky-folk band, like Bowerbirds.

Born out a rustic cabin in the woods of North Carolina, Bowerbirds lyrics are full of references to nature and life. Not surprisingly, while most bands would avoid the issue of death and mortality, leave it to Bowerbirds, the hippie, nature-loving band to discuss it in their latest album. Bowerbirds’s opening track, “Tuck the Darkness In,” which deals with mortality, is seemingly inspired by Sufjan Stevens due to its similar use of instruments (piano, violin, etc) and slow melody. In it, Phil Moore, one of the band’s two vocalists sings, “Oh, my dear friend, everything falls to death.” Luckily, the entire album is not as sad (emphasis on the as) as the trio’s first song. “This Year,” instantly reminds one of Bon Iver’s “Perth,” which isn’t surprising as the band recorded its album in Bon Iver’s Wisconsin retreat and studio. On “In the Yard,” we get the chance to hear Bowerbirds’ other vocalist, Beth Tacular, who sings about nature and how it can mend many of life’s problems by serving as an escape.

Even with all of its sad lyrics, The Clearing, throws its listeners a bone by adding some very powerful lines in its closing song “Now We Hurry On.” In it, the trio admits that life is complicated and has unexpected turns, but the small things are sometimes worth looking at.

“You are not alone…what we see under the sun is what we get…we used to see the forest, now we see the trees…”

Though The Clearing includes powerful, moving lyrics, the album failed to catch my attention as “amazing,” or definitely worth actively listening to again.

-Umar Khan, Host of Coupon Smell, Thursday Nights/Friday Mornings from 1-2 AM

And it’s coming up in just a few days!

The concert, sponsored by the Georgetown Entertainment and Media Alliance, is not only a great representation of musical ability and a rocking good time, but is a great networking opportunity for any WGTB DJs (or fans!) interested in a career in media or entertainment.

The show will feature a variety of songs written by alums and students as well as covers, including a really fantastic cover of Bon Iver’s “Holocene”. WGTB’s own Tate Tucker will be performing as well.

Check out the list of performers and this year’s trailer below, and get your tickets before they sell out!

Buy tickets here (only $10 for students)

RSVP on Facebook

Join GEMA (a good idea if you haven’t yet – membership is free!)

GEMA Rocks 2012 will feature performances by:

Mike Zakarin (C ’05, MBA ’13) of the band The Bravery; Michael Pearsall (B ’06) and Evan Field (I ’98) of the band Honor by August; Marcel Arsenault (C ’07); Rochelle Ballard (B ’05); Rich Battista (B ’86); Emilie Bogrand (C ’07); Aaron Broadus (faculty); Greg Capone (B ’06); Bill Danoff (I ’68); Yean Do (student); Anatole Doak (student);Walter Egan (C ’70); Greta Gaines (C ’89); Kiran Gandhi (C ’11); David Hendrickson (B ’07); Gary Kearns (F ’79); Kimon Kirk (C ’00); Lance Langston (F ’82); Chris Murphy (F ’07); Eric Rigaud (C ’90); Brittany Sonnichsen (C ’08); Patrick Sullivan (B ’07); Teddy Svoronos (F ’08); Kirsten Thien (B ’93); Richard Trent (F ’10); Tate Tucker (student); John Zambetti (C ’70); Johnny Zambetti (B ’09); Teddy Zambetti (C ’80)

SPECIAL VIDEO APPEARANCES BY:

Stand-up comedian Mike Birbiglia (C ’00)

Actor and comedian Nick Kroll (C ’01) of FX’s The League

SNL writer and stand-up comedian John Mulaney (C ’04)

Make sure to get your tickets today! We’ll see you there.

Let me be clear that I thought For Emma, Forever Ago was a very good record. It was richly textured, and since we know Vernon put it together almost entirely by himself, this tipped us off to the sophistication of his mixing abilities. Combine that with soothing melodies and an adept use of rests and empty spaces, we were left with an album that was gentle, spacious, and often times genuinely sweet.

Fast forward to June and I’m about halfway through Bon Iver when it hits me. This album is obnoxiously overrated. How the hell did this happen? First off, a marketing campaign that included headlining Stephfest Colbchella on June 21 (Colbert Bump!), led to an undeserved amount of exposure. By the time the album dropped, everyone’s expectations were high enough and Vernon delivered well enough that people bought into all the positive reviews. “Pitchfork gave it a 9.5? It must be good.”

And look, I can see why so many people like the album. Much like Emma, its songs evoke a mood exceptionally well. The album paints a richly nostalgic tone, which feels somehow melancholy and optimistic at the same time. The problem is, Vernon’s brushstrokes are all over the album. Emma tiptoed the line between inspired, artful mixing and overproduction. Bands often fill out their sounds over time, so it’s no surprise that Vernon was tempted to mess around with some new techniques and instrumentation, but there was scarcely any room in Vernon’s sound for more complexity. Much like a Spielberg film, Bon Iver succeeds in moving the audience, but only by solicitation, relying on forced, emotionally insincere overproduction. Again, the album is close to being good. A tweak here and some generous editing there would do wonders. But don’t take my word for it, let’s take a closer look.

The album opens with a beautiful guitar line which transitions seamlessly into the vocal melody, but the track is tainted by the rolling snare drum that just won’t quit. The song hits a powerful crescendo before gliding effortlessly into “Minnesota, WI.” Things calm down, and the strumming at the 1:20 mark is a nice touch, but by 2:10 we’re back to a heavy, intrusive pairing of drums and electric guitar. Then on “Holocene” the trilling snare returns, cluttering with horns and and uninspired percussion what would be one of the prettiest tracks. These little details are what make tracks like this one cluttered and melodramatic instead of textured and sincere. The same goes for “Towers,” which suffers from the ambient saxophone and twanging strings that remind me all too much of Mike Mogis’ production and the decline of Bright Eyes.

“Michicant” is my favorite track, the one spot when the glitzy production pays off, building a unique sound easily identifiable as Bon Iver’s own. Yet, what follows is “Hinnom, TX,” the album’s lowest point and the first moment I begin to think “Coldplay.” The echoing piano and vocals combined with the single quivering guitar note every few measures reminds me way too much of X&Y. I get the feeling that the notes are being held longer simply for dramatic effect, not to mention the unnecessary amounts of falsetto. After this, the rest of the album rounds out the Coldplay atmosphere, ending with “Beth/Rest,” a junky, synthy ballad, and a far cry from anything that ever made a Bon Iver track good.

After listening, I’m left with two main thoughts on the orchestration. First, on an album like this, the percussion is crucial, and Vernon makes all the wrong decisions. Second, the saxophone needs to go. Saxophonist Colin Stetson’s a terrific musician, but there is no place for him on this album. Indie artists like Iron & Wine and now Bon Iver need to stop giving him freedom to experiment on their albums.

Despite what it might seem, I do not hate this album. It flows smoothly, Vernon’s harmonies are beautiful, and it builds well at key moments. That said, compared to For Emma, Forever Ago, it sucks pretty hard. After being dragged along for forty minutes, I’m ready to listen to Creature Fear or re:Stacks, anything to remind me why I ever liked Bon Iver in the first place.

– Adam Greenberg