The August edition of Spin magazine is primarily a special tribute to the 20th anniversary of Nirvana’s momentous “Nevermind”. You’ll find a number of celebs writing about what the album means to them, like writer/musician Carrie Brownstein, REM’s Peter Buck, songstress Marnie Stern, Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, director John Waters, writer Sam Lipsyte, Henry Rollins and others. But there’s also a nice little gift tucked away in the back. It’s a 13-track tribute to the record, with artists as varied as Meat Puppets, Jessica Lea Mayfield, EMA and Surfer Blood covering songs off the record. Get the download for free at this page thanks to the magazine. Or just click on the album cover above. There are some low points, as there is with any cover record, but there are also some beauties. Some artists, like Titus Andronicus and Surfer Blood, play it straight, the latter blasting out a windows-rattling version of “Territorial Pissings”. But then there’s the soulful take on “Stay Away” by Charles Bradley and the Menahan Street Band — which makes the song completely their own. Note: Artwork takes the original album photo by Kirk Weddle and adds the Spin logo. — David D. Robbins Jr.
Titus Andronicus “Breed” (Nirvana Cover)
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