Released as a Christmas present to her fans, Chan Marshall a.k.a. Cat Power has seen fit to release the outtakes of her cover songs from the Jukebox sessions titled Dark End of the Street on beautiful gatefold 10 inch vinyl and digital download formats only. For those of you who're stuck in your CD ways, this is the perfect time to wake up and smell the Revolution. You're just gonna need to get over it, if you want to remain hip in the digital years ahead. As you listen to these wonderful covers that are every bit as good as anything released on the Jukebox album back in January of 2008, you'll be thanking me for providing the impetus for breaking out of your crippling obsession with the past.

The EP starts off with the title track and those familiar with James Carr's original soul classic or The Flying Burrito Brothers' Country-Rock interpretation know that it's damn near impossible to mess up a song this word perfect. Marshall turns it into her own brand of torch song and, like all of the cover songs she does, she captures the spirit of the original while making it hers as well. That also holds true on her go at Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son." This one she conquers with only her piano and her patented smoky, Southern Comfort vocal. "Ye Auld Triangle" by The Pogues is an odd choice, but Marshall always seems to make the best out of songs you wouldn't think her forte and once again she shines. Her cover of "I've Been Loving You Too Long" by Otis Redding tugs on the heart-strings and her interpretation of "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" by Sandy Denny when she was in the British Folk super-group Fairport Convention is an inspired and beautiful choice that fits Marshall's personality to a tee. Dark End of the Street closes out with "It Ain't Fair," an Aretha Franklin cover that doesn't come close to living up to the original, but with Cat Power that's never the point with her cover songs. She has a way of turning every cover song she ever addresses on its ear and that's what makes all of her cover songs true originals.