Tag: covers
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May The Circle Remain Unbroken: A Stribute to Roky Erickson, 2021 on LIght In The Attic
Posthumous tribute album for Roky Erickson by the same producer who assembled Where the Pyramid Meets the Eye, which was a 1990 tribute album that introduced my to many of his songs (though I also knew the 13th Floor Elevators LPs). Tracklist and participants: Plus a “Record Store Day only” 7″ flexi-disc single with Erickson…
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Lucinda Williams, Ramblin’ On My Mind, 1979 on Folkways
Attributed to “Lucinda” mono-nymically, this was Williams’ debut solo album, released in 1979 on Folkways (which became Smithsonian Folkways in 1987). She’s accompanied by John Grimaudo on 6-string guitar (she plays 12-string and sings), and the album was produced by Tom Royals, an attorney for whom this is the only producing credit – he was…
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Strange As Angels, Strange As Angels, 2021 on Kwaidan
Billed as “Strange as Angels” the hype sticker calls this “Marc Collin (Nouvelle Vague) presents Chrystabell Sings The Cure.” Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux were the masterminds behind Nouvelle Vague, which released bossa nova covers of new wave songs, playing off multiple meanings of Nouvelle Vague. (Nouvelle Vague means “new wave” in French, and Bossa…
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Various Artists, Everyone’s Getting Involved: A Tribute to Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense, 2024 on A24 Music
Tribute album on Amazon’s label timed with the release of the 40th anniversary restored film Stop Making Sense. Tracklist: It’s fair to say none of these are exactly revolutionary covers of fundamentally mind-blowing – but it is fun to hear an alternative version of a favorite album. My copy direct from Amazon.com
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Various Artists, Something About Joy Division, 1990 on Vox Pop
Great compilation / tribute to Joy Division on Italian label Vox Pop. Tracklist: The second edition was not a gatefold (which makes sense since the inside of the gatefold is just blank white anyway). I especially enjoy the versions of “Colony,” “Love Will Tear Us Apart” (piano and vocals), “Shadowplay” (acoustic guitar driven), and Warsaw…
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Valerie June, Under Cover, 2022 on Fantasy
Valerie June’s a multi-instrumentalist and singer from Memphis and part of the Broken Strings Collective. She’s known broadly for her unique voice and range across Americana / Blues / Folk and put out this EP of cover songs in 2022. All the versions are wonderful, but I especially love her takes on “Pink Moon” and…
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She & Him, Melt Away: A Tribute to Brian Wilson, 2022 on Fantasy
I love tribute albums and cover albums, and also both Brian Wilson and She & Him (the duo of Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward), so this was right in my wheelhouse. It’s their seventh studio album. Nothing very unexpected or out of left field here – pretty straightforward what you’d expect from She & Him…
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Cat Power, Covers, 2022 on Domino
Chan Marshall’s third album of covers. Like the previous two, it includes a re-recording of one of her own – the song “Hate” covered here as “Unhate.” Favorites for me include The Replacements’ “Here Comes a Regular,” Nico’s “These Days.” and Kitty Wells’ “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels.” My copy is the…
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Various Artists, If You’re Going To The City: A Tribute to Mose Allison, 2019 on Fat Possum
Fantastic collection on Fat Possum of artists covering songs Mose Allison wrote. Three-sided vinyl, with an etching on the fourth side. Also includes a DVD of Mose Allison: Ever Since I Stole the Blues. Tracklist includes: I had to find a way to get a DVD rip to watch the documentary (you can see it…
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Magnolia Record Club Presents Spotify Singles Vol. 2, 2022
Second volume in the series – see Magnolia Record Club Presents Spotify Singles for the first volume. Manufactured and distributed by Dualtone, but labelled only as Magnolia Record Club. This one includes: It’s a great collection – mostly from the Spotify studios. Likely digitally recorded though they don’t say, but sounds great.
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Los Lobos, Native Sons, 2021 on New West
This is a three sided LP, with an etching on the fourth side. Los Lobos, proud Angelenos, covering songs by other Los Angeles bands, including folks like Stephen Stills, Jackson Browne, and the Beach Boys, but also Lalo Guerrero, Thee Midnighters, and Percy Mayfield. The band sounds great as ever, and I love hearing their…
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Shovels & Rope, Busted Jukebox Volume 2, 2018 on Shrimp / New West
I’m a sucker for a good cover/tribute album, perhaps especially with an Americana / Alt-Country / Folk twist. This volume 2 came out digitally in 2017 but on vinyl in 2018 – Volume One was released in 2015 digitally and on vinyl in 2016 – it’s still in my wishlist. There’s a third as well,…
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Various Artists, AngelHeaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan & T. Rex, 2020 on BMG.
Hal Wilner produced tribute to Marc Bolan & T. Rex, featuring a wide variety of artists and styles. Wilner was also said to be working on a documentary but died in 2020 after assembling the album. The film was made by Ethan Silverman as one that “Celebrates the life and work of glam rock pioneer…
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Chrissie Hynde, Standing in the Doorway: Chrissie Hynde Sings Bob Dylan, 2021 on BMG
I’m a sucker for a cover album, especially one dedicated to a specific artist. I’m also a huge fan of both Bob Dylan and Chrissie Hynde, so it should not be surprising I was excited to find this record. Hynde is joined by The Pretenders‘ James Walbourne and engineer/producer Tchad Blake, but the instrumentation and…
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Various Artists, Ruby Trax: The NME’s Roaring Forty, 1992 on New Musical Express.
This was a 3xLP box set issued to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the New Musical Express – which ran in print from 1952 to 2018 when it went digital-only (though it is said to be coming back). The compilation was full of contemporary artists covering songs that had been covered in the NME during…
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Various Artists, Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine vol. 2, 2021 on Oh Boy Records (OBR-063).
Second volume of tributes to John Prince via Oh Boy. Great collection of songs and versions, but standouts for me include Brandi Carlile’s “I Remember Everything,” Valerie June’s “Summer’s End,” and Jason Isbell’s “Souvenirs.” Volume 1 I have digitally, but also is on my wantlist for a vinyl version if I can locate one. Volume…
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Lowe Country: The Songs Of Nick Lowe, 2012 on Fiesta Red Records
I’m a huge fan of cover albums, and especially tribute/compilations of covers devoted to specific artists. While they can be uneven, I like hearing an artists work reinterpreted in different ways. This compilation brings country, roots, Americana artists together to cover the songs of English singer/songwriter Nick Lowe. Like Elvis Costello (whom he produced, and…
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Tower Defense covers “A Forest”