A hard rockin' cabal of guest vocalists have joined Ministry helmsman Al Jourgensen in a debaucherous covers affair, out now on his own 13th Planet Records imprint.
Featuring diabolical cover artwork with Jourgensen as Jackie O, Cover Up is a 1970s jukebox of biker favorites tilted on its side, kicked in the grill, and smeared with motor oil and amphetamines. Basement-party classics "Radar Love" by Golden Earring, "Space Truckin'" by Deep Purple, and "Under My Thumb" by the Rolling Stones get new life, whipped into shape by Josh Bradford of Revolting Cocks, Tommy Victor of Prong, and Burton Bell of Fear Factory, respectively. The record features two crazy beat-downs: of Bob Dylan's "Lay Lady Lay" and Louis Armstrong's signature "What a Wonderful World."
On the softer side of cover hunting, Sunnyside Records releases this Tuesday the self-titled debut of Moss, a terrific jazz vocal ensemble with pedigrees in Meredith Monk and the Grammy Award-winning New York Voices. Slipping into an interpretation of e.e. cummings' "I Carry Your Heart" and seven original bewitchments, three cool pop tunes are transformed: Neil Young's "Old Man," Joni Mitchell's "Shadows & Light," and Tom Waits' "Take It with Me."
The South Austin Jug Band offers up the bluegrass Strange Invitation this week on the Thirty Tigers label, taking its title from the lyrics of the sole cover found within, a plucky, melodic, easy-beat spin through Beck's "Jack Ass."
Television Alert:
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno welcomes Ani DiFranco tonight, Ferras on Thursday, and Ben Lee on Friday; The Late Show with David Letterman hosts Norah Jones tonight, Paddy Casey on Thursday, and Mary J. Blige on Friday; Late Night with Conan O'Brien boasts The Bravery this evening and Cobra Starship on Thursday overnight; The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson presents Daniel Lanois this evening and Del the Funky Homosapien on Tuesday overnight; The Ellen DeGeneres Show dances with Kylie Minogue on Thursday and The B-52's on Friday; and Saturday Night Live's musical guest this weekend is Panic at the Disco
New Releases Coming Tuesday, April 8:
Eric Avery - Help Wanted (Dangerbird) a dozen spacey solo journeys by the Jane's Addiction co-founder and bassist, joined by an array of guests including Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers on trumpet, Taylor Hawkins of Foo Fighters, and Shirley Manson of Garbage
Marcia Ball - Peace, Love, & BBQ (Alligator) with guests Dr. John and Tracy Nelson
Black Kids - Wizard of Ahhhs (Mercury) import-only CD EP and pink-vinyl seven-inch single, featuring a B-side cover of Sophie B. Hawkins' 1992 hit "Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover"
The Breeders - Mountain Battles (4AD) highly anticipated return produced by Steve Albini; the band will grace the Coachella Valley Music Festival stage later this month
Michael Burk - Iron Man (Alligator) featuring the blues guitarist's take on Free's "Fire & Water"
Melanie C - This Time (Red Girl) domestic release of the solo sporty Spice Girl on her artist-owned label
Hayes Carll - Trouble in Mind (Lost Highway) with guests Dan Baird of The Georgia Satellites and Al Perkins of the Flying Burrito Brothers
Karan Casey - Ships in the Forest (Compass) new from the Solas vocalist, featuring covers of Joni Mitchell's "The Fiddle & the Drum" and the folk standard "Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair"
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! (Anti/Epitaph)
Clinic - Do It! (Domino) fuzzy, wigged-out drones, hyper fits, and acid soul spill over the banks in the band's fifth CD, deeper and lovelier with each passing
Dark Meat - Universal Indians (Vice) expanded reissue from 2006, with live tracks recorded in the Joshua Tree National Park
The Drift - Memory Drawings (Temporary Residence) gorgeous, cinematic instrumentals with a passionate, sexy underglow
The Felice Brothers - The Felice Brothers (Team Love) on tour now with Justin Townes Earle, these nine new songs of sleepy Americana are backed with seven live selections
