I was recently reminded of this tribute album from 2004 from a fellow blogger and Last.fm member (you know who you are!!) and so I started listening to it again.  I found that I still really like many of the tracks, like really like them.

The tribute is currently available on iTunes in a condensed version, but it is the 2 disc limited release that is the real catch.  With only 500 copies, it is well out of print and only available in digital form circling various websites.  Don’t get me wrong, the current available release (from 2006) is more than worth picking up and includes the below track list:

01. Mark Kozelek “New Partner” {MP3 sample}
02. Moyra Mc Bride and Maxon Blewitt “Disorder” {MP3 sample}
03. The Strugglers “Riding” {MP3 sample}
04. Boy Omega “A Sucker’s Evening” {MP3 sample}
05. Jolie Holland “Drunk At The Pulpit” {MP3 sample}
06. The Impossible Shapes “Rider”
07. Calexico “I Send My Love To You” {MP3 sample}
08. Pinetop Seven “A Minor Place” {MP3 sample}
09. Elephant Micah “Ohio River Boat Song”
10. Sodastream “Southside Of The World”
11. Pink Nasty “May It Always Be” {MP3 sample}
12. The Court And Spark “The Sun Highlights The Lack In Each”
13. Iron And Wine “We All, Us Three, Will Ride” {MP3 sample}
14. Racingpaperplanes “Careless Love”
15. Viking Moses “When Thy Song Flows Through Me”
16. Rivulets “You Will Miss Me When I Burn” {MP3 sample}
17. Unbunny “For The Mekons, Et Al”
18. Scout Niblett “Trudy Dies” {MP3 sample}

So you can see, this is a fairly decent line up.  Not all tracks really work great, but overall it is worth a listen.  I personally like the Rivulets, Calexico, Elephant Micah and The Strugglers versions the best (The Strugglers’ “Riding” always makes me sing out loud!).  I would like to provide you with a couple tracks that are not on the “re-release” as hence, they basically are not available anymore.  If you have a copy, consider yourself lucky as I envy not ordering my copy when I had the chance.

The two tracks I leave you with are too good to not have made the re-release, I just don’t get it.  I am partial to both Christian Kiefer’s track for “Viva Ultra” and Jeffrey Luck Lewis’ version of “Agnes, Queen of Sorrow”, they are just too good.  Well, for whatever reason they should have been included so take a listen below for more love via cover song, er…tribute songs to Mr. Will Oldham.

Visit Tract Records here to order the re-release and a bit more info on the project.  If you are cool with just the digital copy of the re-release, the above link for iTunes is a great option – did I say $9.99 for the 18 track album?!?!?

~Smansmith