überlin

Tag: Bon Iver

  • Music Montag: Bon Iver

    by

    James Glazebrook
    Category:

    Bon Iver
    Tomorrow, Bon Iver play Berlin.

    I’ve loved Bon Iver ever since Justin Vernon holed up in a cabin in remote Wisconsin to record the breakup of a relationship and his band, and came in from the cold clutching For Emma, Forever Ago. A lot has happened since then for the non-folkie’s favourite folk act, not least the release of the eponymous follow-up earlier this year. Bon Iver was both praised and derided for sounding like Peter Gabriel, which came as no surprise to anyone who picked up the split single on which Gabriel and Bon Iver covered each other’s tracks, back in 2010.

    So here is: one of my favourite artists covering (probably) my all-time favourite artist. Click here to listen to Bon Iver cover “Come Talk to Me” on simfy.

    For the completists among you, Stereogum have curated this collection of covers performed  by Bon Iver, including songs originally by Bob Dylan, Björk…and Dolly Parton! Wonder what they have in store for us tomorrow night?

    4 Responses to “Music Montag: Bon Iver”

    1. For Emma, Forever Ago « Ldn. says:
      March 23, 2012 at 3:44 pm

      […] you soon-ish. (Sorry, got wordy & kerning ain’t right.) Photo of Justin Vernon from uberlin. Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeOne blogger likes this post. ← Previous post […]

      Reply

    2. Bon Iver at AIR Studios. « drove.my.chevy.to.my.levi says:
      February 17, 2012 at 10:31 pm

      […] /picture source. Like this:LikeBe the first to like this post. AIR StudiosBon IverJustin VernonSean Carey ← Previous post […]

      Reply

    3. Music Montag: Alaska in Winter : uberlin says:
      November 21, 2011 at 8:25 am

      […] you’ve read anything I’ve ever written about Bon Iver, you’ll know I’m a big fan of people holing up in cabins to make heart-rending music. That’s how this project from […]

      Reply

    4. Adam says:
      October 31, 2011 at 11:49 am

      Ack! I’m so jealous you’re seeing Bon Iver…. Enjoy it!

      Reply

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  • Up in the air

    by

    James Glazebrook
    Category:

    “Leave behind old attachments”

    “Let’s Go”

    The electronic billboards at Heathrow seem scripted. Trite little visual devices to underline our motivation.

    Looking up at the glass ceiling, I see myself reflected back against the black sky, surrounded by half of my worldly possessions: two suitcases, one wife.

    This feels like looking at a screen, like watching a twee indie flick in which our protagonists go on a journey that somehow serves as metaphor for their new life together. In my head, Bon Iver scores the scene.

    On the plane, my wife remarks that she can’t look directly at the sun, as if all that is out there in front of us is too bright for her to visualise. I have no such problem, staring straight ahead until blankness fills my eyes. When I look away tiny trails of light remain, little paths back to my past.

    Outside, everything seems otherworldly. The rolling fog looks like the surface of the sea, the sun peeking out from a hot pink horizon. Half an hour later, crisp white light cuts across a cloudscape that resembles snowdrifts on a glacier.

    I believe that we are doing this in the same way you believe in the plot of a film for 90 minutes or so, only to pick it apart afterwards. We are immersed in this experience, but it’s hard to convince ourselves that this is our life, and that it will last indefinitely.

    Seatbacks upright – we are now beginning our descent into Berlin.

    View from our airplane window

    This post has been entered into the Grantourismo HomeAway Holiday-Rentals travel blogging competition.

    11 Responses to “Up in the air”

    1. The Guardian interviews überlin : uberlin says:
      October 14, 2012 at 10:24 am

      […] started überlin to record our move from London to Berlin – in fact, I wrote our first post on the flight over! But what began as an online diary about two expats’ exploration of a new […]

      Reply

    2. James and Zoë – überlin: “Berlin has slightly ruined us for other cities” | portraitzentrale says:
      May 25, 2012 at 7:19 am

      […] und James Ankunft in Berlin Im November 2010 ist nachlesbar im ersten Blog-Eintrag “Up in the air“. Fünf, sechs Mal waren sie vorher da, immer im Winter, zum Beispiel zur Modemesse Bread […]

      Reply

    3. Überlin, R.E.M. and Us : uberlin says:
      March 9, 2011 at 7:31 pm

      […] you.” Looking back, our move out here four months ago – which seemed so overwhelming at the time – was as simple as changing tracks, switching direction. But it may have saved […]

      Reply

    4. lara dunston says:
      February 15, 2011 at 5:10 am

      Thanks so much for entering our contest, James! Apologies for not saying so earlier – I did get here to take a read, along with the other judges, but it’s been a frantic month being our last weeks of our Grantourismo trip, so I think I forgot to leave a message.

      The entries were all so good this month, so thanks for contributing such a high quality post. At last – at long last – we’ve announced the winners of our January HomeAway Holiday-Rentals Grantourismo Travel Blogging competition. Details here: https://bit.ly/hYq2VB

      Thanks again for your entry. We’re announcing the February contest details a bit later today – the final contest is going to be a very easy one! Please spread the word :)

      Reply

      • James says:
        February 15, 2011 at 7:01 am

        No worries Lara, I’m not sore for losing out to any of those entries! Impressive.
        I’ll keep my peeps out for the Feb contest!

        Reply

    5. Emma says:
      January 30, 2011 at 6:35 pm

      Its that detail of the Bon Iver score that got me. I think you’ve nailed the way that big life changes can feel like you’re watching a film. I look forward to absorbing more of your blog

      Reply

      • James says:
        January 30, 2011 at 7:14 pm

        Thanks Emma – I had to cut some words to make the post eligible for entry in the competition, but I was determined not to lose that bit. Hope you enjoy the rest of Überlin, and I’ll check out your blog too. Cheers!

        Reply

    6. Anon says:
      January 30, 2011 at 2:00 pm

      Mega writing skills

      Reply

      • James says:
        January 30, 2011 at 2:05 pm

        Ditto. Can’t believe I haven’t seen your blog before! Keep fighting the good fight – and writing the good write?

        Reply

    7. James says:
      December 15, 2010 at 8:14 am

      Thanks Eck! I’m trying… just ask Zoe!

      Reply

    8. Eric Noble says:
      December 15, 2010 at 12:25 am

      aw james this is amazing stuff ..you are a true 21century poet!!!

      Reply

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