Last August, Kill Rock Stars shared a handful of alternate recordings from Elliott Smith’s years with the label, and now comes another intriguing track from the vaults, coming this time from an unexpected source. Tony Lash, the former drummer of Heatmiser, uploaded (h/t Lisa) the band’s take on “Christian Brothers,” a song Elliott would go on to release in solo form on his self-titled 1995 LP. While the vocal and lyrics resemble his sophomore record version, this one takes a decidedly electric turn, not as heavy as Heatmiser’s earlier post-punk output and more in line with their final album, Mic City Sons. That period marked a remarkably transitional time in Smith’s career, which — taken with the fact that Lash mastered his first two solo albums — makes this discovery a fine document of the moment where both projects were near-seamless. Hear it above.
