Vetiver's vital new album, Thing of the Past, features covers of great, beardy folk nuggets by singer-songwriters from the legendary (Townes Van Zandt) to the obscure (Stand up if you own the original version of Dia Joyce's "Sleep A Million Years." Anyone? Beuller?). It's full of spirited performances and an obvious passion and respect for the sources, and it's out this week. You can hear head Vetiver Andy Cabic talking about the making of the album and see a live performance clip below. There's a full-blown tour coming too, so you'll have an opportunity to experience Vetiver's folk-rockin' rave-up in the flesh.

Vetiver tour dates:

05/16 - Brighton, UK @ Theatre Royal (The Great Escape)
05/17 - Brussels, BE @ Botanique w/ The Teenagers & Man Man
05/18 - Fulda, D @ Das Kreuz
05/20 - Zurich, CH @ Rote Fabrik-Ziegel Oh Lac
05/21 - Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso Small Room
05/23 - Coventry, UK @ Tin Angel
05/26 - Cambridge, UK @ Barfly
05/27 - Leeds, UK @ Faversham
05/28 - Liverpool, UK @ Sound City Festival 2008
05/29 - Edinburgh, SCT @ Cabaret Voltaire
05/30 - Glasgow, SCT @ The Arches
05/31 - Aberdeen, SCT @ Tunnels
06/01- Newcastle, UK @ Cluny
06/02 - Nottingham, UK @ Bodega Social
06/03 - Bristol, UK @ Cube Cinema
06/04 - Manchester, UK @ Dulcimer
06/05 - London, UK @ St. Giles in the Fields
06/06 - Cardiff, UK @ Barfly
06/08 - Dublin, IE @ Crawdaddy
06/09 - Belfast, IE @ Black Box
06/10 - Birmingham, UK @ Barfly
06/13 - Porto, PT @ Passos Manuel
06/14 - Lisbon, PT @ ZDB Gallery
06/17 - Barcelona, ES @ Sidecar
06/18 - Madrid, ES @ Joy Eslave w/ Akron Family
06/19 - Seville, ES @ Teatro Central w/ Akron Family
06/20 - Granada, ES @ Teatro Alhambra w/ Akron Family
06/21 - Malaga, ES @ Teatro Canovas w/ Akron Family
06/27 - Paris, F @ Cafe De la Danse
06/29 - Glastonbury, UK @ Glastonbury Festival
07/25 - Rochester, NY @ Boulder Annual Music Festival
07/26 - Albany, NY @ Valentine's
07/27 - Burlington, VT @ Club Metronome
07/28 - Peterborough, NH @ Reynolds Hall
07/29 - Portland, ME @ Space Gallery
07/30 - Hamden, CT @ The Space
07/31 - Montague, MA @ Montague Bookmill
08/01 - Boston, MA @ Museum of Fine Arts
08/02 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
08/03 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

[Naturalismo via Stereogum]