Swinging the world by the tail

Here's a funny story. Seriously, this one is fucking hilarious. Empty your bladder and get out of the library because this one is...

Wait, actually, it's not really that funny.

So I'm poking around in my feed reader the other day—because I have the time for that sort of thing, thankyouverymuch, Pilgrims and Indians—and that awesome Dutch site 3voor12 is telling me that they just posted the new Bonnie "Prince" Billy covers album. Now, I have little-to-no interest in Bonnie "Prince" Billy (though I do love the quote marks), but I'm interested in cover albums, so I clicked on it and listened awhile.

I was surprised. The sound was still dark and hushed, but it was smoother and more melodic than the other stuff I'd heard of his, and the vocals were shared with a sweet-voiced woman who sounded extremely familiar. The second song in particular—which the track listing was telling me was the cover of the Bjork and Thom Yorke song "I've Seen It All", but sounded prettier and with cornier lyrics than I could remember ever coming out of Bjork or Yorke—sounded gorgeous.

I was shocked that this was coming from Billy. Really shocked. So shocked, in fact, that I thought that maybe I'd check to make sure that the 3voor12 luisterpaal was playing me the right album. It wasn't. It was this one:

I'd been duped! I thought I was listening to an album that I'd previously had no interest in, but actually, I was listening to an album that I'd previously had no interest in! And liking it! Those Dutch. They'll always pull one over on ya like that. Right, Jen?

I don't think I ever would have checked out this Plant/Krauss collab, largely because that album cover looks so cheesy. "Where's our album title, Alison? I can't find it, and it should be here because the album is called Raising Sand and here we are in a ton of sand!" "It's just to your right, Robert! You're so tall, you were looking right over it!" "Oh! Ha ha! There it is! Thanks, Alison!"

Turns out T-Bone Burnett has his hands all over this one, which must be why it sounds so great. Take a listen, and enjoy knowing that it is NOT by Bonnie "Prince" Billy.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, "Killing The Blues"