Love(less) by way of Athens, GA

Japancakes are an instrumental collective from Athens, Ga who made one of my favorite sleepy autumn records, a blissed-out chamber music meets Austin drone-pop affair with fluttering strings, flute and pedal steel. On their new record, out today, Japancakes cover the Cocteau Twins’ “Heaven or Las Vegas”, but what really blows my mind is learning that they’re going to release a cover of one of my favorite all-time records, My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless, come November.
The last time I was this blown out was when Petra covered Pete.

But these yammerin internets carry wind of another Athens native, Vic Chesnut, and another exciting musical collaboration. Vic headed up to Montreal (which I believe is Quebecian for “rock and roll hotbed“) and recorded an album with Guy Picciotto of Fugazi and members of Silver Mt Zion and Godspeed You Black Emperor. Now, I’m a big fan of these modern-day Fishtank-type collaborations: Low and the Dirty Three, Calexico and Iron & Wine, Tortoise and Will Oldham, etc. But I never would have anticipated a meeting like this and I can’t wait to hear the whole thing. A tour would be even wilder.