When you’ve worked in used CD retail, you grow to hate crackheads the tribute album. It’s up there with Mariah Carey’s Glitter in the sold-back, collecting-dust echelon, and you always have to find some place to put the tower of Weezer tribute discs that even yuppie moms know better than to buy. “Sir, is this blue or green? I don’t think it’s blue or green.”

But Stereogum’s got it right on Drive XV—free download, ridiculously good contributors, out-of-the-blue inspiration. Automatic For The People gets the retreatment today, exactly fifteen years after its origi—FIFTEEN YEARS? Seems like yesterday that I was putting off my teenage grunge inauguration by listening to Automatic on repeat and reading old Spawn comic books. At this rate, the prostate exam’ll be next week. Jesus.

Impressions are way too fresh, but here they are so far: The Wrens make “Nightswimming” sound like a Wrens song, which means it has a killer ending. I had no idea who Dappled Cities were until today, but I’m glad to have found them, as their twisted take on “Try Not To Breathe” is a true standout. Someone other than the Meat Puppets should’ve been trusted with “Everybody Hurts.” Catfish Haven was the right band for “Monty Got A Raw Deal,” its Americana-stomp and horn section blaring to give the song new life…too bad about lead singer George Hunter’s weird attempt to mimic the dude from Days Of The New. Sheez, man.

Most impressively, Portland’s Blitzen Trapper manages to make “Star Me Kitten” sound like modern-day, synth-obsessed REM…without sucking as much as modern-day, synth-obsessed REM! Quite a feat. Fans should keep the Drive XV page bookmarked, as Stereogum is touting the release of further covers in the coming weeks—hopefully a better take on “Everybody Hurts.” Maybe even a YouTube video attached where everybody is trapped in Smart Cars? Just a thought.