Tame Impala, the beloved Australian psych-rockers who made our best albums list in 2012, have thrown us a really awesome curveball with a cover of Michael Jackson’s HIStory-era ballad, “Stranger In Moscow.” Hewing pretty closely to the sonics of the original, Tame Impala injects some interesting psych tints with synthesizers and a low-key version of the phaser effect they used for the guitar throbs in “Solitude Is Bliss.”

Pretty appropriate timing on this cover, given the situation in Crimea, right? I envision Putin walking sullenly outside the Kremlin on an overcast day. Anyway, after you listen to Tame Impala’s cover, watch Michael Jackson’s original music video, and then send some letters to your congressman so we can actually ban Putin from watching Netflix and taking cues from the Underwoods.

(Anyone else hear an iPhone receiving a text message at 1:33?)

Michael Jackson’s “Stranger In Moscow” Music Video:

—

Dudes! Follow me on Twitter and SoundCloud!