Foals - Antidotes (Sub Pop) dance rock from Oxford, England, backed by the Afro-beat horns of Antibalas and featuring two bonus B sides taken from import-only singles
The Gibson Brothers - Iron & Diamonds (Sugar Hill) pure soft bluegrass delight featuring covers of Tom Petty's "Cabin Down Below" and Steve Earle's "The Other Side of Town"; the title track reminisces where baseball and coal mining met
Gordon Haskell - It Is & It Isn't (Wounded Bird) once sharing an apartment with Jimi Hendrix and serving as lead vocalist for two albums with King Crimson, this enigmatic bassist's solo album has been an out-of-print collector's item since its original release in 1974
Kingfisher Sky - Hallway of Dreams (Laser's Edge) dark prog-goth from the Netherlands, featuring the classically trained vocals of Judith Rijnveld
Leona Lewis - Spirit (J Records) the winner of the UK's X-Factor talent show is storming the American charts as well with the single "Bleeding Love"
Living Legends - The Gathering (Legendary Music) boasting Murs, The Grouch, and six other MCs weaving socially conscious flow on their artist-owned imprint
Man Man - Rabbit Habits (Anti/Epitaph)
Ray Manzarek & Roy Rogers - Ballads Before the Rain (Friday Music) with new renditions of "Riders on the Storm" and "The Crystal Ship" from the Doors keyboardist and the blues slide guitarist
Meat Beat Manifesto - Autoimmune (Metropolis)
Colin Meloy - Colin Meloy Sings Live! (Kill Rock Stars) recorded along the trail of his 2006 solo tour, The Decemberists vocalist tickles the listener's rock knowledge with fleeting bits and passages from songs by Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, The Smiths, and R.E.M.; also available in a two-LP vinyl gatefold edition
Peter Morén - The Last Tycoon (Quarterstick) solo debut from the Peter Bjorn & John vocalist
OMD - Architecture & Morality & More (Eagle Rock) recorded last year at London's Hammersmith Apollo, the entire 1981 album is recreated live
P.O.D. - When Angels & Serpents Dance (INO/Columbia)
The Pagans - The Blue Album (Smog Veil) recorded live in 1988, this CD serves as the perfect companion to singer Mike Hudson's new autobiography from Tuscarora Books, Diary of a Punk, documenting the Cleveland band's tours with the Ramones, The Dead Boys, and Patti Smith
The Phenomanauts - For All Mankind (Silver Sprocket) featuring an album sleeve that folds into a spaceship, these star-bound rocket boys are on tour this month with The AKA's
Powersolo - Egg (Crunchy Frog) featuring guest Jon Spencer on "Aloha New York"
Ike Reilly - Poison the Hit Parade (Rock Ridge) featuring a bonus DVD of three videos, this "demos and alternate cuts" compilation proves what critics have been saying about his status as one of America's greatest disenfranchised songwriters
Gavin Rossdale - Wanderlust (Interscope) solo debut from the Bush co-founder
Jamshied Sharifi - One (Ceres Records) swirling melting pot of Iranian, west African, and Tibetan flavors, with guests Seamus Egan of Solas, Hassan Hakmoun, and Paula Cole
Spoon - "Don't You Evah" (Merge) digital-only release EP with remixes by Ted Leo, DJ Amaze, and Doc Delay, and a cover of the song by Natural History
Teachers Pet - Teachers Pet (Smog Veil) vintage northeastern Ohio punk rock outfit collecting their 1978 single "Hooked On You" and covers of the Herman's Hermits hit "I'm Henry VIII I Am" and 999's "Let's Face It"
Urban Verbs - Early Damage (Wounded Bird) long on my list as one of the most overlooked, long-out-of-print masterpieces of the new-wave era, this paranoid, sinewy reissue from 1981 features vocalist Roddy Franz - brother of Talking Heads drummer Chris Franz; the band will reunite May 25 at DC's legendary 9:30 Club
Was (Not Was) - Boo! (Rykodisc) super-funky return of Don and David Was after almost 20 years, featuring guest Kris Kristofferson's deep, smooth voice in "Green Pills in the Dresser"
Wye Oak - If Children (Merge) taking their name from the state tree of Maryland
The Young Punx - Your Music Is Killing Me (Ultra) featuring the amazing Guthrie Govan, named guitarist of the year in the UK's Guitarist magazine
