Once in a while, we like to take some time to introduce you to bands -- both local otherwise -- that we think you'd enjoy. Le Diamont Brut aims to showcase those MySpace gems we hope to see shine. Recommend your local suggestions by emailing music@austinist.com.

BON IVER

What’s The Deal: Charming and intimate soulful folk songs lead by an acoustic guitar and the enchanting falsetto voice of Justin Vernon. For Emma, Forever Ago is Vernon’s debut album as Bon Iver, and it’s equally rustic and stirring. Vernon, previously of Mount Vernon and DeYarmond Edison, left his unhappiness behind in Raleigh and moved himself out to a cabin in Wisconsin. The purpose wasn’t to foster any Thoreau-inspired creativity. He just wanted to be isolated and had no intention of writing or recording an intensely personal minimalist folk album. But, being a musician and having some recording gear in the cabin, it was an eventuality. He couldn’t just spend his whole day chopping wood and growing a luxurious beard.

It wasn’t until he returned to civilization that he had other musicians add the occasional drum beat and horns. “For Emma” is one of the more stand-out tracks on the album with elegant bursts of trumpet and trombone and steady strumming over vulnerable vocals about a seemingly painful love. “Skinny Love” is a great track to emphasize the beauty of imperfection. Under production and the personal touches in the scratchy chorus mixing with gentle falsetto verse adds some invigorating personality.

Something Interesting: Vernon also produced and co-engineered The Rosebuds’ recent full-length, Night of The Furies.

Other Tracks Worth Checking Out: “Flume” and “Blindsided”

Bon Iver Official
Bon Iver MySpace

THE WAILING WALLS

What’s The Deal: A banjo pops and pangs in the background, a steel guitar wails and a country folk voice sings a chorus of “Give me drugs!” over top of the track “Gimme Drugs” over and over. How can you deny such a plea in Texas of all places? It’s damn near fool-proof. A moment later they’re waist-deep in a raspy chorus singing something about Jesus making a comeback in quirky indie rock fashion. Then, its on to thick keyboard melodies playing on everyone’s inner pop urges with a good ol' jaunty sing along. In short, The Wailing Walls from Austin/San Marcos are all over the place, but you’d have to be a corpse to not jump up, click your heels and shout to your neighbor, “It’s a beautiful day!” when you hear “Jimmy Dean.”

Something Interesting: The band hopes their latest release, Long Live the Infidel, will invoke “the not yet established genre of the un-preformed indie rock musical.”

Other Tracks Worth Checking Out: “HDM”

The Wailing Walls MySpace

Image of Bon Iver courtesy of MySpace
Image of The Wailing Walls courtesy of MySpace