Local/Live Archive: July 28– Collections of Colonies of Bees
Over the coming weeks, WMSE will be digging into our archives to bring you some blast-from-the-past Local/Live performances and this week, you’ll be able to catch Collections of Colonies of Bees’ session with us, almost exactly two years ago, soon after they released their Polyvinyl Records album, HAWAII…
For two decades, Collections of Colonies of Bees have existed in various forms and incarnations, beginning with Chris Rosenau and Jon Mueller (who split time with post-rock band Pele).
From there, the line-up grew and evolved. At one time, Nick Sanborn — currently in the spotlight as one-half of Sylvan Esso — counted himself as a member. At another, the group joined forces with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon to release two albums under the moniker Volcano Choir. (In fact, it was Vernon who proclaimed of his collaborators: “If the world was perfect, they would be as big as U2.”)
Never content to paint the same soundscape twice, the previously instrumental Wisconsin-based ensemble added vocalist Marielle Allschwang, harvesting the fertile intersection between experimental and pop to maximum effect. Their most recent release, “HEARTFAKE,” was made in the environment of quarantine and is a precursor of more creative activity to come.
Tune into WMSE this Tuesday for another great Local/Live Archive rebroadcast – WMSE.org to stream, world-wide, or simply tune your radio to 91.7 FM at the 6 o’ clock hour.
Local/Live on WMSE is sponsored by Club Garibaldi.