I’m thrilled to see that Will Oldham, aka Bonnie “Prince” Billy, has covered the opening track, “All The Trees of the Field Will Clap Their Hands,” for a new tribute to Sufjan Stevens’ 2004 album Seven Swans, dubbed Seven Swans Reimagined, but one name on the 15-song record jumped out as a particularly pleasant surprise: The Gregory Brothers.
Sure, the group behind Auto-Tune the News and this year’s “Bed Intruder Song” sensation have made plenty of non-joke jams too, but who knew they were up for a rendition of Sufjan’s whispered folk-pop tune “The Dress Looks Nice On You.” As it turns out, the Brooklyn quartet have actually collaborated with Sufjan himself, providing background vocals on the Soof-produced debut by The Welcome Wagon (hear them sing backup here). In any event, I can’t wait to hear what the Gregory Brothers, Oldham, and the tribute’s 13 other acts have in store. Seven Swans Reimagined arrives on March 22, via On Joyful Wings, with all proceeds going to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The full tracklist is after the jump.
Seven Swans Reimagined (via Pitchfork)
01. Bonnie “Prince” Billy – “All The Trees of the Field Will Clap Their Hands”
02. The Gregory Brothers – “The Dress Looks Nice on You”
03. Derek Webb – “In the Devil’s Territory”
04. Joshua James – “To Be Alone With You”
05. Damion Suomi – “Abraham”
06. Unwed Sailor – “Sister”
07. Wakey!Wakey! – “Size Too Small”
08. Elin Smith – “We Won’t Need Legs to Stand”
09. DM Stith – “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”
10. Half-Handed Cloud – “He Woke Me Up Again”
11. Carl Hauck – “Seven Swans”
12. David Crowder Band – “The Transfiguration”
13. Jason Harrod – “I Went Dancing With My Sister” (B-side)
14. Shannon Stephens – “Waste of What Your Kids Won’t Have” (B-side)
15. Inlets – “Borderline” (B-side)