Texas trio Khruangbin, a staple at summer music festivals everywhere, expanded their catalog in June with their third studio record, Mordechai. Now following in the footsteps of their predecessors MGMT and The Flaming Lips, Khruangbin are serving up a collection of some of their current favorites with a Late Night Tales compilation.
The group announced the record Wednesday by sharing a cover of Kool & The Gang’s “Summer Madness.” Transforming the track, Khruangbin infuse their psychedelia sound into the rendition of the groovy classic.
In a statement alongside the “Summer Madness” cover, Khruangbin drummer Donald Johnson and bassist Laura Lee explained why they chose the specific track. “‘Summer Madness’ became a staple in this medley that we play,” Johnson said. “Specifically, one of my favourite things about it is the tone of the bass, which really reminds me a lot of Laura Lee’s bass which has this chunky, peanut butter, rich tone. It was always a special moment, getting to that song because, it just did something to the room, everywhere.” Lee continues: “‘Summer Madness’ was paying homage to Kool & The Gang, a band we aspire to be like and also we’ve played it a hundred times but never in full.”
About their compilation as a whole, the band said:
“We definitely wanted to cover as much global territory as possible. So it was the globe and then home. We wanted to show the treasures from our hometown, or people from our hometown that the rest of the world probably doesn’t know. Then these gems from across the world, showcasing them in the same way. That’s what makes Khruangbin, Khruangbin. The stubbornness about being so hometown-centric. But what makes Houston is this constant international influence; that’s the gulf stream, bringing it right into the city.”
Listen to Khruangbin’s “Summer Madness” cover above and find their Late Night Tales cover art and tracklist below.
1. Devadip Carlos Santana And Turiya Alice Coltrane — “Illuminations”
2. Brilliantes Del Veulo — “I Know That (When The Springtime Comes)”
3. Nazia Hassan — “Khushi”
4. Kelly Doyle — “DRM”
5. Sanulim — “Don’t Go”
6. Maxwell Udoh — “I Like It (Don’t Stop)”
7. David Marez — “Enséñame”
8. Gerald Lee — “Can You Feel The Love (Reprise)”
9. Justine & The Victorian Punks — “Still You”
10. George Yanagi + Nadja Band –「祭ばやしが聞こえる」のテーマ
11. Песняры — “Зачарованная моя”
12. Khruangbin — “Summer Madness” (Kool & The Gang Cover Version)
13. Paloma San Basilio — “Contigo”
14. Roha Band — “Yetikimt Abeba”
15. Tierney Malone / Geoffrey Muller — “Transmission For Jehn: Gnossienne No 1” (Produced by Khruangbin)
Late Night Tales Khruangbin is out 12/4 via Dead Oceans. Pre-order it here.
