MTV2’s “Album Covers” series, in which current bands cover influential albums in their entirety, is making waves in the digital marketplace.
Dashboard Confessional’s performance of R.E.M.’s 1992 album “Automatic for the People” is currently the No. 1 album on Apple’s iTunes Music Store, the only place the recording is available. The exclusive download, titled “MTV2 Album Covers: Dashboard Confessional/R.E.M.,” is outselling Norah Jones’ “Feels Like Home” (Blue Note/Capitol) at iTunes. The latter has been No. 1 on The Billboard 200 for five weeks.
The Dashboard show, taped in November 2003 at Arlene Grocery in New York, aired as a special on MTV2 on March 4. The performance features R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe sitting in with the band on two songs.
Sales figures for the download were not available.
A second “Album Covers” set, of Guster covering Violent Femmes’ 1982 eponymous album, will be released for sale on iTunes at the end of the month. The performance aired on MTV2 on March 5.
