Sam Amidon

Watch Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, the National’s Dessners cover Sharon Van Etten’s “Love More”

MusicNOW is a music festival that is collaboration-focused held every year in Cincinnati, Ohio, founded by the National’s Bryce Dessner. It hold its 11th year March 18-20. The lineup has been announced today.

MusicNOW has shared a highlight from the festival’s history to accompany the announcement. Watch professionally-shot video of a 2010 performance of Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, Bryce and Aaron Dessner, Colin Stetson, and yMusic covering Sharon Van Etten’s “Love More” below. Fan footage has been around previously, and audio of the cover was on a MusicNOW compilation last year.

This year’s MusicNOW will show the world premiere of Bryce Dessner’s full orchestra version of his Aheym, and the U.S. premiere of his piece Réponse Lutoslawski, both being performed by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. The lineup will include Kronos Quartet, Punch Brothers, Sam Amidon, Julia Wolfe, Luluc, and more. You can check out the full details here.

The Melodic Tree’s Weekly Playlist

1. Eyes of the Muse – King Tuff

2. I Remember – Devandra Banhart

3. Depreston – Courtney Barnett

4. Turn Around – Mikal Cronin

5. Mr. Adams – White Fence

6. Goshen ’97 – Strand of Oaks

7. Mercury Dime – Death Vessel

8. I’ll Never Be Able to Love – Shamir

9. I Wish I Wish – Sam Amidon

10. Put You to Sleep – Dolorean

11. Eventually – Travel By Sea

12. The Place I Left Behind – The Deep Dark Woods

13. To Ohio – The Low Anthem

14. Darkness of the Dream – The Tallest Man on Earth

15. Ends of the Earth – Lord Huron

16. The Ballad of Mr. Steak – Kishi Bashi

17. This Head I Hold – Electric Guest

18. Ramona Reborn – Delicate Steve

19. Hillside Song – My Morning Jacket

20. The Mates of Soul – Taylor John Williams

The Melodic Tree’s Weekly Playlist

1. Song For Zulu – Phosphorescent

2. Way Go Lily – Sam Amidon

3. Leaving It Up To You – George Ezra

4. Ringing In My Ear – Adem

5. Hustle – Tunng

6. Pensacola – Manchester Orchestra

7. Chapter – Psapp

8. I Was A Cloud – Shearwater

9. Run Off the Road – Ola Podria

10. Volunteer – Megafaun

11. I Am Day Lights – Songs of Green Pheasant

12. September, Maybe – Sleeping States

13. Dreamer – Tiny Vipers

14. Hortur – Picastro

15. Fail For You – Luke Sital-Singh

16. Hometown – Andy Burrows

17. Home Again – Michael Kiwanuka

18. Unaware – Allen Stone

19. Bright Lights – Gary Clark Jr.

20. Goin’ Home – Dan Auerbach

Justin Vernon and the National announce initial lineup for festival

Justin Vernon and Aaron Dessner from the National are working towards starting the inaugural Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival a two-day music and arts festival set to take place in July at Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Vernon’s hometown.

Stereogum reports that the line-up is being revealed. Vernon and Dessner have sent letters to those who had ordered presage tickets, each announcing an individual artist as well as confirmed by the Eaux Claire’s Twitter. The lineup as of now includes Low, Melt-Banana, Phox, Boys Noize, Tallest Man on Earth, Sam Amidon, S. Carey and Field Report, Phil Cook, Poliça, Colin Stetson, and Doomtree. The full lineup will be announced here on February 11th.

Here’s the letter that was sent out to those who preordered:

We took a leap of faith. We didn’t know if anyone would leap with us. And then there you were.

Sight unseen, you’ve agreed to join us at the inaugural Eaux Claires Festival along the banks of the Chippewa River this July.

We hope you can feel our gratitude.

Eaux Claires is more than just music. It will be an experience including and celebrating art in a multitude of forms — from the paintbrush to the pen, from the plow to the plate, from local brews to local bootstrappers. Above all, we want to share this place — the Chippewa Valley that has been so good to so many of us.

To make this work, we need early leaders. You are among them. To show our appreciation for your support at the start, here’s a sneak peek at just one of the many artists from the lineup we’re assembling:

We encourage you to share your artists by tagging this information #eauxclaires and broadcasting it in any way you choose. In this way, three quarters of the lineup can be discovered before the full reveal.

We also invite you to join us at http://www.eauxclaires.com on February 11th when we officially announce our lineup along with other surprises.

Right now the Chippewa River slips dark and silent beneath the sheeted ice. come summer, the water will flow warm and slow. Along the banks the grass will grow, and the night will fill with music and light.

We’ll join you there.

Michael Perry, Eaux Claires Narrator

Justin Vernon, Eaux Claires Curator

The trailer for the festival can be found here.