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Cold War Kids Cover Leonard Cohen

In celebration of the release of Leonard Cohen’s new LP, Old Ideas, this week, a number of artists influenced by the great songwriter’s oeuvre have paid homage to our mutual hero by covering his work. Greg Dulli went the faithful route on “Paper Thin Hotel” with a reverent take on Cohen’s Death Of A Ladies’ Man cut, Cold War Kids morphed “There Is a War” into what sounds very much like a Cold War Kids song. In our view, connecting the dots between a band’s own sound and their inspiration is a fine way to pay tribute to the master.

Check out in-studio footage of the SoCal group laying down the tracks, a brief interview in which they explain their song choice, and a tight, presumably well-rehearsed live version below (via Filter):

Ben Folds Five Reunite for LP

Last year, Ben Folds, Robert Sledge, and Darren Jessee reconvened in the studio to record some of their first new Ben Folds Five material in over a decade, but the trio are not done yet: “It’s happening fo sho – Day 1 in studio with Robert and Darren through March #NewBenFoldsFiveRecord,” said Folds on Twitter yesterday (via Spin). Later he suggested that the album is aiming to be released this spring.

Not bad, right? New Fiona Apple and Ben Folds Five are on the way. For some of us, 2012 is looking to be a year rife with nostalgia, but here’s hoping the inspired piano-pop of yore will make a comeback with the new generation as well.

For a taste of what’s to come, check out 2011’s “House” — the most recent recording from Folds, Sledge, and Jessee — below:

Bright Eyes Reissues + Conor Oberst Fights Omaha Law

With the promotional rounds on their excellent 2011 LP, The People’s Key, tapering off, Conor Oberst, Bright Eyes, and other folks at Saddle Creek are back to making headlines in their home base of Omaha, Nebraska. The first story to catch our attention from the indie heartland this week is some great news for longtime Bright Eyes fans: 6 pre-Lifted releases are getting the vinyl reissue treatment this spring, including A Collection of Songs Written and Recorded 1995-1997, Oh Holy Fools – The Music of Son, Ambulance and Bright Eyes, Letting Off the Happiness, Every Day and Every Night, Fevers and Mirrors, and There is No Beginning to the Story.

These records (all of which we can confirm are a must-hear/own for those looking to trace back the steps from better-known later material) will be released in pairs on three separate dates. You can check out the details or pre-order the whole set here.

Now for a political piece of news coming from a number of artists on the Saddle Creek roster: “We find [Senator Beau McCoy’s proposed LB 912 law] deplorable and unacceptable,” wrote Oberst, Orenda Fink, Laura Burhenn, Clark Baechle, and 12 other notable Omaha-based musicians to Nebraska senators, opposing a measure that would, they say, “effectively squash” Councilman Ben Gray’s proposed “citywide ordinance that would ensure equal employment opportunity for all, including our LGBT community.”

Furthermore, Oberst and Co. assert that defending this issue could be of vital importance to the future of the state’s burgeoning arts scene. Given that Mike Mogis’ studio in said scene recently produced this stunning piece of musical art, that’s a scary thought. Read the full letter here.