Midnight snacks in the mauseoleum

So Beck has had the inspired idea of starting a musical book club. See here.

His ‘Record Club’ brings together an interchangeable mix of musicians to cover an entire album by another artist in only one day. An informal meeting intended to evoke spontaneous bursts of creativity, nothing is pre-prepared or practised.

Everything is rough, nothing polished, and, according to the Record Club’s mission statement; their purpose is “only to play music and document what happens”

Artists that have been involved thus far include Nigel Godrich of Radiohead fame (yawn), MGMT, Devendra Banhart, Wilco, Leslie Feist, St. Vincent, Liars, and, oddly Giovanni Ribisi, who apparently has nothing to do with music, but played the part of Pheobe Buffay’s brother Frank in Friends.

It’s a brilliantly simple concept and no doubt it’s a thrill for musicians to be involved in something so impulsive and unstructured; going into a studio and not knowing what you’re going to come back out with- a nice break from the ostensible regimentation of recording an album I’d imagine!

It seems to be working well- so far the albums covered have been The Velvet Underground, The Songs of Leonard Cohen, Skip Spence’s Oar and Kick by INXS.

The most recent song released has been INXS’s “New Sensation”, with St. Vincent and Angus from Liars on lead vocals. Also featured is Sergio Dias of Os Mutantes* (yay!)

Record Club: INXS "New Sensation" from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

*Probably the main reason I made this post. I completely adore Os Mutantes, they sound like traditional tropicalia (essentially the Brazilian Beat Generation) band, the Beach Boys, the Beatles and, at times (or so I like to think), The Cramps, all rolled into one. If you’ve never listened, PLEASE download their début album (1968), inventively entitled “Os Mutantes”.

Os Mutantes factoid- Kurt Cobain wrote to them to personally request a reunion tour in the early ‘90s. Why or how the cornerstone of grunge came to love a Brazilian psychedelia band doesn’t matter, it’s simply more testament to their greatness!

You can download Os Mutantes’ “Os Mutantes” here.