Gogol Bordello‘s Eugene Hutz has curated a new compilation titled NYContinuity Vol.1: New New York Does Old New York that will be out April 4 via Casa Gogol Records. As the title implies, it features current NYC artists (and a few veterans) covering some classic songs this city has given us. “Arriving in NYC in 1997, I no longer felt like a marginal freakaholic,” explains Eugene Hütz. “The city took me under its wing, picked me up, and pinned me straight into the lineage where I belonged. NYContinuity is dedicated to preserving and perpetuating NYC’s unique ability to define the blueprint the world will inevitably copy for the next 15–20 years.”
Hutz adds, “Music comes from a generational cross pollination. The greatest thing about punk rock was that it had an unprecedented mix of people of all backgrounds and all ages striking new sparks out of each other.”
NYContinuity includes Puzzled Panther (which Eugene Hutz and Yeah Yeah Yeahs drummer Brian Chase play in) covering Sonic Youth‘s “Dirty Boots,” wild trio Pons covering Suicide‘s “Fast Money Music,” Gogol Bordello taking on Jesse Malin‘s “You Know It’s Dark When Atheist Starts to Pray,” a duet between Hutz and Karen O, and more.
There are also a couple covers of songs that didn’t orginate in NYC, like Abazza (ft Steve Shelley) and Hutz doing Joy Division‘s “Isolation” and Crazy & The Brains taking on Swedish band The Teddybears‘s 2006 collab with Iggy Pop, “Punkpocker.”
They’ve shared the comp’s opening track, Grace Bergere covering The Velvet Underground‘s “All Tomorrow’s Parties” with Thurston Moore. You can listen to that and check out NYContinuity‘s artwork and tracklist below.
There’s a NYContinuity record release party on April 5 at Bowery Ballroom featuring performances by Puzzled Panther, Grace Bergere, Mary Shelley, Pons, DJ Hutz and Freak Mods, and special guests The Yagas (featuring Vera Farmiga).
NYContinuity Vol.1: New New York Does Old New York
1. Grace Bergere (feat. Thurston Moore) – “All Tomorrow’s Parties” (The Velvet Underground)
2. Puzzled Panther – “Fractured”
3. Mary Shelley – “Bourgeois de Ville”
4. Pons – “Fast Money Music” (Suicide)
5. Puzzled Panther – “Dirty Boots” (Sonic Youth)
6. Mary Shelley – “The Great Curve” (Talking Heads)
7. Karen O & E. Hutz (Merc Yes Mix) – “Raven”
8. Crazy & The Brains (Freak Mods and Hutz Remix) – “Punk Rocker” (Teddybears ft. Iggy Pop)
9. Abazaba (feat. Eugene Hutz) – “Isolation” (Joy Division)
10. Mary Shelley (Freak Mods Remix) – “Bourgeois de Ville”
11. BKGD Audio – “Fun” (Murphy’s Law)
12. Grace Bergere (Mr. Pharmacist aka Gregg Foreman Remix) – “A Little Blood”
13. Gogol Bordello – “You Know It’s Dark When Atheist Starts to Pray” (Jesse Malin)