Fontaines D.C. may have lost their first Grammy race to creative forebears the Strokes, but hey, at least they were covered by an even earlier alt-rock pioneer. Lou Barlow of Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh, and the Folk Implosion has recorded a version of the title track from last year’s A Hero’s Death.

Two days ago, on St. Patrick’s Day, Barlow released a quick four-song solo EP titled St. Patrick’s Day 2021 soundtrack! The tracklist includes “Hero’s Death,” his incorrectly titled run through the Fontaines song. (But then, the cover art for Barlow’s EP bills it as The Lou Barlow And Family St. Patrick’s Day Special, which is different from the title on Bandcamp, so methinks he doesn’t care that much about titular consistency.) I guess he covered Fontaines for St. Patrick’s Day because they are Irish?

Whereas the original was a loud swirl of noise, this is just Barlow and an acoustic guitar. It’s an interesting take on the song, one well worth hearing for Barlow fans and Fontaines heads alike. Hear Barlow’s EP below — “Hero’s Death” is track three — and read our in-depth interview about the Fontaines album here.

Who’s hype for that new Dinosaur Jr. album? And tour?!