Live Friday: 9-5-08

The new Okkervil River album "The Stand Ins" sees release on Tuesday. Much like their previous "Black Sheep Boy Appendix" which followed "Black Sheep Boy," this new record is essentially a collection of songs that didn't make it onto last year's "The Stage Names" for one reason or another. If you're thinking of writing if off as a b-sides compilation album, you'd be sorely mistaken. I'll have my official review of that new album on Monday, but to tide you over this weekend let's have a little fun along with the band.

For those who haven't been paying attention (i.e. reading other music-related sites), Okkervil River has been doing a little "covers project" in preparation for the release of the new album. Will Sheff & Co. have gotten some musician friends to record their own versions of tracks on "The Stand Ins" and have been posting those covers in the form of videos on their Youtube account. Click here to watch those videos if you have yet to see them. Musicians and bands that have participated thus far include A.C. Newman (of The New Pornographers), David Vandervelde, Bon Iver, Crooked Fingers and Ola Podrida, among others.

So here are all 8 covers that have been recorded and posted. I wanted to get these up before the album was released so you could enjoy them as a preview of what's to come on Tuesday (of course you can also stream the full album on the band's Myspace page).

As a note on quality, what you hear in the videos is what you get here. I've made no real improvements to the sound, as most of these songs were recorded in green rooms with just a halfway terrible camera microphone. Not much that can be done. Still, this is cool and interesting stuff to hear, and of course lovely bits to have in your collection for a rainy day.

A.C. Newman & Will Sheff- Lost Coastlines
David Vandervelde- Singer Songwriter
Jack Ladder- Starry Stairs
Bon Iver- Blue Tulip
Bird of Youth- Pop Lie
Zykos- On Tour With Zykos
Ola Podrida- Calling and Not Calling My Ex
Crooked Fingers- Bruce Wayne Campbell Interviewed on the Roof of the Chelsea Hotel, 1979

Stream the full (non-cover) version of "The Stand Ins" on the band's Myspace page

Buy "The Stand Ins" from Jagjaguwar

Labels: bird of youth, bon iver, David Vandervelde, jack ladder, Live, okkervil river, ola podrida, zykos