Dan Condon: Sick Tunes, June 28, 2013

A couple of covers, a remix and some new material from two brilliant (and very different) American artists make up this week's Sick Tunes. I do hope you enjoy it.

Calexico – Unsatisfied (The Replacements cover)

Listen to it here

A couple of super exciting things happened recently; firstly, Calexico announced they were coming back to Australia (and they're playing on my birthday, which I find probably far too exciting) and The Replacements announced they were to reform. Well, kinda. We know it's Tommy Stinson and Paul Westerberg so far, who knows who else.

So why not play you a Calexico cover of a Replacements song? It's as great as you'd expect. It's also one of my absolute favourite Replacements songs (and they happen to be one of my absolute favourite bands). Sure, it doesn't possess the same kind of guttural anguish that the original does, it's far more restrained, but it's a beautiful reworking.

P.S. Mats fans need to listen to Tommy Stinson on Marc Maron's WTF. Hearing him talk about his career in Guns N' Roses is truly incredible.

Wilco – Dead Flowers (Rolling Stones Cover)

After reading about the set list that Wilco played at their own Solid Sound Festival I became rather envious of all those who were able to be in attendance. Thankfully some legend decided to tape the whole thing and upload it for us to enjoy. I plan on spending the weekend really sinking my teeth into it.

This is one of the best Stones songs and the Wilco rendition is unsurprisingly spirited, it seems like Jeff Tweedy was born to sing this one, and some very pleasant slide guitar seals the deal.

Willis Earl Beal – Everything Unwinds

One of the most fascinating interviews I conducted last year was with Chicago singer-songwriter and self-proclaimed outsider artist Willis Earl Beal. (A shortened version is here, I really ought to publish the entire thing one of these days.)

He told me that he felt uncomfortable that XL Recordings were trying to push his outsider music on people, though seemed to have no ill-feeling towards the label, so he had intended on making his next record a far more slick, traditional affair.

By the sounds of Everything Unwinds, that is exactly what he has done. Given the arresting nature of his voice, you could imagine him having pretty decent success if the weirdness is toned down enough.

This tune is still kinda woozy and might make you a little uncomfortable, but it's sonically streets away from his Acousmatic Sourcery debut.

Lucinda Williams – Everything But The Truth

Listen to it here.

I don't pretend to know anything about film, but I did take a great interest in the Music Inspired By The Lone Ranger: Wanted soundtrack that was announced this week. Some pretty great names have signed up to have songs on there, including Shane MacGowan, Iggy Pop, Iron & Wine and Lucinda Williams, whose Everything But The Truth song premiered on Billboard this week.

It is another example of the singer-songwriter remaining in great touch as a songwriter and will hopefully be just a taste of a new record, seeing as it has been a couple of years since her excellent Blessed set. A driving roots rocker that Williams simply owns with her wonderfully gritty voice, it won't let fans of her style down.

Janelle Monae – Q.U.E.E.N. (feat. Erykah Badu) (Prince Remix)

Listen to it here! (Before Prince finds it and gets angry)

The mental picture of Prince sitting at a computer and working on a remix is pretty fantastic. I bet he's the kind of guy who bashes the keyboard furiously with two stiffly pointed index fingers.

Anyway, he's had his way with that excellent Janelle Monae single I spoke about a few weeks ago and it's not too bad. Honestly, the original is better and I can't really imagine a social situation in which you'd air this remix, but that deep, throbbing bass that he contributes does add an extra point of interest.

But, really, it's all about that mental image.