It takes a certain boldness to cover "Sunday Morning," the very first song on the very first album of the Velvet Underground. Adding to the pressure is the fact that it's been covered by at least 15 artists since its release, including Beck and Nick Cave. The folksy singer-songwriter Kelley Stoltz steps up to the plate by slowing down the iconic track, cutting it short and replacing the ethereal lightness of the original with a tough bassline and a steady backbeat. Stoltz's croon lends a nonchalant contrast; his version is quiet, slow and gone before you know it.

Stoltz's cover is part of a joint project by Castle Face Records and Universal Music that honors 45 years of the Velvet Underground by covering the band's debut record in full. The Velvet Underground & Nico by Castle Face and Friends will be released on vinyl on November 6th. Universal will also release a six-CD box set, Velvet Underground & Nico 45th Anniversary: Deluxe Edition, on October 30th; it is available for preorder here.

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