Bon Iver’s “SABLE,” on Identity and Self-Forgiveness

It’s been five years since genre-defining, indie-folk band Bon Iver released i,i. To say I’ve been waiting for their next release would be an understatement. Bon Iver’s latest EP, SABLE,, captures a familiar, raw melancholy reminiscent of their 2007 breakthrough debut album, For Emma, Forever Ago. The essence of “cabin-folk” is palpable throughout both, not only in the sentimental lyrics but also in the raw emotion of the songs. If For Emma, Forever Ago was the beginning of Bon Iver’s journey, SABLE, embodies the lessons learned along the way.

Cornellians Flock to Syracuse for the Stick Season Tour

It isn’t often that big names in music make their way to upstate New York, so when folk-pop artist Noah Kahan announced that he was playing in Syracuse, just one hour north of Ithaca, Cornellians jumped at the chance to get tickets. The concert venue, St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater, held a crowd of 18,000 people, which Kahan noted was one of his largest crowds to date, and his show did not disappoint.  

PONTIN | The Wilderness Experience

In reality, however, folk music is distinct from the genres we are quick to fasten together with it. Folk music’s melodious musketeers are made dear to us by the nuances that slowly reveal themselves to us unacquainted listeners as we let ourselves become submerged in their sounds: The deep acoustic and percussive tones of Americana, the often frustrated sense of fire in country and the confluence of higher-pitched string instrumentals like the fiddle and the banjo in bluegrass.