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60 Songs That Explain the '90s

60 Songs That Explain the '90s

Bon Iver — “Skinny Love”

Oct 14, 2026 · 1h 37m

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About this episode

Pack up your winter gear—we’re headed to the Wisconsin woods. This week, Rob retreats into Justin Vernon’s cabin to remember the buzzy indie album ‘For Emma, Forever Ago,’ which launched the career of the eventual Grammy-winning band Bon Iver. He looks back on how critics and audiences were enamored with the narrative that Vernon wrote the album while heartbroken and alone in the woods, and the way his voice conveyed those feelings. Later, Rob’s joined by The New York Times’ Jon Caramanica to discuss if “Skinny Love” possibly led to “stomp-clap” music and what collaborators like Kanye West and Taylor Swift heard in Bon Iver. (00:00) Intro: Neko Case’s voice as a force of nature (30:19) This…