Everclear Record Favourite Covers On The Vegas Years

Everclear will release a covers album called The Vegas Years on April 15 through Capitol Records.

The disc was produced by Everclear frontman Art Alexakis and features the Portland, Ore. band's interpretations of 14 songs recorded between 1994 and 2008 in the studio and on the road. Two of the tracks — versions of Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl" and Tommy Tutone's "867-5309 (Jenny)" were recorded live on the band's 2007 tour.

"I have wanted to do this record since 1997, as soon as I realized that this was the closest I was ever going to get to being Frank Sinatra," Alexakis writes in the album liner notes. "The songs on this record range from '80s pop and '60s rave-ups to blue-eyed soul, R&B and old time country with a healthy dose of classic rock, for sure."

This isn't the first Everclear covers-related project. The band appeared on a Traveling Wilburys tribute disc with Sean Lennon, Cheap Trick, Mick Ronson and Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones last year.

Alexakis (vocals/guitars), Craig Montoya (bass) and Scott Cuthbert (drums) formed Everclear in Portland in 1992. Greg Eklund replaced Cuthbert two years later and the band released their major label debut, Sparkle And Fade, in 1995. Its follow-up, So Much For The Afterglow, achieved double-platinum sales status through the success of singles "I Will Buy You A New Life," "Father Of Mine" and "Everything To Everyone." They released three more albums before Montoya and Eklund left in 2003.

The last few years have been difficult for the Everclear camp. Alexakis declared bankruptcy, divorced his wife and had to find new bandmates. A new lineup featuring Davey French (guitars), Sam Hudson (bass), Josh Crawley (keyboards) and Brett Snyder (drums) joined the fold for 2006's Welcome To The Drama Club.

Here are the songs, and the artists who first performed them, that you'll find on Everclear: The Vegas Years:

"Rich Girl" (Hall & Oates)
"Our Lips Are Sealed" (The Go-Go's)
"The Boys Are Back In Town" (Thin Lizzy)
"Bad Connection" (Yaz)
"Kicks" (Paul Revere & The Raiders)
"Pocahontas" (Neil Young)
"Night Train To Memphis" (Little Jimmy Dickens)
"This Land Is Your Land" (Woody Guthrie)
"American Girl" (Tom Petty)
"Brown Eyed Girl" (live) (Van Morrison)
"Southern Girls" (Cheap Trick)
"Land Of The Lost" (television show theme song)
"Speed Racer" (television show theme song)
"Live Intro"
"867-5309 (Jenny) (Live)" (Tommy Tutone)