Far out on the West Coast, a small cadre of music lovers called Cosmic Dreamer Music are issuing outstanding work from a select group of forward thinking artists. Artists like RF Shannon meld mellow Americana with psychedelic production, while Lucas Oswald crafts pristinely textured indie-pop. Among those artists is psych-folk outfit The Dan Ryan, who today premiere a cover of David Bowie’s “In the Heat of the Morning,” from his perhaps lesser known self-titled 1967 debut. From a period before glam, before the songs that launched his career, Bowie’s first album features more straightforward cuts that sound like quite a few other British songwriters. Still, “In the Heat of the Morning,” boasts captivating lyricism, interesting melodies, and of course Bowie’s recognizable vocals.
The Dan Ryan does an excellent job with the cover — keep the song’s simplicity intact, relying on clean and clear guitar picking that rests beneath drifting, faraway vocals. Tambourine and gentle organ completes the mix that eventually drifts into more undulating, spacey production.
Coupled with another Bowie cover by avant-rock band Hospital Ships, the pair of songs comprise a limited edition 7-inch available for purchase now. The vinyl, limited to just 200 copies, features artwork by Veronica De Jesus, who recently had a series of memorial drawings of artists who personally inspired her displayed by the UC Berkely Art Museum. Stream “In the Heat of the Morning” below, and purchase the 7-inch here.
