AmazonFlashback: 2004. Ottawa singer-songwriter Kathleen Edwards has made a bit of a name for herself with her debut album Failer the year before, and perhaps seeking to solidify the lucrative “people-who-buy-their-CDs-while-buying-coffee” demographic, contributes a song to the Starbucks/Hear Music-assembled Sweetheart: Love Songs compilation. This places her alongside artists like Aimee Mann and Josh Ritter in recording love songs covers, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Edwards chooses to reinterpret a Tom Petty song from his 1989 solo album, Full Moon Fever.

Eight years and three albums and one solid career later, Edwards seems poised to have a real breakout year, thanks more to the excellence of her latest record Voyageur and not the music-buying impulses of caffeine addicts. And you know, that’s probably for the best. Exclaim, Post City, Express Night Out and The Washington Post have interviews with Edwards and her show at The Phoenix this coming Saturday – February 11 – is just about sold out. Tom Petty’s last record with the Heartbreakers or without was 2010’s Mojo. Starbucks has largely abandoned their Hear Music initiative, but there were three more Valentine’s-timed Sweetheart covers comps released over the years – 2005, 2009 and 2010.

MP3: Kathleen Edwards – “A Face In The Crowd”
Video: Tom Petty – “A Face In The Crowd”

Liam MaloneyI live in a world where I believe everyone loves Tom Petty. And why wouldn’t everyone? The man’s got one of the best catalogs of rock songs of the past 30 years, puts on a great live show and was the best thing in The Postman, though that may be more of a commentary on The Postman than Petty.

Handsome Furs love them some Tom Petty too, as evidenced by this cover they pulled out at a 2007 hometown club show in Montreal. And while covering Petty isn’t especially uncommon, the duo of Boeckner and Perry eschewed the strummy country-rockers that most try on for size and went for Petty’s 1982 hit “You Got Lucky” – an unusual tune for the Heartbreakers, with its dark tone and New Wave synths but a perfect fit for Handsome Furs for exactly those reasons.

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers are currently on tour for their latest album Mojo and will be at the Air Canada Centre next week on August 25. Handsome Furs are currently on the back burner as Boeckner tends to Wolf Parade – they’re at the Sound Academy on November 26 – but considering that the man is both prolific and a workaholic, expect to see a new Handsome Furs record sooner rather than later.

MP3: Handsome Furs – “You Got Lucky”
Video: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – “You Got Lucky”