Blood Bank (EP)

Summary

Blood Bank is a 2009 EP by Bon Iver. It was released on January 20, 2009,[8] and features four tracks, three of them recorded for the release. The EP is a follow-up to the band's award-winning debut album For Emma, Forever Ago, self-released in 2007 by Bon Iver frontman and founder Justin Vernon, and re-released in 2008.

Blood Bank
EP by
ReleasedJanuary 20, 2009
RecordedDecember 2006 – June 2008
Studio
GenreIndie folk
Length16:54
LabelJagjaguwar
ProducerJustin Vernon
Bon Iver chronology
For Emma, Forever Ago
(2007)
Blood Bank
(2009)
Bon Iver
(2011)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AbsolutePunk91% [1]
AllMusic [2]
The A.V. ClubB+ [3]
Drowned in Sound8/10[4]
The Observer(favorable) [5]
Paste85% [6]
Pitchfork7.9/10[7]

Information edit

The title track was written with the previous album but didn't "feel right" and was not released.

"Woods" was sampled in Kanye West's single "Lost in the World" from his 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and re-recorded as "Still" by Justin Vernon's side-project, Volcano Choir, for their debut album Unmap. It was featured in a Series 3 episode of Skins.

Jagjaguwar has said the following about the content of the EP:

As much as Emma is about the cold, the Blood Bank collection is about the warmth that gets you through it. You can feel the air move. Like a fire you've been stoking for hours and finally got to sustain itself, the heat blisters your face while your back is frozen solid.

The EP entered the Billboard 200 at No. 16 with 23,000 copies sold. 79 percent of the sales were digital.[9] As of October 2009 it has sold 89,000 copies in United States according to Nielsen SoundScan.[10]

A reissue of the EP with both the original songs and their live versions was released on March 27, 2020.[11]

Track listing edit

All tracks are written by Justin Vernon

No.TitleLength
1."Blood Bank"4:45
2."Beach Baby"2:40
3."Babys"4:44
4."Woods"4:45
Total length:16:54
Tenth anniversary reissue
No.TitleLength
5."Blood Bank (Live from Ericsson Globe, Stockholm SE, Oct 31 2018)"5:45
6."Beach Baby (Live from The Bomb Factory, Dallas TX, Jan 23 2018)"3:04
7."Babys (Live from Eventim Apollo Hammersmith, London UK, Mar 4 2018)"6:21
8."Woods (Live from Pitchfork Paris Presented by La Blogothèque, Nov 3 2018)"3:27

Personnel edit

Bon Iver

Additional personnel

  • Mark Paulson — nylon guitar (track 3), recording
  • Lauren Hudgins — front cover photo
  • Ashley Farland — back and inside photos

Charts edit

Charts (2009) Peak
position[12]
Australia (ARIA Hitseekers)[13] 8
Irish Singles Chart 24
UK Singles Chart 37
UK Indie Chart 1
U.S. Billboard 200 16

Certifications edit

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[14]
"Blood Bank"
Silver 200,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Cover versions edit

The Tallest Man on Earth recorded a version of "Blood Bank" for his 2022 album of covers, Too Late for Edelweiss.[15]

Architects (UK band) recorded a version of “Blood Bank” for their 2013 deluxe edition release of their album Daybreaker.[16]

References edit

  1. ^ Parno, Travis. "Review: Blood Bank EP". Retrieved 16 June 2011.
  2. ^ Sendra, Tim. Blood Bank at AllMusic. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
  3. ^ Martins, Chris (20 January 2009). "Review: Blood Bank EP". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
  4. ^ Tudor, Alexander. "Review: Blood Bank EP". Archived from the original on 10 November 2019. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
  5. ^ Warren, Emma (18 January 2009). "Review: Blood Bank EP". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
  6. ^ Enstad, Chris. "Bon Iver: Blood Bank EP :: Music :: Reviews :: Paste". Pastemagazine.com. Retrieved 2012-01-16.
  7. ^ Petrusich, Amanda. "Bon Iver: Blood Bank EP". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2014-08-05.
  8. ^ "Bon Iver — Blood Bank". Jagjaguwar. Archived from the original on 2011-12-16. Retrieved 2012-01-16.
  9. ^ Caulfield, Keith (2009-01-28). "Romance And Indie Rock Hit The Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved 2009-01-28.
  10. ^ "Pitchfork Top 10 Albums, In US Sales". Fluxtumblr. December 2009.
  11. ^ "Bon Iver Announce Blood Bank Reissue". pitchfork.com. 21 January 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  12. ^ "Blood Bank by Bon Iver - Music Charts". acharts.co.
  13. ^ "ARIA Report: Issue 991" (PDF). ARIA. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2008. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
  14. ^ "British single certifications – Bon Iver – Blood Bank". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  15. ^ "The Tallest Man on Earth Announces New Covers Album Too Late for Edelweiss". Pitchfork. 2022-09-19. Retrieved 2022-09-24.
  16. ^ "Apple Music: Daybreaker (deluxe edition)". Apple Music. 2023-02-27. Retrieved 2023-02-27.