Chan Marshall, known by her stage name Cat Power, is one of the most prolific singer-songwriters of the last decade. Her sexy, smokey vocals certainly match her stunning looks and her raw style of guitar and piano playing and intimate lyrics have made her music instantly recognizable. On Tuesday, Marshall released her second album of 2008, Dark End Of The Street, a companion piece to January’s Jukebox. Both albums are almost all covers with Marshall running through her favorite songs by artists like Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Aretha Franklin to name a few. I haven’t heard Dark End Of The Street yet but upon revisiting Jukebox last week, I released that I may have written it off prematurely. Marshall’s renditions of Frank Sinatra’s “New York” and Jessie Mae Hemphill’s “Lord, Help The Poor And Needy” feature Marshall layering her airy whispers over sparse bursts of delicate keys and guitar. In retrospect, Jukebox may be one of 2008’s most enjoyable albums. But maybe I’m just a sucker for anything Cat Power does. Check out both albums if you have the chance and check out her cover of Bob Dylan’s “Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again” from the I’m Not There soundtrack.

mp3: “Ramblin’ (Wo)Man” from Jukebox

mp3: “Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again” from the I’m Not There OST

mp3: “Speak For Me” from 2003’s You Are Free

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