Bon Iver

Don’t let their indie vibe fool you; Bon Iver knows how to rock out. The group was founded in Eau Claire, Wisconsin in 2007 by Justin Vernon, a singer-songwriter who teamed up with Sean Carey, Michael Noyce, Matthew McCaughan, and Colin Stetson among others. Their debut album For Emma, Forever Ago was released in July of 2007 independently and was well received on college radio stations and around the indie circuit. Critics praised the album and Pitchfork Media placed it as number 29 on the Top 200 Albums of the 2000s list. The hit track Skinny Love was featured on several top 10 lists and the group performed it on the Late Show with David Letterman in January of 2009. The appearance garnered a great deal of attention for Bon Iver, and they subsequently collaborated on the track “Lost in the World” with Kanye West. Their sophomore self-titled album came out in 2011 and was called the best album of the year by many different critics. In 2012, the group won the Best New Artist Award as well as the Best Alternative Music Album Award at the Grammy Award show and was nominated for Song of the Year and Record of the Year as well. As of 2013, he group is currently on an indefinite hiatus after several years of intensive touring around the world. The group has been a hit on the festival scene having performed at Lollapalooza, SXSW, Austin City Limits, Coachella, Way Out West, and Bonaroo among others. The group had an international tour that included several dates in Europe.