Last Halloween, Superchunk donned their musical Misfits costumes for a a free cover of “Horror Business.” This year they reprise the move, covering Glenn and co.’s “Where Eagles Dare.” It’s a pretty straight-forward cover, but one worth adding to that Halloween playlist. Continue reading »
After Superchunk frontman Mac McCaughan performed covers of Bruce Springsteen’s “Bobby Jean” and Jay Reatard’s “My Shadow” and the full band recorded a John Cale Christmas song, it’s finally time for Superchunk themselves to get the covers treatment. Seattle’s indie wunderkind Telekinesis (aka Michael Benjamin Lerner) just released a cover of Superchunk favorite “Nu Bruises.” Continue reading »
Superchunk singer Mac McCaughan knows how to cut to the core of a song. We last saw him do it by paring down Jay Reatard’s ripping “My Shadow” into a haunted confession. Now, he strips away the synth layers and drum bursts from Bruce Springsteen’s “Bobby Jean” to reveal a new emotional core. Continue reading »
Over the past few weeks, artists have been unleashing a blizzard of Christmas covers. From live tapings to unexpected albums, these holiday presents came in all shapes and sizes. We kept up as best we could (see ‘em all here), but so many came in we couldn’t possibly post them all. So instead, we collected our favorite Christmas covers from this year in a special mixtape.
This 60-minute tape, which you can download or stream below, mixes the classics with the obscure. It includes refreshingly original covers of famous hymns and unexpected runs through buried nuggets. It finds indie up-and-comers mingling with longtime favorites. Continue reading »
Jay Reatard covers don’t come along too frequently, but when they do they seem to come from indie giants. First we heard Arcade Fire cover “Oh, It’s Such a Shame.” A month later, Spoon tackled “No Time.” Now, Superchunk’s Mac McCaughan strums through an acousta-punk “My Shadow.” The occasion was a backstage performance at the recent 21st birthday celebration for Matador Records, the label that both Superchunk and Reatard once called home. (via Pitchfork) Continue reading »
Christmas songs have a tendency to be beat-you-over-the-head literal. Whether they tell the story of Jesus or of Santa, the narrative arc leaves limited room for creativity. John Cale’s “Child’s Christmas in Wales” provides a refreshingly poetic counterpoint. The Velvet Underground alumnus first released this holiday downer on his 1973 album Paris 1919, basing the tune off a Dylan Thomas story of the same name. “Ten murdered oranges bled on board ship” proves a bit more thought-provoking than “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire” (though you may think twice about inviting Mr. Cale to your Christmas party). Continue reading »