"The Giant of Illinois," originally recorded by husband and wife duo Handsome Family, sounds like it could be an Andrew Bird original--a whimsical, yet tragic, character must deal with crushing loneliness and not having enough money for food and shoes. In keeping with the sound of the original, Bird keeps the proceedings rather minimal, sawing on his violin occasionally while a solemn guitar figure provides most of the musical action.

"The Giant of Illinois" is only streaming here today (February 11).