Iggy Pop and Matt Sweeney have released their take on The Velvet Underground‘s “European Son”. The song is set to appear on the upcoming album, I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico, out on September 24th via Verve.
Of all the songs on the Velvet’s groundbreaking 1967 debut album, “European Son” travels the furthest from the rock norms of the time. Following a fairly conventional opening verse, the song descends into the murky waters of what would eventually be deemed noise rock. In this dark swamp of feedback, overdrive, and droning instrumentation, Pop and Sweeney make their home.
The collaboration between Pop and Sweeney bridges together two generations of the same alt-underground world the Velvets helped create. With Pop’s historic reputation as a forefather of punk—though don’t ever use that word around him—and Sweeney’s prolific status in the post-rock, pre-grunge underground circles, the two are able to create something completely new out of vintage materials like putting patches on an old denim vest.
“The Velvet Underground were rock and roll’s finest band. Iggy Pop remains rock and roll’s greatest singer,” Sweeney said in a press release. “I am thrilled and humbled that the joyous experience of getting deeply nasty with Iggy on ‘European Son’ can be heard by lifelong VU fans and newcomers.”
Related: Watch The Trailer For Todd Haynes’ New Velvet Underground Documentary [Video]
Also set to appear on I’ll Be Your Mirror are Matt Berninger, Courtney Barnett, Michael Stipe (R.E.M.), Kurt Vile & The Violators, St Vincent & Thomas Bartlett, Matt Berninger (The National), Sharon Van Etten with Angel Olsen, Thurston Moore & Bobby Gillespie, Andrew Bird & Lucius, Fontaines DC, and King Princess. The cover album was announced in July with Kurt Vile & The Violators’ rendition of “Run Run Run“.
Listen to Iggy Pop and Matt Sweeney’s take on “European Son” by The Velvet Underground. I’ll Be Your Mirror is available here for pre-order.
Iggy Pop & Matt Sweeney – “European Son” (The Velvet Underground)
[Video: Iggy Pop Official]
The post Iggy Pop, Matt Sweeney Crank Up The Noise On The Velvet Underground “European Son” Cover [Listen] appeared first on L4LM.
