We all knew that Bon Iver was a special project when singer/songwriter Justin Vernon, crafted his heart-torn 2007 debut album, For Emma, Forever Ago, in a cabin in Wisconsin’s wilderness. With that he captured all that cold, barren isolation and poured that sentiment into stripped down acoustic melodies and yearning falsettos that set chills up our spines as we listened along. What we may not have realized is that Bon Iver’s self-titled sophomore release set the stage for Vernon to return a new man, bold and brave and ready for a new venture of his creation. more ›

ACL Festival week just got even more interesting: on Tuesday, September 13, C3 has just announced that Wisconsin's Bon Iver will perform at the Long Center. While the venue isn't often used for rock concerts, those who have seen it employed for past shows such as Leonard Cohen or Sufjan Stevens can attest that it's a fantastic venue for nuanced listening. Fellow indie-folk singer Kathleen Edwards will open the show. Tickets are onsale from Friday at 10am via www.C3Concerts.com, www.longcenter.org, and the venue box office.

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It started out well enough. The overcast skies cooled Zilker Park's temperatures, and until about 3:30pm, it appeared that the rain was going to hang back and cut everyone a break. But the heavens opened, the ponchos were donned, and it became 'the day it rained at ACL.' Most people took it all in stride, but the windy rain soaked through raincoats, made beer less appealing, and likely thinned the crowds a bit later in the day. One troubling note is that the new lawn at Zilker looked to have really taken a beating by the end of the day - hopefully it is more resilient than it looks given all the time, effort, and money spent to upgrade the park over the past year. more ›

Let's spare ourselves too much talk of bands that have been around the block for a decade or more, and take a look at some bands we may still be talking about ten years from now. Some you may have heard, some you may have heard of, and some this weekend may provide the perfect opportunity to discover for the first time. Basically, if we had to come up with a list of two acts every day that you absolutely must check out, especially those that are still mired in those not-standing-room-only (and potentially right up-close) daytime slots, this could be the list. more ›

SXSW has announced the schedule of events for this year’s official showcases -- start here! Also, check out Greg Hewgill's site for (unofficial) Torrents featuring the various artists playing SXSW 2008 (as well as past years). more ›

This Canadian trio have made what might one of the most perfect records of 2008 with Come Into My House, and album inspired equally by Janet Jackson, Sufjan Stevens and Arthur Russell. Utilizing charmingly off-kilter vocal harmonies, thick bass lines and brash instrumentation (not to mention the bassoon solos, esoteric time signatures, and Cher-inspired warble-effect vocals), No Kids have crafted one of the most interesting albums we've heard in a long while. The band earned a grant from the Canadian government to work on the record, and brought in an additional 9 musicians to bring the cinematic landscapes they hear in their minds to life. Although tracks like "The Beaches are Closed" smack of '90s R&B (think Usher reminiscing about a girl who dressed sexy at a party, forcing him to sing to a rain-soaked window to his own reflection later that night), it doesn't at all stink of irony. Gorgeous strings layered over the crackling drum machine and the sweet harmonies sing praises to a genre often deemed joke-worthy, demonstrating the elegance inherent therein. "Bluster in the Air" employs a muted horn section ripped straight from a smoky jazz bar, "I Love the Weekend" is a love letter to Brazilian pop and jazz master Dom Um Romão, and "Neighbor's Party" kind of reminds us of Sufjan, but in the way that Sufjan reminds us of the Cure's unabashed pop musings, such as "Close to Me." There's really not enough time to fully describe what to expect out of this one, you'll have to try it for yourself. more ›

The list is here. more ›

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... more ›