While on tour supporting his first solo album, veteran NYC punk troubadour Jesse Malin often performed a handful of cover songs to fill out the set. "It'd be part of the show to pull out weird things that I would be in to," says Malin. "Whether it was something I heard when I was a kid, like a Jim Croce song or a Ramones song done as a ballad, or hearing a new band like the Kills or the Hold Steady and wanting to cover one of their songs, just to mix up the set." "And then," he continues, "people would request certain covers and I just kept joking that one year I'll just make a covers record. I kind of just thought it was a joke, but people kept writing me, 'When are you going to do it?'" Last Christmas, Malin and his friends got together and bashed out On Your Sleeve in a week. The results will be released in the US on October 28 via One Little Indian Records. It'll include Malin's take on songs by the Bad Brains, Elton John, Johnny Thunders, Neil Young and more. "It's kind of a mix tape to a lover or friend," says Malin, "just the kind of stuff that I am into." Mailn went in with upwards of 30 song choices, and covers of The Flaming Lips, LCD Soundsystem and The Ramones ended up as bonus tracks or on the European version of the album. But one track in particular drew attention from it's original authors. Malin tended to run into members of the Hold Steady at various bars and airports, and when they heard he covered "You Can Make Him Like You," they pestered him to hear it, even though they were surprised that Malin changed the lyrics around a little. ("Him" becomes "Them," for instance.) It wasn't the only song that Malin rearranged. "Some were really changed a lot, but it's not like a Cat Power cover record where you change the melody and every thing and you just barely recognize (the song)," Mailn says. "I'm good at taking songs that are really fast and loud and do 'em really quiet. I like that, and the opposite, taking a quiet song and kind of pumping it up." For Sleeve he ended up recording Paul Simon's "Me And Julio Down By The School Yard" in the style of "Ballroom Blitz" by the glam rock group, the Sweet, and the Rolling Stones song "Sway" in the style of electronic minimalist duo, Suicide. "It's not meant to be a karaoke thing," says Malin, who hopes to have an album of original material out next year. "It's really just fun, it's kind of me tipping my hat to people as to what my influences are and why I've gotten into certain songs in different parts and times in my life." Tracklist For On Your Sleeve: 01. Leaving Babylon (Bad Brains) 02. Me And Julio Down By The School Yard (Paul Simon) 03. Sway (Rolling Stones) 04. Russian Roulette (Lords Of The New Church) 05. Walk On The Wild Side (Lou Reed) 06. You Can Make Them Like You (The Hold Steady) 07. Harmony (Elton John) 08. It's Not Enough (Johnny Thunders) 09. Looking For Love (Neil Young) 10. Lady From Baltimore (Tim Hardin) 11. Operator (Jim Croce) 12. Fairytale Of New York (The Pogues) 13. Hungry Heart (Bruce Springsteen) 14. Everybody's Talking (Harry Nilsson) Tour Dates For Jesse Malin: 10/03 - New York, NY - Bowery Electric 10/04 - New York, NY - Bowery Electric 10/07 - Buffalo, NY - Mohawk Place 10/09 - Boston, MA - Middle East 10/10 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church 10/12 - Atlanta, GA - Park Tavern 11/02 - Red Bank, NJ - Count Basie Theatre www.jessemalin.com
