Phenomenal Video Saturday: Bon Iver does Okkervil River*

Don’t you just love when this happens? Back in, like, the dinosaur times (2008), Okkervil River released The Stand-Ins, and as a companion piece of sorts, had other bands cover the album’s songs. So they got Zykos for “On Tour with Zykos” and Ola Podrida for “Calling and Not Calling my Ex,” among others. Will Sheff even got in on the covering action (which is weird, because it’s his song, but whatever), performing “Lost Coastlines” as a duet with A.C. Newman. All those videos can be found on YouTube but THAT’S NOT WHY WE’RE HERE NOW IS IT.

This week’s video is Bon Iver’s take on “Blue Tulip,” the slowly building centerpiece of the album that Okkervil River is so good at making. The band re-purposes the song as only they can, with a calming early section with Justin Vernon’s unmistakable voice that turns into a rapidly-picked, two-part three-person vocal round. Where the original goes for bombast (and succeeds), the cover goes for haunting (and succeeds-er-er).

Okkervil River – “Blue Tulip” [MP3]

*Alternate title: Indie inspired by Indie!

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