MP3: Surfer Blood Covers Pavement's "Box Elder"

Well, now we know what this was about.Although County Grind enjoyed Surfer Blood's interpretation of Lit's "My Own Worst Enemy" plenty, taking on an early Pavement track is likely to rustle up more high-brow plaudits. "Box Elder," a song about getting the fuck out of Stockton, California (or possibly West...

By Reed Fischer

October 11, 2010

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Although County Grind enjoyed Surfer Blood's interpretation of Lit's "My Own Worst Enemy" plenty, taking on an early Pavement track is likely to rustle up more high-brow plaudits. "Box Elder," a song about getting the fuck out of Stockton, California (or possibly West Palm Beach), figured into the guys' set at Denver's Bluebird Theater on Sunday (10/10/10 at exactly 10:10!) with the Drums and the Dewars, and now a studio version is circulating for MP3 download via HalfwayHouseMusic.com.

The track from Pavement's 1989 Slay Tracks EP is one of four songs

recently recorded at the Stone House studio in Grand Rapids, Michigan. No video for it, but watch the other three: "Floating Vibes," "Fast Jabroni," and the

as-yet-unreleased "I'm Not Ready" (posted below).

Plus: some of the early reviews of Surfer Blood's locally based tourmates the Dewars' introduction to the rest of the country made us chuckle.

Sister paper Westword in Denver said: "You have to have a sense of humor,

apparently, to survive being a band like this in West Palm Beach,

Florida."

From Thursday's performance in Boise, Idaho, Boise Weekly writes: "Call it nerdcore minus the core."

Tuesday's stop in Vancouver yielded these gems: "Imagine The Proclaimers and David Bowie getting together to write music for the circus."
and
"Bonus points for the xylophone/tambourine player who looked like he was

picked off the corner of Hastings and Main and given an instrument; his

frenetic playing seemed to power the band throughout the set."

So far, still kinder than Miami New Times.

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