Jesse Malin Takes On Neil Young, The Clash

Posted on Apr 9th 2008 2:00PM by John D. Luerssen
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On the heels of his acclaimed 2007 album 'Glitter in the Gutter' -- which featured a cameo by Bruce Springsteen on the single 'Broken Radio' and was released through Billie Joe Armstrong's Adeline Records -- singer-songwriter Jesse Malin is ready to drop some more names. Only this time, he's doing so with an album of covers. The effort, titled 'On Your Sleeve,' which hit UK shelves this week, features takes on songs by Lou Reed, Neil Young, Elton John, Sam Cooke and the Clash, among others. The only problem? Fans in the U.S. may be SOL.

"I'm working on it," Malin tells Spinner when asked if the material will be obtainable via digital outlets like iTunes at the very minimum. "I don't know. The music business is in a crazy place."

Meanwhile, Malin is no stranger to the occasional cover but a full album's worth wasn't planned. "It started out as a joke," he says. "I just thought it would be a fun project, like making a mixtape for somebody. My wacky schizophrenia made it a hard group of songs to sequence on one record. It was done fast and cheap over the holidays as something I could out before my next original release."

Nevertheless, Malin is to be credited to making the songs very much his own. "A straight rendering will send me to New Jersey 's cover band circuit or a drunken karaoke party," he concedes with a laugh. "It's fun to try and make the songs your own. And it's fun singing other people's lyrics. When you figure out these songs it makes you look at your own writing differently."