Bon Iver is an acquired taste for a more refined palette.

And for those of you that are still with me after that outrageous statement of pompous indifference- I will try to defend my non-hipster ass.

Note: Hipsters will not take me in and I don’t want to grow the approved fancy facial hair or lease a mini cooper right at this moment-plus I am just too frigging old anyway.

Bon Iver is more like Guinness due to the fact that once you get over that whole “wow, that stuff is so black and thick-it’s not like beer -how can you drink that crap?” phase and just down a few with a little conviction and determination. You find out that it is not that bad after all at first and then you find out in quick succession that it is in fact the best brew on the face of this earth—–and maybe even beyond; I mean when they finally find evidence of life on other planets and look at what they drink for beer…I have a hard time believing that anything in the milky way galaxy will beat this taste. It is sublime and it is all the tragedy and joy of life in a glass (at least if you get it poured right!).

Your palette becomes different not because you are of better stock than the huddled masses around you- your palette becomes different because you make the effort to give new things a chance and not instantly judge them as garbage.

This leads to an enjoyment of new things- this leads to experiencing art in a way that is like fireworks firing off in your brain.

Back to Bon Iver

Once you get over the whole “wow, sounds like a wimpy coyote howling on a cold Wisconsin night” kind of thing and let yourself flow with it. The dude can get right down into the subconscious of fear and love stored up in your brain -give it a gentle scratch and make you feel alive. The words are unspecific enough that it works on you like great abstract art because you get the emotion from the form and composition but don’t understand why you get it. (For those of you that don’t like abstract art-I suggest that you read my paragraph above about experiencing new things and drink a few Guinness before heading back to the museum).

All I mean to say:

Refinement is not about thinking you are better – it is about pushing through that wall of unknown to get to new enjoyment and appreciation.

And:

Thinking you are better than others because they don’t like the same beer (or premium vodka) or music that you like makes you not a hipster but just a prick- Ok…maybe it is the same thing?

Here is Bon Iver and hope you give yourself a chance to enjoy it-because once you really get it- it is something special.

And finally-hearing the Birdy version of this song inspired this post. I admit I don’t love this version or this artist now-but I will give it a chance and let it change my mind.

And Cheers from the Cave!