In celebration of the 15th anniversary of their seminal album Let Go, Nada Surf are self-releasing Standing At The Gates: The Songs of Nada Surf’s Let Go, a charity album featuring a diverse list of artists covering the record including Aimee Mann, Rogue Wave, Ed Harcourt, Manchester Orchestra, Charly Bliss, Holly Miranda, Adia Victoria, and more.
To ring in the announcement, the band has shared Ron Gallo’s cover of Happy Kid. Of his version, he says, “I first heard Nada Surf on a mix CD a friend made me in high school that was pretty life-changing. It was 20+ songs from bands I had never heard of before. It opened the door to “underground” or “indie” music for me, and also the door to actually good songs being written by weirdos in the present day, which I didn’t know existed from listening to mostly south jersey pop-punk and hardcore music. I’m pretty sure it was the song “Paper Boats” from Let Go. I really sucked at making music back then so it’s cool to have this resurface many years later and be able to be apart of the compilation.”
Listen below. The album is out digitally on the 2nd February and on CD a month later.
Follow @madmackerel
Our penultimate round up of the year of the best of the week’s new releases. This week eight tracks from indie rock to honky tonk to folk to psych rock.
Rightly or wrongly, we always view Nada Surf as one of the archetypal American alternative rock / college radio bands with their blend of melodic indie rock and power pop that finds them often compared to bands like The New Pornographers and Death Cab For Cutie.