Afghan Whigs share in Frank Ocean's Lovecrimes

The Afghan Whigs have always had a knack for choice covers: a great version of The Supremes' "My World is Empty Without You" was a staple of their live set during the early '90s. Since reforming last year, Greg Dulli and company have been playing "Lovecrimes" off Frank Ocean's debut mixtape Nostalgia, Ultra, and on the eve of the official release of the R&B singer's much-talked-about major-label album Channel Orange, the Whigs have released a studio version of the song as a free download on their website. Transforming the R&B love jam into a typically Whigs-like blend of heavy guitar, impassioned vocals and some tastefully understated strings, it's remarkable how much it sounds like a Dulli original in this context.

The Afghan Whigs have also added dates to their fall US tour, which begins just after the All Tomorrow's Parties festival at New York's Pier 36 the weekend of September 21. The Saturday schedule of the festival (which just announced its move to New York from Asbury Park, NJ, where it was originally scheduled) is curated by Dulli, including sets by The Roots, Chavez, Jose Gonzalez and Charles Bradley before the Whigs close the show. The tour proper will start in Boston on September 26 and end 17 dates later in Los Angeles on November 9. Full tour dates are available at the band's website.