Pop/rock spotlight: Minnesota covers '69 Love Songs

MINNESOTA COVERS '69 LOVE SONGS'Saturday: In one of the more ambitious and certainly the most heavily populated tribute projects from the Twin Cities music scene in recent memory, 69 local acts recorded one track apiece for the new collection "Absolutely Cuckoo: Minnesota Covers the 69 Love Songs." The songs in question come from a cult-adored triple album by Boston-bred fuzz-pop band the Magnetic Fields, featuring Stephin Merritt's wry, whimsical, often demented and occasionally sweet odes to romance. Only a bored, winter-lulled, record-geek haven such as ours would think to re-create the album in its entirety. The new recordings -- available online as a free download at 69LS.mn -- were spearheaded by local songwriter Matt Latterell, who's also leading a tribute concert of the same name. Other performers will include Lucy Michelle, who kicks off the set with the song "Absolutely Cuckoo," and Bethany Larson, whose "Come Back to San Francisco" is one of the highlights, plus Maggie Morrison (ex-Lookbook), Actual Wolf, the Roe Family Singers, Al Church & State, Dan Israel, Me & My Arrow, the Chalice, Mayda, Jennifer Markey and dozens more. (6 p.m. Sat. $10-$12. First Avenue, 7th St. and 1st Av. N., Mpls. 612-338-8388 or www.eTix.com.)