In recent years, the producer and XL Recordings founder Richard Russell has been releasing music under the name Everything Is Recorded.The project matches Russell with a variety of collaborators across genre, in that UNKLE or Gorillaz mode.
His latest mix-and-match job is pretty fascinating.Russell has long admired Callahan, whose Smog song “I’m New Here” became the title track on Gil Scott-Heron’s Russell-produced farewell album.
During sessions for an upcoming Everything Is Recorded album at the Chateau Marmont in LA, Russell reached out to Callahan and asked him who he’d want to write a song for.Callahan replied, “Noah Cyrus.” And so it transpired.
The collaboration, “Porcupine Tattoo,” is the A-side on a new Everything Is Recorded 7″ featuring Callahan on both tracks.(B-side “Norm,” as yet unreleased, features only Callahan, no Cyrus.
It’s billed as a tribute to Norm Macdonald.) “Porcupine Tattoo” is a stripped-down folk tune with slight gospel overtones, pairing Cyrus with Callahan’s pitched-down vocal.“I don’t want to be your God,” the song begins.
“I don’t even want to be Godly.” Listen below.“Porcupine Tattoo” b/w “Norm” is out now digitally and soon physically as a limited edition 7″ through XL in partnership with Callahan’s longtime label Drag City.
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