by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
The Magnetic Fields’ 69 Love Songs is one of the brightest shining achievements of late 90’s indie rock, a time where it seemed as though indie bands could do wrong and the “rock stars” of the 80’s and early 90’s were a thing of the past. It’s a massive collection that certainly requires patience and persistence, but to many, it’s a undeniably classic. Nearly twenty years later, Living Statue Records is set to release You Can Sing Me Anything: A Tribute to 69 Love Songs, a compilation that collects 69 of today’s best and brightest indie rock bands (Human People, Palehound, Sidney Gish, Fern Mayo, Thelma, Operator Music Band’s Dara Hirsch, etc). All proceeds from the compilation will go to No More Dysphoria, a nonprofit organization that helps trans and gender non conforming people with funds for major aspects of their transition. They’ve already shared Illuminati Hotties’ cover of “The Way You Say Good-Night,” and we’re excited to premiere Bedbug’s take on “The Book Of Love.”
The song from which the compilation’s title is derived, “The Book Of Love” is a weary and romantic song, one that’s sparse with little beyond a soft guitar strum and an orchestral vocal performance that croons and slinks into the baroque. Boston’s Bedbug, who released a tremendous lo-fi indie album of their own at the start of the year, bring their own flavor to the cover, a faithful rendition that reimagines the song with experimental reverb and ramshackle production, the whole thing threatening to sink in on itself at any moment. It’s warm and fuzzy, enacting the same impactful longing from the lyrics, with a heavy load more atmospheric textures and manipulated tape.
You Can Sing Me Anything: A Tribute to 69 Love Songs is out on December 14th via Living Statue Records.