Bright Eyes covers White Stripes' "We're Going To Be Friends"

Conor Oberst - Photo by Alyssa Schukar/The World-Herald

For part of a charity project, Conor Oberst and his pals in Bright Eyes covered the White Stripes' "We're Going To Be Friends." (Listen over at Pitchfork.)

The female singing parts are provided by First Aid Kit, which was recording with Mike Mogis at ARC during a break in Bright Eyes' tour this year.

It's interesting to me because back when "We're Going To Be Friends" was released in 2002, Jack White and Oberst were being called the great songwriters of a new generation and were often compared to each other. The sentiment was more or less that Oberst was the folk half of Bob Dylan and White was the rock half. Neither ended up really fitting that description, but that's what critics were saying at the time.

Anyway, the song is part of a compilation called "Cool for School: For the Benefit of the Lunchbox Fund." The Lunchbox Fund is a non-profit org that provides daily meals to poor students in South African high schools.

Not sure when it will be released, but the tracklist follows below:
01. Bright Eyes (feat. First Aid Kit) – “I Can Tell We’re Gonna Be Friends” (White Stripes)
02. Jenny O. – “The Happiest Days of our Lives/Another Brick in the Wall” (Pink Floyd)
03. Gabe Saporta (Cobra Starship) & Louis Epsterin (Jump Into The Gospel) – “Futures So Bright” (Timbuk 3)
04. Albert Hammond Jr. (The Strokes) – “Thirteen” (Big Star)
05. Alexander (Edward Sharpe) – “Teacher/Student”
06. Joseph Arthur – “Rockin’ In The Free World” (Neil Young)
07. Luke Rathborne – “I Hate My School” (Redd Kross)
08. Fences – “School” (Nirvana)
09. Angela McCluskey – “We Rule The School” (Belle & Sebastian)
10. Rain Phoenix & Jonathan Wilson – “Coat of Many Colors” (Dolly Parton)
11. Craig Werden + Pink Ape (Shudder to Think) – “Headmaster’s Ritual” (The Smiths)