Apr 182011
 

This weekend’s Record Store Day brought a deluge of new covers, with some of the most hotly anticipated arriving on Franz Ferdinand’s 5-track Covers EP. The Scots teamed up with LCD Soundsystem to cover “All My Friends” for RSD 2009, and this year James Murphy returned the favor with his take on Franz’s “Live Alone.” Murphy’s previously-released cover is included on the EP along with offerings from Peaches, ESG, and Stephin Merritt of the Magnetic Fields, as well as a collaboration between Franz and Debbie Harry.

Covers draws from Franz’s latest album, Tonight, kicking off with LCD’s “Live Alone.” Next up is Franz’s only appearance on their own EP. They pair up with Debbie Harry for another version of “Live Alone,” providing pop instrumentation for Harry’s vocals.

Of the three remaining tracks, Peaches’ “Turn It On” is the immediate standout. She swaps Alex Kaprano’s drawl for a more frenetic pace, cramming largely monotone vocals over a pounding electro-dance beat. As her voice rises at the end, the bass becomes more sinister, then the track fades out in a wash of Crystal Castles-esque noise.

ESG’s contribution stays close to the source material, with the veteran post-punkers producing a straightforward “What She Came For” that wouldn’t sound out of place on an actual Franz album. The EP closes with a more extreme departure in the form of Stephin Merritt’s “Dream Again.” The Magnetic Fields singer takes the song to new heights of dreaminess, slowing it down with trippy distortions that nod to The Beatles circa “Across the Universe.”

Listen to all three, plus Franz’s collab with Debbie Harry, below. (via danceyrselfclean)

Peaches – Turn It On (Franz Ferdinand cover)

ESG – What She Came For (Franz Ferdinand cover)

Stephin Merritt – Dream Again (Franz Ferdinand cover)

Debbie Harry and Franz Ferdinand – Live Alone

Check out more Franz Ferdinand at their website or MySpace.

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