Song(s) of the Week

Justin Vernon recently took home Grammys for Best Alternative Album and Best New Artist for Bon Iver's masterful self-titled second album. Given Justin Vernon's homespun debut actually came out in 2008, the voters might want to pick that one up, too--it's pretty good. Check out a recent live session featuring Vernon and bandmate Sean Carey, reworking five songs: "Hinnom, TX," "Wash.," Bonnie Rait's "I Can't Make You Love Me," "Babys," and "Beth/Rest." With just their voices and two grand pianos, the spare performance is, not suprisingly, something beautiful.

(A Little Bit More Than) Five Things

(Phil Carney, Chris Connolly, and Mark Kozelek from Desertshore)

February has been unseasonably warm and bright. So The D Man is back from his January hibernation that primarily consisted of depositions and late-night reruns of House Hunters. 2012 is looking up! First, some Caldo Verde news. Second, some fairly recent videos you may have missed.

• On Desertshore's sophomore effort, Drawing of Threes, Phil Carney's and Chris Connolly's instumental excellence is enhanced by producer Mark Kozelek's lyrics and vocals on six of the album's tracks. Check out "Randy Quaid." Speaking of the red house painter, his fifth album as Sun Kil Moon, Among the Leaves, drops this May. It sounds like another indelible incarnation. In the meantime, you should listen to "Andrew and Emma" from the sad and graceful folk album Forever the Moon, Heirloom of August's debut on Kozelek's Caldo Verde label.
• Markarians strike again with a spare but killer groove.
• Youth Lagoon's July includes some seriously strange fireworks.
• St. Vincent has some giant problems.
• Ryan Adams does his fading out of L.A. thing.
• Loney Dear names some blues after his band.