Melora a la Basilica

A must-have for superfans of Rasputina.

A must-have for superfans of Rasputina (the spooky chamber-rock ensemble helmed by eccentric cellist Melora Creager), this limited-edition solo release features pared-down revisions of her band’s classic tracks, alongside a few kooky covers. Performed live by Creager and 'second chair' cellist Daniel De Jesus in 'a behemoth of a defunct glue factory,' each song reverberates in the hollow space with delicate, nonproduced beauty. Most surprising, however, is the effect De Jesus’ male harmonies have on Creager’s Tom Petty cover, 'American Girl,' the Sweeney Todd doubleheader, 'Green Finch/Johanna,' and Rasputina classic, 'Rose K.' For followers of Creager’s main project, this jolt of vocal testosterone to her plaintive refrains may come as a surprise. However, De Jesus is one of the newest members of Rasputina’s ever-changing stable of supporting musicians, and his precious pipes will have you hoping Creager keeps him around for a while. Sold in a metal tin with a numbered certificate and elaborate liner notes, Melora a la Basilica is being produced only in a batch of 1,000, available exclusively online from the band’s Web store. Snap one up before they’re all gone!