Bright Eyes cover White Stripes for 'Cool For School' charity compilation

Online-only album also features The Strokes' Albert Hammond Jr. doing Big Star

By Dave Lewis Tuesday, Oct 4, 2011 5:55 PM

Bright Eyes

Bright Eyes, The Strokes' Albert Hammond Jr., Cobra Starship and others have donated cover versions of classic school-themed tunes to the online-only charity compilation "Cool For School: For the Benefit of The Lunchbox Fund."

The album, which will help provide meals to South African students, also features Fences (doing Nirvana's "School"), Craig Wedren and Pink Ape teaming for the Smiths' "headmasters Ritual," and Luke Rathbone delivering his cover of Redd Kross' "I Hate My School." The album will be available on all online music stores this month via Manimal Vinyl Records.

Omaha indie stalwarts Bright Eyes and Swedish duo First-Aid kit teamed for a playful electronic version of the White Stripes' incessantly catchy "We're Gonna Be Friends."

Hear it below:

Meanwhile, while most previous covers (including takes by Wilco, Magnapop and Garbage) have been lowkey, acoustic guitar-driven affairs mimicking the original, Alebrt Hammond Jr. turns Big Star's pretty, plaintive ballad "Thirteen" into an up-tempo power-pop gem.

Hear it below:

In other cover news, former White Stripe jack White is one of the many artists paying tribute to country pioneer Hank Williams on "The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams." The project, spearheaded by Bob Dylan, features performers such as Sheryl Crow, Merle Haggard and Norah Jones creating melodies and arrangements for a dozen of Williams' unrecorded songs.

White has also recently covered U2 and, um, Mozart with the help of Insane Clown Posse.

Hear his Hank Williams tune tune here.

Now, if we could only use a time machine to get Hank Williams to cover Bright Eyes, the circle would be complete...

Dave Lewis
Producer

Dave Lewis has been a Los Angeles-based entertainment writer and editor for nearly ten years. Originally hailing from Minneapolis, he moved to L.A. in 1996 to attend USC, before working for various periodicals and web sites including a lengthy stint at Variety.com. He joined the HitFix staff in 2011.