Dean & Britta

Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips have interesting pedigrees, both together and separately. Dean fronted Galaxie 500 before forming Luna, the band that singer-actress Britta (Satisfaction) joined for its seven-album, 13-year lifespan. In 2003, as Luna began to wane, the two got together for a duets-and-covers project that’s proven so popular (“people are asking for silly money for this,” they write on their site) that they’ve just recently re-released it on their own label—on CD and vinyl! L’Avventura, a collaboration with Bowie/T.Rex producer Tony Visconti, has a Lou-Reed-in-Europe vibe. Songs like “Night Nurse,” “Ginger Snaps” and “Knives From Bavaria” are simultaneously retro and cutting-edge; “Your Baby” is epicly lounge; other tracks fall somewhere in between on the hep-cat spectrum. It’s a rare album that sounds fresh five years after its first release. L’Avventura does, thanks to its adventuresome spirit and the talent of its creators. Check it out.