Pitchfork

Sufjan Stevens and Daniel Smith joining forces to cover Daniel Johnston? Pitchfork boner alert!! But seriously, these two are among 20-odd artists performing Johnston tunes on the new tribute album, I Killed the Monster, due October 10 via venerable New York producer Kramer's Second Shimmy Records. (Isn't this, like, the fourth Daniel Johnston tribute album?)

Kramer put the covers comp together to coincide with the DVD release of the documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston, which hit stores last month. It sees Smith and Stevens tackling Johnston's "Worried Shoes", from 1983's Yip/Jump Music. Other contributors include former Minuteman Mike Watt, former Moldy Peach Kimya Dawson, former One Dove Dot Allison, former next-big-thing Joy Zipper, Half Japanese dude Jad Fair, and Kramer himself, forever doomed to be confused with the bumbling "Seinfeld" character, even though he had the name first.

I Killed the Monster will be the first release from Second Shimmy, which is in fact a reincarnation of Kramer's beloved Shimmy-Disc, responsible for puting out records back in the day from GWAR, Damon & Naomi, King Missile, Bongwater, and Johnston.

Daniel Johnston has one upcoming gig planned (invite only, mind you) for October 17 at Austin's the Belmont.

Johnston also contributes the unreleased track "You Made My High School" to the 50minutes compilation, due out October 30 on London's Exercise1 Records. It's a benefit album for the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture, and features 50 artists doing one-minute songs. MC Lars, Grand Mal, Piney Gir, Ladyfuzz, Jeremy Warmsley, and many, many more contribute.

I Killed the Monster:

01 Dot Allison - "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Your Grievances"
02 Daniel Smith & Sufjan Stevens - "Worried Shoes"
03 Joy Zipper - "Held The Hand"
04 Kramer - "Bloody Rainbow"
05 R. Stevie Moore - "Cathy Cline"
06 Kimya Dawson - "Follow That Dream"
07 Lumberob - "Honey I Sure Miss You"
08 Jad Fair & Kramer - "True Love Will Find You in the End"
09 Rope, Inc. - "Tears Stupid Tears"
10 Jack Medicine - "Blue Skies Will Haunt You From Now On"
11 Chris Harford - "Going Down"
12 Mad Francis - "Rowboat"
13 Jeffrey Lewis - "The Adventures of God as a Young Boy"
14 Major Matt Mason - "Mind Contorted"
15 Toby Goodshank - "Now"
16 The Dick Panthers - "Go Fast and Go Some More"
17 The Sutcliffe's - "Foxy Girl"
18 Kickstand - "Cosmic Kid"
19 Emily Zuzik - "Love Wheel"
20 Mike Watt - "Walking the Cow"
21 Tess - "It's Over"