Green Man 2011: Iron & Wine 'Such Great Heights' (Sub Pop, 2003)

Rustic, Americana version of the Indie/Electro pop classic.

Iron & Wine headline this year's Green Man Festival and have a rich back catalogue to draw from.

This re-setting of The Postal Service's insistent, yearning indie pop is a simply delightful means of conveying the song. The dry, dusty guitar and vocals render the song's inner beauty, erm, beautifully.

Originally released as an extra track on a Postal Service EP, Sub Pop went on to release it as an Iron & Wine single in its own right. It's that good.

Download Iron & Wine 'Such Great Heights (Postal Service Cover)' (folk, electronica mp3) (Mediafire)

Green Man 2011: The Leisure Society 'Cars (Gary Numan Cover)' (Wilkommen, 2009)

Who knew!? Clipped, chamber pop take on Gary Numan's finest moment works a treat.

The Leisure Society aren't headlining Saturday at The Green Man but I've posted plenty of Fleet Foxes already this year.

So Saturday at The Green Man is represented by this quirky and gorgeous cover of Gary Numan's 'Cars' from The Leisure Society.

I doubt they'll play this tonight - they haven't the last couple of times I've seen them - but I'm looking forward to hearing most of the new album 'Into The Murky Water' which is one of the albums I've listened to most this year so far. They sounded great live at Hop Farm back in July too.

Download The Leisure Society 'Cars (Gary Numan Cover)' (Folk pop mp3) (Mediafire)

Green Man 2011: Explosions In The Sky 'Memorial' (Temporary Residence, 2003)

Epic, post-rock soundscaping from their breakthrough record.

Friday night headliners at the Green Man Festival, Explosions In The Sky stretch the loud-quiet, fast-slow dynamic to breaking point. It's a mighty fine sound, especially live, that ranks alongside Fridge (Green Man faves of yesteryear), Sickoakes, Super Numeri, Slint and labelmates The Drift, who would be a major coup for Green Man 2012 (hint, hint).

'Memorial' is from their 'The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place' album which was the first album of theirs to be released in the UK (on Bella Union). The album is dominated by long, segued pieces but 'Memorial' is relatively concise, setting some epic, skyscraping exposition alongside some delicious and delicate quiet stuff.

Download Explosions In The Sky 'Memorial' (post rock mp3) (temporaryresidence.com)

Green Man 2011: Noah & The Whale 'Instrumental III' (Mercury, 2009)

Lush, summery instrumental business.

An outtake from the sessions for 'The First Days Of Spring', 'Instrumental III' is a Bert Jansch-y, sprightly thing that doesn't fit with the generally heavy mood of that break-up album.

Looking forward to see them at the Green Man Festival this weekend. I presume they aren't on the same day as Laura Marling...

Indeed, seeing them at Green Man in 2009, just as the album was being released, was a fairly harrowing experience. It was certainly a shock for any festival-goers expecting the breezy folk-pop of 'Five Years Time'. Instead, they dropped a dirgey, drang and mope over the Brecon countryside, sounding more akin to The Wedding Present's masterful 'Seamonsters' album.

I think singer Charlie Fink is over it now so it should be the light and bracing Tom Petty/John Cougar Mellencamp-isms of the new album on Saturday.

Download Noah and the Whale 'Instrumental III' (folk mp3 download) (Mediafire)

Green Man 2011: Laura Marling 'The Needle And The Damage Done' (Virgin, 2008)

Sweet and tender version of Neil Young's junkies' lament.

Originally the b-side to the 'Ghosts' seven-inch, Laura Marling brings, perhaps unsurprisingly, less world-weariness and resignation to the song than Neil Young. However, though still only 21, she's something of a music industry veteran - about to release her third album - and she must have witnessed over-indulgence going on around her. Marcus Mumford having four spoons of sugar in his "builders" tea, perhaps.

Her version of 'The Needle and the Damage Done' is a short, sweet and simple take, sounding like it was recorded in the kitchen as the mood took her.

Looking forward to seeing Ms. Marling at The Green Man this weekend.

Download Laura Marling 'The Needle And The Damage Done' (acoustic, folk, Neil Young cover, mp3) (Mediafire)

Green Man 2011: Hannah Peel 'Electricity (OMD Cover)' (Static Caravan, 2010)

Catchy music-box take on OMD's early masterpiece in anticipation of Green Man 2011.

I'm posting a few rarities from people playing the Green Man Festival this weekend - to get me in the mood.

This OMD cover is from Hannah Peel's excellent 'Rebox' EP of New Wave covers that Static Caravan released as a seven-inch last year. The music box treatment works really well for the selection of songs that used relatively primitive synths as their foundation. 'Blue Monday' and 'Tainted Love' work nicely.

The cover of Cocteau Twins' 'Sugar Hiccup' is great too though that, of course, isn't a synthpop track.

The EP is available as a download bundle at Boomkat.

Download Hannah Peel 'Electricity (OMD Cover)' (folk mp3) (Mediafire)

Green Man 2011: 2:54 'On A Wire' (House Anxiety, 2011)

Low-slung, edgy post-punk-ish stuff from East London duo.

'On A Wire' was 2:54's debut single earlier this year. They have the 'honour' of being the first in a series of posts celebrating this year's Green Man Festival which I'm looking forward to hitting this weekend. Fingers crossed for the weather.

'On A Wire' rumbles along on some low-slung bass and edgy-then-firey guitar. The twin vocals of sisters Hannah and Collette Thurlow set the song off moodily. B-side 'Cold Front' is less controlled, the chorus swooning and dramatic.

Ones to watch (Far Out stage, Saturday afternoon).

Download 2:54 'On A Wire' (alternative, indie mp3) (via The Fader)

Download 2:54 'Cold Front' (alternative, indie mp3) (Mediafire)