Yoko Ono tribute album Ocean Child curated by Ben Gibbard out Friday

Flaming Lips, David Byrne, Yo La Tengo, Sharon Van Etten and Death Cab contribute covers of Yoko Ono's much-maligned tunes. 

Here's the scoop...

Death Cab For Cutie's Ben Gibbard, frustrated with the way Yoko Ono's music has been unfairly assailed over the decades – largely out of ignorance – has decided it was time for a rethink of Yoko's songwriting accomplishments. So he called up a few celebrated pals who also happen to be Yoko fans,  including David Byrne, Sharon Van Etten, Stephin Merritt, along with the members of Yo La Tengo,  Flaming Lips, Deehoof and US Girls, to revisit a few of Yoko Ono's compositions and perhaps offer a fresh perspective. 

The result is the 14-track Ocean Child: Songs Of Yoko Ono tribute album set for release by Canvasback Music/Atlantic on Friday, February 18th which happens to be Yoko's 89th birthday. Looking over the tracklist, it appears that Gibbard missed an opportunity to have the members of Redd Kross resurrect  their Tater Totz alter ego to reprise their raucous version of "Don't Worry Kyoko" which got them booed off the stage by angry Beatles fans at BeatleFest 1988 in Los Angeles (watch the entertaining footage after the track listing below).  

To coincide with Ocean Child's release, there will also be a podcast hosted by Gibbard and Rolling Stone contributing editor & Sirius XM personality Jenny Eliscu who will speak enthusiastically about why Yoko Ono's songs are so darn wonderful with the artists who chose to cover them. 

Check out the preview trailer, David Byrne & Yo La Tengo's lullabye-style update "Who Has Seen The Wind?" and Death Cab's jaunty run at "Waiting For The Sun Rise" followed by the track listing and the vintage Tater Totz performance footage from L.A.'s Bonaventure Hotel. 

Various Artists – Ocean Child: Songs Of Yoko Ono

Toyboat - Sharon Van Etten

Who Has Seen The Wind? - David Byrne And Yo La Tengo

Dogtown - Sudan Archives

Waiting For The Sunrise - Death Cab For Cutie

Yellow Girl (Stand For Life) - Thao

Born In A Prison - US Girls

Growing Pain - Jay Som

Listen, The Snow Is Falling - Stephin Merritt (of Magnetic Fields)

No No No - Deerhoof

Don't Be Scared - We Are KING

Mrs Lennon - The Flaming Lips

No One Sees Me Like You Do - Japanese Breakfast

There Is No Goodbye Between Us - Yo La Tengo

Run Run Run - Amber Coffman

Season's Greetings from Scott McCaughey & The Minus 5

Here's a spirited yuletide ripper from Scott McCaughey off the Minus 5's Dear December album from 2017. 

You can still get the Minus 5's Dear December album from Yep Roc or your fave streaming platform right here.  

Limited-run RSD albums from The Fleshtones, Los Straitjackets and Minus 5 due November 24

With Record Store Day fast approaching, the fine folks at Yep Roc Records just announced a Black Friday bonanza of releases from The Fleshtones, Los Straitjackets and the Minus 5 – each containing at least some music you don't already own! Here's the scoop...

The Fleshtones – Budget Buster (Yep Roc Records)
Packaging: 12” Vinyl / red and orange splatter-colored
Limited to 1000 copies worldwide

Known as the “The Kings of Garage Rock” or “America’s Garage Rock Band,” there’s no debate that The Fleshtones are one of the hardest working (and rocking) bands of all time. In the past decade, Peter Zaremba's crew has released loads of new music that rivals the best of their impressive 40-year run. The 12-song Budget Buster collects some of their finest singles tracks and rarities over the last 10 years, many of which are long out-of-print and difficult to find. Fleshtones completists should note that Budget Buster includes two previously unreleased tracks and features a sleeve created by Mons. Zaremba himself!

Los Straitjackets – Sing Along With Los Straitjackets (Yep Roc Records)
Packaging: 12” LP with bonus 45 single
Limited to 1500 copies worldwide

Way back in 2001, Sing Along with Los Straitjackets marked the first time the masked instrumental marvels featured vocals on their recordings, an endeavor they would embark on again later with Deke Dickerson.

Sing Along with Los Straitjackets features a party of musicians spanning the musical sphere, from Nick Lowe playing bass on his own “Shake That Rat,” to collaborations with the always amazing El Vez, Raul Malo from The Mavericks, Exene Cervenka from X, Mark Lindsay of Raiders fame, Mike Campbell from Tom Petty's Heartbreakers, and even instro royals The Trashmen. Reissued on wax for the first time, every copy of the LP comes with a bonus 45 single featuring two rare collaborations from the Sing Along with… sessions featuring Dave Alvin and Reverend Horton Heat, who also appear on the album.

The Minus 5 – Dear December (Yep Roc Records)
Packaging:  12” LP | white vinyl
Limited to 1500 copies worldwide

In early 2017, Scott McCaughey penned a few holiday numbers to submit to a well-known artist’s prospective holiday album. He became so inspired by the task that he wrote more than an album’s worth of material and decided to record that album with his group, The Minus 5, which for this project includes Peter Buck and drummer Joe Adragna as core members.

A cool yule selection of 11 original future holiday classics, Dear December includes collaborations with Kurt Bloch, M. Ward, Death Cab's Ben Gibbard, Mike Mills, Colin Meloy (of The Decemberists), Chuck Prophet and a few other special guests. The deluxe white vinyl album comes packaged with an Advent-inspired calendar, a gatefold cover and digital download.

The Postal Service Auditons

Tickets are now on sale for The Postal Service's Toronto show at the ACC on June 11.

     

Happy Birthday Amy Millan!