STREAM: TEEN - Prisoners (feat. Ben Greenberg) (Rain Parade Cover)
TEEN will trip you the hell out, and it feels like a kind massage to the brain all over their upcoming EP Carolina. Here, they're covering kindred spirits Rain Parade and getting some extra shred assistance from The Men's prodigeous Ben Greenberg. It's all twinkling arpeggios and interstellar tones – perfect for getting glazed eyes.
DOWNLOAD: Black Sabbath - Planet Caravan (Poolside Rework)
I'm man enough to admit that I thought Poolside was a bit of a one-trick pony – exceptional and sharp-shooting at making music for, yes, poolsides, but maybe not one to stretch into non-sunny territories. So forgive me. I had no clue that they'd be able to stretch out into the 'badasses only' territory of remixing acts like Black Sabbath. And here we are with the group's inventive and irresistible flip on "Planet Caravan" as featured on their fantastic recent Seasons Change mixtape. So heavy.
STREAM: Ex Cops - Wonderful Christmastime
While I generally avoid posting 'holiday music' for the simple reason that it's actually the worst thing ever, this cover of Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime" by NYC rockers Ex Cops is just too sublime. With its nasally distorted vocals and explosive dynamics, it pays tribute to Christmas while showing-off why Ex Cops' signature sound is so catchy. Hear more when their fantastic album True Hallucinations drops January 22 via Other Music Recording Co.
STREAM: Julia Holter - Gold Dust Woman (Fleetwood Mac Cover)
Fleetwood Mac are clearly having a moment. And yes, they've always (maybe secretly) ruled, but now even our less pop-inclined experimentalists are revisiting the dramatic group's majestic, insular songs with fresh takes. Here's another one from Rumours Revisited – Julia Holter's spooky, pulsating, harmony-heavy turn on "Gold Dust Woman."
STREAM: Just Friends (Nicolas Jaar + Sasha Spielberg) - Avalanche
Showing off the unique aesthetic of his Clown & Sunset imprint earlier this year, Nicolas Jaar went all out. He made a prism! Yep, you could only listen to his compilation through an fragile aluminum object, but now he's feeling generous enough to release the entire thing as a $7 digital package. Check out this spacious, orchestral cover of Leonard Cohen's "Avalanche" by Jaar and collaborator Sasha Spielberg under their Just Friends moniker for a good preview of what to expect. It's quite lovely.
VIDEO: Dawn McCarthy & Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Christmas Eve Can Kill You (Everly Brothers Cover)
Dawn McCarthy & Bonnie 'Prince' Billy "Christmas Eve Can Kill You" from Drag City on Vimeo.
Will Oldham and Dawn McCarthy are apparently doing an entire album of Everly Brothers covers, which I can wholeheartedly support as a concept – especially since it also gives fans a crack at a holiday single for the ages in the duo's take on the 1972 song "Christmas Eve Can Kill You." Check out their cover and new video, which was shot by Lara Miranda during the track's recording sessions in Nashville. The single is out November 20 via Drag City.
STREAM: Angel Olsen & Marissa Nadler - My Dreams Have Withered And Died (Richard & Linda Thompson Cover)
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Oh, indeed. Here, two powerful ladies with powerful voices, Angel Olsen and Marissa Nadler, tackle "My Dreams Have Withered And Died" – a duet by Richard and Linda Thompson from their 1974 record I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight. It's stunning – raw, wintery and direct with nothing more than harmony, words and lone strumming guitar.
STREAM: Neneh Cherry & The Thing - Accordion (Madvillain Cover) (Jim O'Rourke Remix)
Where the hell did Jim O'Rourke go? This question comes up at least once a week in my circle because we are huge nerds and we really miss him! We're lucky, though, because sometimes he magically appears in unexpected places like this remix of Neneh Cherry & The Thing's cover of Madvillain's total-classic "Accordion." The result? It's like a beat poetry nightmare. Wild.
DOWNLOAD: Ty Segall - Femme Fatale (Velvet Underground Cover)
I see the words 'Velvet Underground cover' and my eyes get all narrow. Who are you to even try such an audacious act? Well, if you're Ty Segall and the song is "Femme Fatale," all is forgiven because instead of doped-up, dead-of-night Warhol touches, we get unfettered mania. Segall's new one, Twins, is out now on Drag City.
PREMIERE: Gardens & Villa - We Gotta Get Out Of This Place (The Animals Cover)
"We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" is a rare song that's truly timeless. Why? Because it's about teenage escape – rebellion, the infinite possibilities of love and the youthful fantasy of running away, starting a new life and never returning nor needing anything from the environment that raised you. For Gardens & Villa, it's a cold sort of isolation steeped in murky, watery, slowed-down funk that evolves into a droney mess of disco. Yep, this catchy brand of paranoid dance is their expertise, and you can catch them on tour throughout the next month.
