Photo by Lucia Holm

Just yesterday, I mentioned both The Church and Nicole Atkins in separate newsy items, and now today the two come together. And the context is this – Nicole is releasing an EP of covers cheekily entitled Nicole Atkins Digs Other People’s Songs and contained therein will be Nicole’s takes on The Doors’ “Crystal Ship”, Mama Cass Elliot’s “Dream A Little Dream”, Nada Surf’s “Inside Of Love” and The Church’s “Under The Milky Way”.

The Doors song has long been a staple of her live shows, so that makes sense, and the Mama Cass song suits her style perfectly. The Nada Surf song… sure, why not, but The Church cover is a pleasant surprise though as she tells Stereogum, who have a stream of said cover, it was her “favorite song in high school”. Who’d have thunk it? It’s a bit of a shame that there’s no definitive version of her take on Patti Smith’s “Pissing In A River”, though – I mean, just watch the vid below. Far as I know the only decent recording is from Austin City Limits last year and that’s only available via iTunes.

Anyway, the EP will be out on Tuesday in digital form for sure and in physical form maybe? I have yet to find any evidence that there’ll be a CD, but nowhere do they say “digital only” either, and the luddite in me still likes to thing that the CD is the default format for releasing music. Either way, it’s coming.

Nicole talks a bit about the EP in a recent MySpace blog post and also mentions that after this upcoming leg of touring, she and The Sea will be hunkering down to work on album number two, which she anticipates taking a heavier, rockier direction. There’s more Nicole blog action at her Tumblr and there’s a two-part video interview at MOG.com from earlier this Summer.

Video: Nicole Atkins & The Sea – “Pissing In A River” (live)

An Aquarium Drunkard has an interview with Kurt Wagner of Lambchop, whose OH (ohio) is out October 7 and who will be playing the Drake Underground solo on October 6.

PopMatters talks to Alan Sparhawk whilst wearing his Retribution Gospel Choir hat.

Shannon McCardle, formerly of the Mendoza Line, discusses her solo debut Summer Of The Whore with Blurt.

Filter has posted the entirety of their recent cover story on Flight Of The Conchords. This article, along with their cover feature in Under The Radar (along with hilarious photo spread) was key to getting me to watch the show. Season two is supposed to start up sometime around January of next year.

Sonic Boom will be hosting another in-store on September 13 at 7PM, this one featuring $100 and Castlemusic.