Shins, Decemberists, Spoon Head Believer Comp

Despite our loyalty to the electronic medium, we would never skimp on the love for our brothers and sisters in the print magazine trade, especially smart-looking mags that grab quasi-religious monikers and snub photography in favor of drawings by Charles Burns. So, of course, we were already suckers for the McSweeney's-connected The Believer even before they announced a compilation CD with some of our favorite musicians, to be packaged with their June issue.

The bands involved were asked to pick a song by answering the question "What have you been listening to lately?" Yes, it's a covers album-- but instead of being treated to a Counting Crows rendition of "Horse With No Name", we get popular contemporary artists covering... popular contemporary artists. Among the goodies on the CD are the inescapable Devendra Banhart trying on Antony & the Johnson's white facepaint, the Decemberists borrowing Joanna Newsom's shoes, and the Shins reviving their acquaintance with the Postal Service. We also get the Constantines and Ida each appearing both as performers and as cover-ees; yea, and a Wolf shall cover a Frog, a Mountain Goat shall cover a Silver Jew, and the majority of the tracks shall be previously unreleased, amen. The tracklist:

01 The Decemberists: "Bridges & Balloons" by Joanna Newsom
02 Spoon: "Decora" by Yo La Tengo
03 The Constantines: "Why I Didn't Like August '93" by Elevator
04 CocoRosie: "Ohio" by Damien Jurado
05 The Mountain Goats: "Pet Politics" by Silver Jews
06 San Serac: "Late Blues" by Ida
07 The Shins: "We Will Become Silhouettes" by the Postal Service
08 Josephine Foster: "The Golden Window" by the Cherry Blossoms
09 Cynthia G. Mason: "Surprise, AZ" by Richard Buckner
10 Jim Guthrie: "Nighttime/Anytime (It's Alright)" by the Constantines
11 Espers: "Firefly Refrain" by Fursaxa
12 Two Gallants: "Anna's Sweater" by Blear
13 Vetiver: "Be Kind to Me" by Michael Hurley
14 Ida: "My Fair, My Dark" by David Schickele
15 Mount Eerie: "Waterfalls" by Thanksgiving
16 Devendra Banhart: "Fistful of Love" by Antony & the Johnsons
17 Wolf Parade: "Claxxon's Lament" by Frog Eyes

* The Believer:

Posted by David Nadelle on Thu, May 12, 2005 at 12:00am