lost in your inbox
Unusual Covers
posted Thursday, 31 August 2006
Lately I've come across several unusual covers. Covers that bring out an entirely different dimension of the original song. I find that it happens most often when you take an ostensibly upbeat, happy song and slow it down, letting the song's words be heard in a new light. I know that covers as a topic is very popular, but I wanted to share these anyway.
Mat Weddle--"Hey Ya (Outkast Cover)" mp3 Found this over at mocking music. Jonathan does a great job of describing why this cover works so well. I agree with everything he says, so just go read it here. Now, in the interest of fair and balanced blogging, you should know I played this song for my family and they all hated it. "It's been eviscerated," I believe is what my son said. So you'll have to make up your own mind about this one.
Cake--"I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor Cover)" mp3 off Fashion Nugget (buy) The original is an all-out disco anthem, and it's been the theme song of many a broken-hearted woman. Well, John McCrea's vocal is very manly, and the guitar and bass line are very strong. I love how they stay out of each other's way while they play so intensely. The trumpet solo is the only throw-back to the 70's sensibility, and what a soaring melody it is. This is a particularly good cover, one which men won't have to be ashamed of loving and claiming either. (Astute readers will note that this a repost.)
Just the other day (see here) I put up a David Bowie cover of "Modern Love" done by The Last Town Chorus. This is a perfect example of how slowing down and drawing out a song brings out the heart and soul of it (not like R & B soul, but the inner soul, the soul David Bowie might not even be aware he had at the time).
Paul Anka--"Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana Cover)" mp3 off Rock Swings (buy) Here is perhaps the most unusual cover of the bunch. Paul Anka covers Nirvana. Yep, it's unusual, alright. (Do you even know who Paul Anka is? Sure you do, he's the guy Lorelai Gilmore's dog is named after.) He certainly makes this song his own--so much so that I can hardly find the original in it. But you gotta love that big band swing. I think Eddie at another form of relief is to thank (blame?) for this one. (I kid, I kid!)
Sun Kil Moon--"Tiny Cities Made of Ashes (Modest Mouse Cover)" mp3 off Tiny Cities (buy) OK, I know this isn't new, and it's a repeat post, too, but I include it because I just found out that the critic who wrote the Pitchfork review trashing Tiny Cities shops at my favorite local record store!! I told one of the guys that works there that if he's ever in the store at the same time I am to point him out so I can give him a piece of my mind. It won't be pretty. And I hope he doesn't wear glasses.
Mat Weddle--"Hey Ya (Outkast Cover)" mp3 Found this over at mocking music. Jonathan does a great job of describing why this cover works so well. I agree with everything he says, so just go read it here. Now, in the interest of fair and balanced blogging, you should know I played this song for my family and they all hated it. "It's been eviscerated," I believe is what my son said. So you'll have to make up your own mind about this one.
Cake--"I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor Cover)" mp3 off Fashion Nugget (buy) The original is an all-out disco anthem, and it's been the theme song of many a broken-hearted woman. Well, John McCrea's vocal is very manly, and the guitar and bass line are very strong. I love how they stay out of each other's way while they play so intensely. The trumpet solo is the only throw-back to the 70's sensibility, and what a soaring melody it is. This is a particularly good cover, one which men won't have to be ashamed of loving and claiming either. (Astute readers will note that this a repost.)
Just the other day (see here) I put up a David Bowie cover of "Modern Love" done by The Last Town Chorus. This is a perfect example of how slowing down and drawing out a song brings out the heart and soul of it (not like R & B soul, but the inner soul, the soul David Bowie might not even be aware he had at the time).
Paul Anka--"Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana Cover)" mp3 off Rock Swings (buy) Here is perhaps the most unusual cover of the bunch. Paul Anka covers Nirvana. Yep, it's unusual, alright. (Do you even know who Paul Anka is? Sure you do, he's the guy Lorelai Gilmore's dog is named after.) He certainly makes this song his own--so much so that I can hardly find the original in it. But you gotta love that big band swing. I think Eddie at another form of relief is to thank (blame?) for this one. (I kid, I kid!)
Sun Kil Moon--"Tiny Cities Made of Ashes (Modest Mouse Cover)" mp3 off Tiny Cities (buy) OK, I know this isn't new, and it's a repeat post, too, but I include it because I just found out that the critic who wrote the Pitchfork review trashing Tiny Cities shops at my favorite local record store!! I told one of the guys that works there that if he's ever in the store at the same time I am to point him out so I can give him a piece of my mind. It won't be pretty. And I hope he doesn't wear glasses.
share your thoughts (2)
1. dancehallhips left...
Thursday, 31 August 2006 3:48 pm :: http://iknowmusic.blogspot.com
yeah, guess what? <a
href="http://iknowmusic.blogspot.com">I'm</a> back and bloggin'.
-Dance Hall Hips
RSS Add-Me
