The Lagniappe Sessions :: Omni (Second Session)

Just prior to the lockdown, Omni recorded their second entry for the Lagniappe Sessions. While their 2016 initial set paid tribute to ‘the best Alice Cooper song you’ve never heard’, here, the Atlanta trio take on Billy Joel’s FM radio-ready paean to the shadow self — “The Stranger.” Next up… some 10cc!

The Lagniappe Sessions :: Julien Gasc

For this week’s installment of the Lagniappe Sessions, Gasc chose a fitting selection of tunes that feels something like a stripped-down companion piece to his debut lp, ‘L’Appel de la Forêt’. Now at Aquarium Drunkard, the Toulouse, France based troubadour covering Marie Laforêt, The Who and Michel Delpech.

The Lagniappe Sessions :: Black Lips

Prior to the release of their ninth record — the incredibly apt titled Sing In A World That’s Falling Apart — Black Lips touched down in Los Angeles for a secret show at Gold Diggers in East Hollywood. The following Lagniappe Session was cut just prior in the studio out back. Having morphed in both personnel and sound in recent years, drummer Oakley Munson runs us through the band’s cover selects, below — from drawing inspiration from Hank Williams to long lost VU nuggets …

The Lagniappe Sessions :: Ilyas Ahmed

One of the underground’s most reliable figures for the past decade-and-a-half, Ilyas Ahmed isn’t an easy artist to pin down…for his debut Lagniappe Session, Ahmed doesn’t bother digging out obscurities. Instead, he offers awesomely fresh spins on classics from the Rolling Stones, Joy Division and the Velvet Underground, turning these well-worn tunes inside out and revealing new colors.

The Lagniappe Sessions :: Ben Watt

“Shed a skin, it’s no big thing,” Ben Watt sings on “You’ve Changed, I’ve Changed,” one of the 10 songs that makes up the Everything But The Girl co-founder’s new album, Storm Damage. Watt’s long career has demonstrated his ability to shift approaches, but no matter the format—glistening electronic music or autumnal Britfolk—his thoughtful voice remains constant. For his first ever Lagniappe Session, he brings two gorgeous covers of Sharon Van Etten’s “Comeback Kid” and Ten City’s “That’s The Way Love Is.”

The Lagniappe Sessions :: Yann Tiersen

…original pieces that could be described as minimalist are uprooted and placed into entirely different realms, as Tiersen tackles a 16+ minute Steve Reich piece, a classic Françoise Hardy chanson, and a tune by country gospel musician E.C. Ball. In the hands of Tiersen all become transformed.

The Lagniappe Sessions :: Elkhorn

For their inaugural Lagniappe Session, guitar duo Elkhorn take on the traditional ballad “Morning Dew,” as heard by Bonnie Dobson via Garcia, the aforementioned Robbie Basho, Dave Holland, Sonic Youth, and a new traditional song, “John Henry,” often heard as a ballad and a hammer song or work song.

The Lagniappe Sessions :: The Districts

Save the date: March 2020 — the return of The Districts via their fourth lp, You Know I’m Not Going Anywhere. Gearing up for the release, the Pennsylvania based quartet donned their Santa caps for this month’s installment of the Lagniappe Sessions unpacking a bag of covers ranging from OMD, Tusk era Fleetwood Mac, Psychic TV & more.

The Lagniappe Sessions :: Modern Nature

Ultimate Painting’s Jack Cooper returned last month with Modern Nature, an ever-evolving ensemble that headily widens the lens of UP’s paisley psychedelia. This new project expands the scope sonically, fusing British folk influences with chamber-clothed experimental rock and spiritual jazz ragas. For this installment of the Lagniappe Sessions, Cooper and co. lean in mightily, embracing their sonic and creative influences.

The Lagniappe Sessions :: Gruff Rhys

A swirling amalgamation of Syd Barrett psychedelia, contemporary UK indie and the pop instincts of Brian Wilson, I recall having to inquire as to the definition of “sui generis” when reading a feature on the Welsh group Super Furry Animals in the mid-90s. A descriptor which holds true today.

Beginning in 2005, with the all-Welsh language Yr Atal Genhedlaeth, SFA’s Gruff Rhys has been releasing a steady stream of solo output since. Spanning myriad means of modality, language and approach, Friday sees the release of the artist’s seventh lp, Pang!. For this installment of the Lagniappe Sessions, Rhys tucks into Jenny Sorrenti, the ever-potent Kevin Ayers and the incredibly underrated Boston group, Cardinal.