After dropping their first proper album in seven years, Echo Mine, this past winter, the experimental roots-rock cult favorites Califone returned with a cover of Elliott Smith’s “Needle In The Hay” as an Amazon exclusive. Today they’re sharing some great news about that cover: It’s now available at all DSPs, paired with another excellent Califone cover.
Tim Rutili and friends have become the latest musicians to pay tribute to the late, great John Prine, who died from coronavirus complications this past April. They’ve chosen to cover “Crazy As A Loon” from Prine’s 2005 release Fair & Square, matching his homespun folksy storytelling with the deconstructed warmth that has been coursing through Califone’s music for decades. It’s an excellent fit.
Listen below.
“Needle In The Hay” and “Crazy As A Loon” are out now on Jealous Butcher. In other Califone news, yesterday Rutili shared a mix for Toronto’s AM Radio.
