Alt-country vets Wilco put out a new album, The Whole Love, Sept. 27. Maybe you've heard it already, even. (The band shared it online a few days ago -- though they yanked the stream at the end of the weekend.)

Then again, maybe you didn't know all that. Because really, for all the studio albums (eight, including The Whole Love), the Grammys, the critical acclaim, the Toronto sandwich restaurants opened in their honour -- Wilco simply aren't pop superstars.

They're not the Black Eyed Peas, for example.

And the Black Eyed Peas? People love that shit.

Wilco's Jeff Tweedy knows it. People especially love that shit when he's the one singing it.

At a book launch party in Chicago last night, the singer covered a few of BEP's more memorable hits. (Pitchfork notes he ran through "I've Gotta Feeling," "My Humps" and "Rock That Body." Fan video of the first two are posted below.)

Like many great covers, Tweedy's BEP renditions offer a deeper appreciation of the songwriting behind the hits. Reduced to acoustic guitar, spoken word -- and running, jokey commentary -- we had never noticed, for example, tender turns of phrase in Fergie staple "My Humps”...or how repeating the phrase "let's do it" ad nauseum is no more entertaining when sung with nothing but guitar accompaniment.

As for why Tweedy was covering BEP in the first place, Pitchfork notes it was all part of an elaborate joke (of course). The author being celebrated at the book launch, Dan Sinker, runs a fake Twitter account about Chicago's mayor. And one joke-Tweet about Tweedy being "too pissy" to play Black Eyed Peas songs has begat -- well, the videos posted below.

(We've also included an embed of Wilco's latest music video, "Born Alone," in case that's more your thing.)

Jeff Tweedy covers "I've Gotta Feeling:"

Jeff Tweedy covers "My Humps:"

Jeff Tweedy recites "My Humps" from Jasmine D on Vimeo.

Wilco, "Born Alone:"

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