Sonic Youth took to their official Facebook and SoundCloud pages yesterday to share a few recordings from the archives in light of sad recent news of Don Van Vliet’s passing and in celebration of the more joyous upcoming Christmas holiday. The latter tribute, a cover of “Santa Doesn’t Cop Out on Dope” by actor/musician Martin Mull (who, BTW, stars in one of the best Tom Waits TV clips ever), originally appeared on the 1996 covers compilation Just Say Noël alongside tunes from Beck (“The Little Drum Machine Boy”), the Roots (“Millie Pulled A Pistol On Santa”), and others. In honor of Captain Beefheart, Sonic Youth shared their cover of his 1967 song “Electricity,” which they first released as a bonus track on the ’07 Daydream Nation reissue’s deluxe edition.
It’s pretty cool to see that SY’s vast archives contain at least a tune or two for every current event, happy or otherwise. Enjoy this week’s archival jams at the links above or below:
“Electricity” (Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band Cover)
“Santa Doesn’t Cop Out On Dope” (Martin Mull Cover)