Now here's one of the coolest projects I've ever had the pleasure of reviewing! Kitten Robot Records' first-ever split 7" release pairs the label's founder Josie Cotton with the mighty Hayley and the Crushers. When Hayley and the Crushers joined the Kitten Robot family a few years back, I couldn't get over what a perfect union that was. Josie Cotton and Hayley and the Crushers together encompass multiple generations of incredible pop music fronted by strong, inspiring women. Josie Cotton was surely an influence on Hayley and the Crushers, and no doubt Josie Cotton found Hayley and the Crushers to be kindred spirits. Those who love Hayley and the Crushers would be well-served to check out Josie Cotton's catalog. And those who grew up on Josie Cotton are sure to be into Hayley and the Crushers. So now these two musical entities finally share a piece of vinyl, and it does not disappoint.
Josie Cotton's contribution to this split is "Day of the Gun," which originally appeared on the album of the same name. Somehow in one three-minute pop song, Ms. Cotton manages to summarize her entire philosophy on the history of the world. Reminiscent of both '60s pop music and spaghetti Westerns, "Day of the Gun" is both haunting and intoxicating. It finds a masterful artist at the top of her game, and her voice has never sounded better. I somehow missed the full album last year, but I've found it now and can't recommend it enough. It's extraordinary.
Hayley and the Crushers' contribution to this split is their cover of Iggy Pop's "Lust for Life," which was released this past fall as a digital single through Kitten Robot. The band recorded the song as a tribute to the city of Detroit, a community which has been incredibly welcoming to them. It's a tremendous rendition of a classic. You can sense the love for the original version, but of course Hayley and Dr. Cain put their signature style on it as well. You can hear the fun they had recording the song, and the energy level is off the charts. As I've previously stated, I don't think I ever fully appreciated the gonzo brilliance of the song's lyrics until I heard Hayley and Dr. Cain sing them. It made me want to go back and listen to the original again, and I suppose that would be an artist's primary goal in covering a song.
The Josie Cotton/Hayley and the Crushers split is a hit! The world is a better place now that bedroom turntable parties and dive bar jukeboxes can include these two songs. The 45 officially releases on Kitten Robot Records this Tuesday, but pre-sale is already live on the label's web site. Go get it!
https://kittenrobot.com/product/josie-hayley/
https://kittenrobotrecords.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/kittenrobotrecords
https://www.instagram.com/kittenrobotrecords/
https://www.hayleyandthecrushers.com/
https://www.instagram.com/hayleyandthecrushers/
https://www.facebook.com/hayleyandthecrushers
https://hayleyandthecrushers.bandcamp.com/
https://open.spotify.com/album/4cb9LURxMGnTTLjzeNpGQO
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