Ben Gibbard Curates Yoko Ono Tribute LP Feat David Byrne, Sharon Van Etten, Flaming Lips And More
Wednesday, 05 January 2022
Written by Jon Stickler
Death Cab For Cutie's Ben Gibbard has curated a compilation celebrating the work of Yoko Ono.
'Ocean Child: Songs Of Yoko Ono' will arrive through Canvasback Music/Atlantic Records on February 18 and feature 14 reworkings of the singer-songwriter, artist and activist's tracks performed by a variety of artists.
Guests include David Byrne, Deerhoof, The Flaming Lips, Sharon Van Etten, and Japanese Breakfast, among others, with a portion of all proceeds going to WhyHunger.
As a preview, a cover of Who Has Seen The Wind? by Byrne and Yo La Tengo has been shared. Check out the album's artwork above and tracklist below. Gibbard said:
"Yoko makes art that teaches all of us that peace is possible. 'Ocean Child: Songs of Yoko Ono' was born out of both love and frustration. The 'love' part is pretty obvious; It is the seemingly bottomless well of inspiration and enjoyment Yoko Ono's music has provided me and I must assume everyone else present here on this compilation. The 'frustration' part, on the other hand, goes back decades.
"As an advocate, the tallest hurdle to clear has always been the public's ignorance as to the breadth of Yoko's work. To put it into context; This is an artist whose output has run the gamut from avant-garde to bubblegum pop, often across a single album. For years, it has been my position that her songwriting has been criminally overlooked. She has consistently created melodies as memorable as those of best pop writers. As a lyricist, she has always written with poignance, sophistication and deep introspection.
"Some of her best songs have been covered and compiled here by a generation-spanning group of musicians for whom her work has meant so much. It is my sincere hope that a new crop of Yoko Ono fans fall in love with her songwriting due in some small part to this album we have put together."
The release will be accompanied by a podcast hosted by Gibbard and music journalist Jenny Eliscu. Check out a trailer below.
'Ocean Child: Songs Of Yoko Ono' tracklist:
1. Toyboat - Sharon Van Etten
2. Who Has Seen The Wind - David Byrne And Yo La Tengo
3. Dogtown - Sudan Archives
4. Waiting For The Sunrise - Death Cab For Cutie
5. Yellow Girl (Stand For Life) - Thao
6. Born In A Prison - US Girls
7. Growing Pain - Jay Som
8. Listen, The Snow Is Falling - Stephin Merritt (of Magnetic Fields)
9. No No No - Deerhoof
10. Don't Be Scared - We Are KING
11. Mrs Lennon - The Flaming Lips
12. No One Sees Me Like You Do - Japanese Breakfast
13. There Is No Goodbye Between Us - Yo La Tengo
14. Run Run Run - Amber Coffman
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