David Berman was never a household name, but it’s a measure of how deeply other musicians revere him that only two months after his passing he’s garnered not one but two complete new tribute albums. That’s over 50 new Silver Jews and Purple Mountains covers.
The first, Approaching Perfection: A Tribute To DC Berman, came out on October 7, exactly two months after his death. The most recognizable names are Dean Wareham, Pete Astor, and Diane Cluck. But click around to any song whether you’ve heard of the artist or not and you’re likely to hear a heartfelt, acoustic cover of one of Berman’s many cult-favorite songs. It’s over 30 tracks long, and apparently will be added to as more covers come in. Stream it below, and scroll down for the complete current tracklist.
The second tribute album, Late Homework: The Songs of David Berman, came out only days ago and raises money for the non-profit Shatterproof, which works to reform addiction treatment in America. Frankie Cosmos (performing under the name Franz Charcoal), Hello Shark, Karl Blau are probably the most indie-famous names on this one. Stream it below, then buy it and support a good cause at Bandcamp. Again, full tracklist at the bottom.
Approaching Perfection: A Tribute To DC Berman Tracklist:
Business Of Dreams – Snow (poem)
Dean Wareham – Snow Is Falling On Manhattan
Adam Green – Black and Brown Blues (Musical Ladders Mashup)
Kyle Forester – Rebel Jew
The Reds, Pinks & Purples – Living Waters
The Wendy Darlings – Honk If You’re Lonely Tonight
Jeremy Jay – Self Ignition
Turner Cody – Sleeping Is The Only Love
Awkward Energy – Introduction II
Black Bones – Advice To The Graduate
Elva – Strange Victory, Strange Defeat
Garciaphone – Pet Politics
David West – Inside The Golden Days Of Missing You
Bill Baird – Dallas
Lauren Hoffman – Death Of An Heir Of Sorrows
Pete Astor – Suffering Jukebox
Diane Cluck – People
Caged Animals – Ballad Of Reverend War Character
Fortuny Roché – Random Rules
Daisies – All My Happiness Is Gone
Zach Phillips & Ryan Power – Cassette County (poem)
The Pheromoans & R. Elisabeth – Horseleg Swastiskas
Jimmy Virani – The Silver Pageant
Zombie Zombie – New Orleans
Lisa Li-Lund – The Frontier Index
Jad Fair – Pretty Eyes
Robert Scott Featuring Jared Smith – Room Games And Diamond Rings
Holy Wave – Buckinghman Rabbit
Night Control – Time Will Break The World / Night Society
The Shifters – We Could We Could Be Looking For The Same Thing
Matt Fishbeck – How To Rent A Room
Shore Loser – I’m Getting Back Into Getting Back Into You
Coming Soon – Tennessee
Drink Water – We Are Real
Simon Love & The Old Romantics – That’s Just The Way I Feel
Jeffrey Lewis, Julie & Pip LaMendola – Punks In The Beerlight
Late Homework: The Songs of David Berman Tracklist:
1. Old Table – Random Rules
2. Emperor X – Horseleg Swastikas
3. Hello Shark – Sleeping Is The Only Love
4. Little Kid – People
5. Ghost Pink – Black and Brown Blues
6. Lord Bendtner – Smith and Jones Forever
7. Michael Cormier – Honk If You’re Lonely
8. Joyer – Night Society
9. Florry – Tennessee
10. Fog Lake – Slow Education
11. Thom Coombes – Candy Jail
12. Franz Charcoal – Death of an Heir of Sorrows
13. The Soods – Pet Politics
14. Pen Palindrome – We Are Real
15. Swim Camp – Frontier Index
16. Mouse Trap – The Wild Kindness
17. Pickle Darling – Nights That Won’t Happen
18. The Funs – Trains Across The Sea
19. James Lapidge – New Orleans
20. Molly Drag – Suffering Jukebox
21. Karl Blau – Snow is Falling in Manhattan
22. Thanks For Coming – Like Like The The The Death
23. Tristan Puig – My Pillow is the Threshold
24. Zach Puls – Let’s Not and Say We Did
25. Romantic States – Pretty Eyes
26. Holy Gifts – Random Rules
27. Hothead and the Baby – We Could Be Looking For The Same Thing
