Bonnie 'Prince' Billy is among the artists covering songs from Sufjan Stevens' 2004 album 'Seven Swans' for a tribute album in aid of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
Though hardly Sufjan's strongest or most popular album, it is his simplest and so perhaps offers the most scope for cover versions. With a host of alternative folk names on board Will Oldham will himself take on opening track 'All The Trees of the Field Will Clap Their Hands', while eccentric New Yorker and Sufjan's Asthmatic Kitty labelmate DM Stith is having a go at 'A Good Man Is Hard to Find'. The album will also include three B-sides that did not feature on the original record.
Here in entertainment towers we're particularly looking forward to hearing new versions of standout tracks 'To Be Alone With You' and 'Size Too Small' by Joshua James and Wakey! Wakey! respectively.
The full tracklist for 'Seven Swans Reimagined' is as follows:
01 Bonnie "Prince" Billy: "All The Trees of the Field Will Clap Their Hands"
02 The Gregory Brothers: "The Dress Looks Nice on You"
03 Derek Webb: "In the Devil's Territory"
04 Joshua James: "To Be Alone With You"
05 Damion Suomi: "Abraham"
06 Unwed Sailor: "Sister"
07 Wakey!Wakey!: "Size Too Small"
08 Elin Smith: "We Won't Need Legs to Stand"
09 DM Stith: "A Good Man Is Hard to Find"
10 Half-Handed Cloud: "He Woke Me Up Again"
11 Carl Hauck: "Seven Swans"
12 David Crowder*Band: "The Transfiguration"
13 Jason Harrod: "I Went Dancing With My Sister" (B-side)
14 Shannon Stephens: "Waste of What Your Kids Won't Have" (B-side)
15 Inlets: "Borderline" (B-side)
In other Sufjan related news, the oddball Michigan musician is set to make an appearance on the new record from Danielson, the project of New Jersey native Daniel Smith. Entitled 'Best of Gloucester County', the album will also feature cameos from Jens Lekman and Serena-Maneesh's Emil Nikolaisen. It follows 2006's 'Ships' which spawned the horrendously catchy 'Did I Step On Your Trumpet?' which you'll likely remember from a colourful ad for Spar sandwiches that year.