For a while I thought that Mates of State’s “cutest couple” status might have been usurped by the rise of Matt & Kim, but Jason Hammel and Kori Gardner are back on the top of the lovey-dovey pile. They have just confirmed the completion of Crushes (The Covers Mixtape), their newest album and a semi-eclectic covers collection of love (or love-lorn) songs. Just take a look at the tracklisting.
01. Laura (Girls)
02. Son et Lumiere (The Mars Volta)
03. Sleep the Clock Around (Belle & Sebastian)
04. Technicolor Girls (Death Cab for Cutie)
05. Long Way Home (Tom Waits)
06. Love Letter (Nick Cave)
07. Second Hand News (Fleetwood Mac)
08. 17 Pink Sugar Elephants (Vashti Bunyan)
09. Roller Coaster Ride (Dear Nora)
10. True Love Will Find You in the End (Daniel Johnston)
Hammel and Gardner recorded and produced the album, with Peter Katis (The National, Swell Season, Interpol) as the third-wheel help with mixing. According to husband and wife, we can expect another Mates of State album in the not-so-distant future. “When we were finished, we couldn’t wait to write our own songs again,” they said. The Crushes album is out this summer, but in the meantime you can download “Laura” for free here or stream it at the Chocolate Grinder. Jason calls Kori a bitch!
• Mates of State: http://www.matesofstate.com
