Adam Schlesinger performs with Fountains of Wayne at the Bonnaroo music festival in Manchester, Tenn., in 2007. (Jason Merritt/FilmMagic for Superfly Presents)
(JTA) — Sarah Silverman, Rachel Bloom and an array of indie artists contributed to a tribute album for Adam Schlesinger, the Grammy and Emmy Award-winning Jewish songwriter who died of COVID-19 complications on April 1.
San Francisco-based Father/Daughter Records released the 31-track album, titled “Saving For a Custom Van,” on Tuesday. The songs are all by Schlesinger and span his career, which included being a songwriting member of the successful pop rock band Fountains of Wayne and a co-writer of the music in Bloom’s “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” sitcom.
Proceeds from the album will benefit MusiCares’ COVID-19 Relief Fund, which is “dedicated to helping music industry and community members affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,” but the music was also released for free on Bandcamp.
On the album, Silverman sings “Way Back Into Love,” which Schlesinger wrote with Jewish songwriter Ben Lee for the 2007 movie “Music and Lyrics” starring Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant.
Bloom sings the Fountains of Wayne hit “Stacy’s Mom,” which Schlesinger co-wrote.
Other noteworthy indie acts who contributed include the rockers Charly Bliss, Motion City Soundtrack and Jeff Rosenstock.
More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.