New Rufus Wainwright - "Katonah (The Death Of The Firstborn)"
This track comes from Plague Songs, an album commissioned by the arts organization Artangel and comprising contributions from stalwarts and Stereogum faves including Stephin Merritt, Brian Eno (and Robert Wyatt), and Rufus Wainwright. Each artist was asked to pen a song inspired by one of the ten biblical plagues in the Book of Exodus as part of a film and a larger, public art project in the British city of Margate. Getting flamboyantly-gay Rufus on board may have drawn ire from the faithful, but maybe they'll forgive him after a listen to his velvety vibrato.
Rufus Wainwright - "Katonah (The Death Of The Firstborn)" (MP3 link removed)
It's vintage Wainwright, sounding much like the half-time, guitar-based tunes he penned while in rehab that appeared on the awesome Want One. But instead of being about boys, his father, and Britney Spears, it's about the Bible. Where else do you go after covering Judy Garland?
Plague Songs is out 10/2 in the UK, 11/7 in the States.
Posted at 10:56 AM in MP3
Tags: Rufus Wainwright
i love Rufus alot but i really only like him when he rocks a bit more. His crooner stuff like this doesn't do it for me so much....
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Thanks a ton for this track. Its stuff like this that makes me visit this site way too often.
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i think the faithful might be more offended by the lead track's repeated usage of the f-bomb RIGHT after quoting scripture.
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really good track, sounds a bit more like Want two rather.
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Thanks a lot for this track - I love Rufus. And that might be Martha on backing vocals. Awesome, I love her even more!
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no, that is NOT Martha Wainwight on backing vocals. it is Rufus' half-sister, Lucy Roche. they have performed the song live numerous times together
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Thanks for the Mp3!
*stoked for new album*
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People tend to get distracted from his gorgeous voice by his songwriting, but Rufus can take any material and make it better just by covering it. He's just amazing.
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A truly amazing song, I love it. I also think it is cool that he made a song about jack johnson, who many of us from the Katonah knew...
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