Neurot Recordings and My Proud Mountain are releasing the third volume of their Songs Of Townes Van Zandt tribute album series on April 22 (pre-order), and this one features covers of TVZ's music by Marissa Nadler, Cave In, and Amenra, who contribute three covers each.
"I’ve been a fan of Townes Van Zandt’s music for nearly as long as I’ve been writing songs," Marissa Nadler said. "When I was starting out, a friend introduced me to Townes’s music, and I pretty much instantly fell in love with both the rawness of his songs as well as the intense sense of longing expressed within them. His lyrics are haunting and evocative and have inspired me endlessly. These melodies will linger with you, year after year, and hopefully keep you company along the way."
Cave In's Stephen Brodsky offers, "In the winter of 2010, I did a solo tour with Scott Kelly of Neurosis and Bob Wayne. It was the three of us and Ansgar Glade traveling in Bob's ‘green machine’ van around the UK and Ireland. At every show, Scott played the song ‘Caroline’ and each time I heard it, I found myself enraptured. This was my introduction to Townes Van Zandt. Pretty cool that ten years later, Ansgar has given me and Cave In this great opportunity to show our love for TVZ's music."
And Lennart Bossu of Amenra adds, "Being Belgians, the very American folk and country of Townes Van Zandt is not exactly the music we grew up listening to, but upon discovering his songs in our early twenties, they immediately struck a chord with us. Even people who do not understand the lyrics can probably tell that they are listening to someone who has lived and suffered, and, oddly enough, at the same time find deep comfort in his soothing voice. It is the kind of comfort that often defines great music or art in general, and it made the prospect of trying our own hand at a few of his songs no less daunting. Nonetheless, when we were asked to be part of this collection of Townes Van Zandt cover songs, we felt excited and compelled to be part of it, as, in a way, it offered us a chance to do something in return for the great songs he has given us, and also be a part of a series of albums that are almost exclusively comprised of artists we deeply respect."
We're premiering one of Amenra's contributions, "Kathleen." The 1969 original is already on the dark and brooding side, but Amenra turn it into something even more eerie. It's a great cover, and you can hear it and compare it to the original below.
This cover comes just a few days after Amenra released a Portishead cover. Their latest album De Doorn came out last year on Relapse and you can pick that up on limited gold vinyl, along with older Amenra records, here.
Amenra's Colin H. Van Eeckhout and Mathieu Vandekerckhove also play alongside Neurosis' Scott Kelly and original Sepultura drummer Iggor Cavalera in the new supergroup Absent In Body, whose debut album comes out later this month (3/25) via Relapse. Pick that up on limited splatter vinyl.
Songs of Townes Van Zandt 3
Tracklist 1. Marissa Nadler – Quicksilver Daydreams Of Maria 2. Amenra – Black Crow Blues 3. Cave In – Nothin’ 4. Amenra - Kathleen 5. Cave In – The Hole 6. Amenra – Flyin’ Shoes 7. Marissa Nadler – Sad Cinderella 8. Cave In – At My Window 9. Marissa Nadler – None But The Rain