links for 2010-02-08

I used to be a HUGE Decemberists junkie. I’m still a fan, but about five years ago they would easily have ranked in my top five favorite groups still making music. I’ve dropped slightly on the fandom radar, but have always kept up with the group. So for that reason I knew they had to be next on my list to assemble a collection of their covers. They’ve been performing for years and have always delighted fans with a wide range of covers. I mean really, it’s everything from Kate Bush to the Modern Lovers over here…

Welcome to the new weekly SPIN.com feature "Name That Band!" in which we get the inside stories behind the mysterious monikers of some of our favorite artists. This week: English dance-rock outfit Hot Chip, whose new album arrives Feb. 9.

f you've ever seen electro-soul whiz Jamie Lidell live, you know the guy can deliver ample amounts of ecstatic joy. It just feels good to be in the same room as him. So it makes a lot of sense that talented people including Beck, Feist, Grizzly Bear's Chris Taylor, Wilco's Pat Sansone, legendary R&B drummer James Gadson, soul belter Nikka Costa, Beck keyboardist Brian LeBarton, and producer/songwriter Gonzales would want to help out on Lidell's new album. That album is titled Compass and due out May 18 courtesy of Warp.