Exclusive Stream: Luna Sings Paula Abdul!

This week sees the release of Guilt By Association, a collection of “guilty-pleasure” songs covered by artists of the purest indie lineage. The album’s source material ranges from borderline non-embarrassing karaoke rockers like Blue Öyster Cult’s “Burnin’ for You” (covered by Mike Watt) to flat-out schlock balladry like Shania Twain’s “From This Moment On” (covered by Mark Mulcahy). The most intriguing tune, though, may be Luna’s sinister version of Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up”: We’ve never taken Quaaludes and confronted a lover of dubious fidelity at 3 a.m., but we imagine this is what the experience would feel like.

The song is also historically noteworthy, as it’s the first official Luna release since 2004’s Rendezvous — and likely the last, since the band broke up in 2005. (They recorded “Straight Up” in 2002.) We present it here for your enjoyment — and though you won’t have a chance to hear a live version, there is a Guilt By Association concert tomorrow night headlined by Petra Haden, whose mostly a cappella version of “Don’t Stop Believin’” is also quite good. To find the show, just follow your heart … to the place where streetlight people, hiding somewhere in the night, live just to find emotion. Or you can just stop by Joe’s Pub at seven. —Ben Mathis-Lilley

“Straight Up” by Luna