TwentyFourBit

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Heatmiser drummer/Roman Candle, Self-Titled mastering engineer Tony Lash recently shared this take on "Christian Brothers" recorded with Elliott Smith in the mid-'90s.

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Neil Young Covers Phil Ochs at Farm Aid

Young Talks Cobain made headlines, but his mid-banter response to a heckler ("I'm on my way, buddy. I work for me.") takes the heartline.

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David Bowie, Boy Scout, 1958

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This stunning cut is from the debut EP of Alice Boman, a songwriter from Malmö, Sweden. The set, titled Skisser (Sketches in Swedish), was "recorded in her home, just for herself to remember." Adrian Recordings heard more than just demos, though, and are releasing the EP later in May.

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Jens Lekman: "Olivia & Maddy"

In which the ever-charming troubadour gives back in song to two fans and the hundreds more who responded to a plea for someone to drive his pianist, Jonas, from New York to Boston amid the devastation of Hurricane Sandy. Jens compares the pair to Batman and Robin for saving the start of his west coast tour, but then dreams of bigger things:

I didn't know I had such an army to mobilize I think about what else we could organize So meet me in the midnight hour Tonight I'm feeling mad with power Meet me at the end of this song Let's make right what's been wrong I've got a list a hundred pages long

Here's the MP3.

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Today, Bowie and I share a birthday. He just made it one to remember.

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Angelo Badalamenti Revisits Twin Peaks

In which Badalamenti performs "Laura Palmer's Theme" while recounting the moment he and David Lynch first dreamt up the score. From the 50-second mark on, things get really haunting.

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New Sigur Rós - Ekki Múkk

Our first taste of the forthcoming Sigur Rós LP, Valtari, is here.

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Something tells me Neil Young hasn't left Beck's turntable since last fall's Bridge School Benefit duet, as today brings a one-off soundtrack cut with Harvest-era inspiration to spare. Hear his contribution to Jeff Who Lives At Home above. It's been four years since his last studio LP, but with tunes like this and last year's John Martyn cover kicking around, I, for one, don't mind waiting while Beck searches for a "Heart of Gold."

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Jessica Lea Mayfield: "(David Bowie I Love You) Since I Was Six"

This might be the first cover of a Brian Jonestown Massacre tune I've heard -- and of a personal favorite no less -- but Jessica Lea Mayfield delivers. With help from producer Dan Auerbach (a collaborative hero of late), she drops the usual twang inflection from her voice and settles into the shadows of the reverent groove. It'd be tough to beat the original, but tying this take for the film Apart to the slow dance scene above really resonates in the moment.

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Ethan Johns: "Whip-Poor-Will"

Long before Ethan Johns gained notoriety for his work producing and performing on some of the best singer-songwriter records of the past decade, the British multi-instrumentalist was a promising solo artist in his own right. Now it looks like he's ready to release a record with his name on the back and front of the packaging: "Whip-Poor-Will," a new Johns cut just hit the web in official video form, complete with guest backing vocals from famous friends/collaborators Ryan Adams, Laura Marling, and more. No word yet on whether this sparse tune is set for the LP he was once making with his legendary father, Glyn Johns, but it certainly bodes well for whatever he's got cooking. Check out "Whip-Poor-Will" above. Update: Glyn mixed this track. The full album is due in July.

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First Aid Kit: "Dancing Barefoot" (Patti Smith Cover)

Klara and Johanna Söderberg know their way around a solid cover tune, sure, but here's one homage that actually brought its honoree to tears. Last fall the Swedish duo performed this 1979 single for Patti Smith herself, and while only a partial clip hit the web at the time, now we have the song in full. Above, hear First Aid Kit's harmony-adorned take on "Dancing Barefoot" in a recent session for French radio station Le Mouv.

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New Beach House: "Myth"

The rumors were true: Beach House's fourth album, possibly titled Bloom, is imminent.

Hear our first taste above in the form of its gorgeous opening track, "Myth."

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Wilco: "Misunderstood" Live (Time-Lapse Video)

Revisiting "Misunderstood" -- a tune that never fails to make a Wilco show feel special -- would be a welcome treat regardless, but throw some time-lapse photography depicting a trip to one hometown gig into the mix and I'm completely on board. Richie Wireman shot a host of images revolving around the band's Civic Opera House concert in Chicago last December, shown here with a soundboard recording of said live favorite as the soundtrack. Watch/hear Wilco perform "back in [their] old neighborhood" above.

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The Tallest Man Debuts "Little Brother"

After a few months spent at home amid Sweden's Northern Lights-featuring winter, working on the follow-up to 2010's The Wild Hunt LP and Sometimes the Blues Is Just a Passing Bird EP, another Tallest Man on Earth record looks to be imminent. And as a first -- or possibly second -- taste of what's to come, Kristian Matsson brought new material out to South Africa last night for his live debut in the country. Birds Need Feet spotted a clip with decent audio of one promising tune: "Little Brother," a fresh yet familiar-feeling fingerpicked gem of the solo-electric variety, à la "The Dreamer." Hear the early live preview above.

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Tom Jones and Jack White: "Evil"

Sir Tom Jones' debut single for Third Man Records surfaced today, complete with an all-star backing band featuring Jack White, Raconteurs/Van Lear Rose drummer Patrick Keeler, and Carl Broemel of My Morning Jacket. Not sure how to set the stage for this show-stopping rework of Howlin' Wolf's "Evil" except to say that septuagenarian rock is back with a vengeance, ladies and gentleman. With all due respect to the knighted crooner's subdued recent efforts inspired by gospel ballads, this powerful, Vegas-ready arrangement seems to fit the legend best. Hear the official stream above, thanks to TMR.

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Bill Callahan: "So Long, Marianne" (Leonard Cohen Cover)

If ever there were an heir apparent to the poetic legacy and measured grace of Leonard Cohen, Bill Callahan would be my pick--with perhaps Jens Lekman, in terms of humor, being a worthy runner-up. Now the man formerly known as Smog has joined a host of artists paying their debt to Cohen in the wake of his new record with a reverent cover. Joining the likes of Will Oldham, emerging 24B fave Michael Kiwanuka, Cass McCombs, Marc Ribot, and others, Callahan mined Cohen's debut LP for a faithful take on "So Long, Marianne." Stream it above, while samples from MOJO's full tribute disc can be previewed here.