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Paul Westerberg’s ‘Away in a Manger’ resurfaces in time for the holidays

by Andrea Swensson

December 05, 2012

With the holiday season now in full swing, the staff of the Current have been on high alert in search of new seasonal tracks to spin on air. So when a burned copy of Paul Westerberg covering "Away in a Manger" was slipped to us this week from a trustworthy source, it seemed too good to be true. A holiday gift from Westerberg to the world? What to make of this latest basement missive?

Well, after a little digging it turns out that Paul's cover of "Away in a Manger" is not exactly new. It was previously issued as one of three tracks on his 2009 mini-EP D.G.T., a release that came out shortly after his last lo-fi "full-length" 49:00:00. But for the casual fan it's not the most recognizable tune in Westerberg's discography, especially since it was initially released in February of 2009, a couple months after Christmas.

So perhaps Westerberg sent the tune over as a way to resdistribute the song at a more seasonally appropriate moment. Without further ado, here's a stream of his little Xmas ditty:

And for more new material from Westerberg, stay tuned -- that Replacements reunion EP for Slim Dunlap is expected to see the light of day sooner rather than later, maybe even later this month.


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This activity is made possible in part by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment’s Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.