Various Artists - Happy Together

A deviation from the standard label/event showcase that has become the everyday compilation, Happy Together is the result of that "sacred" union called a wedding. The story behind the coalescence of these 22 tracks is this--Lujo Records' founder Erik Aucoin recently married the label's former PR girl-turned label co-owner Jocelyn, and the couple decided to ask musician friends and Lujo bands to donate a track to this compilation, which would serve as a special gift to the wedding's guests. Due to the fact that the ceremony only pulled around 200 folks (and the press run on the disc was 500--pressing requirement), the DC-based label has limited leftovers that are now available. Besides being a conceptual little compilation and possibly a future collector's item, Happy Together pulls a number of covers and originals from a variety of bands. First, the standouts from the covers: The titular track, The Turtles' classic "Happy Together," is given a Mates of State-ish twist by Loop and Kara(of Summer Darling and Kissing Cousins, respectively); The Zombies' "This Will Be Our Year" from Odessey & Oracle done by The Out_Circuit (members of Frodus, Beauty Pill and Roadside Monument) deviates little from its '60s counterpart, though doesn't deliver the honeyed brass section. Lou Reed's "A Perfect Day" (from Transformer) gets treated with overarching synthesizers by Airport Cathedral, and Hanalei takes a good crack at Big Star's "Thirteen" with a bedroom approach to recording and some additional vocal tracks, then segueing into the laptop pop that was all over the band's debut We Are All Natural Disasters. The Dan Penn-penned "I'm Your Puppet" as done by All City Affairs is one of the compilation's highlights, and The Detholtz doing Phil Collins' "Invisible Touch" is downright laughable but laudable nonetheless. As for the originals, The Cassettes' lo-fi, country-tinged pop of "A Pioneer Love Song" and Pearly Sweets' soulful "Bounce" are standouts, while the rest of the pack aren't far behind. A Lull and Rural Wolf both make solid contributions, as well. But obviously, the covers are what pack the most punch, because many of them are steeped in the emotions that come out at a wedding, and have been there in the annals of rock history and connecting with people for decades. Happy Together is a superb compilation, commemorating a special day for a couple of record label heads and bringing a wide variety of musicians and styles together for a common, praise-worthy reason. [www.lujorecords.com]