Le Moribond

Beirut's show at this year's SXSW was, by all accounts, unmissable. I mentioned before how the nice people at KEXP recorded it, and I've since come across this cover, played at the show, of a song by Jacques Brel - a strong influence on Zach Condon. It's very nicely done, and while I'm unfamiliar with the original, it makes me want to investigate.

Beirut - Le Moribond (Jacques Brel)

Joanna Newsom's been playing another interesting cover lately, of a Scottish folk song. This one's a grower, it takes a little longer for the lonely figures of the song to make their ways out of the words, but it happens, given time, and it is something.

Joanna Newsom - Ca' the Yowes to the Knowes (live)

And lastly, 'Broken Window', b-side to the Arcade Fire's new single 'Keep The Car Running' is making the rounds, and it sounds quite nice; a little more understated than much of what's on the album, not good enough to join those songs, but very nice none the less. It's a little like a traumatised version of Annual's 'Brother'. You can buy the single here.