Beck Record Club | Never Tear Us Apart

My personal opinion of Beck has been tarnished for a while ever since I read Wayne Coyne's account of their tour serving as Mr. Hansen's opening act and backing band. He said that all Beck cared about was being cool and that he's basically a weirdo.

And, I've found most of his Record Club material to be pretty lack luster.

But, I do enjoy version of "Never Tear Us Apart" from his latest installment. Having St. Vincent on vocals was a stroke of genius.

MP3: Beck's Record Club - Never Tear Us Apart

Beck | Devil Inside

Since this is the first record of Mr. Beck's record club I actually know or give a "rip" about, I found this particular video pretty interesting. Beck and friends take on INXS' "Devil Inside."

Metric Gone 8-Bit

I've been rather infatuated with Metric's Fantasies album the last few weeks. I found a great 8-bit cover of "Help, I'm Alive" from said album. I can't help but be reminded of the Christmas when my brother and I got the NES when I listen to this song.

Help I'm Alive (8-Bit cover)

Under The Cover

It's not a big surprise when a Cat Power cover song hits the web, they are pretty much her bread-and-butter, man.  She usually does a pretty good job of reinterpreting other artists songs, but for her reimagining of Oasis' classic "Wonderwall" I have to give the win to Ryan Adams.  

MP3:  Cat Power - Wonderwall (Oasis Cover)

Under The Cover

Imagine my surprise last night while I watched the most awesome episode of Lost ever when I heard a cover of my favorite songs of the 80's on a Lincoln MKS commercial.  Yeppers, it seems the kids originally from Shawnee, OK, Shiny Toy Guns have done gone off and cover Peter Schilling's "Major Tom (Coming Home)."  

It's not bad, definitely not as great as the original, but, not bad.

MP3:  Shiny Toy Guns - Major Tom (Coming Home)

Under The Cover

I know relatively few things about British chanteuse Adele, but here's what I do know:  killer voice, pretty face, she plays the bass and she's healthy.  But, she sings like a champ.  Here's what I know about Santigold:  she use to be called Santogold, she's engaged to a snowboarder, her music is fantastic.

So, all of that being said I came across a sweet ass cover of Santigold covering Adele's "Hometown Glory."  Good stuff.

MP3:  Santigold - Hometown Glory (Adele cover)

*Update*  Thanks to Travis Hopper and the wonders of social networking I could not go on today without posting this little gem... The Oak Ridge Boys covering The White Stripes "Seven Nation Army."  Genius.

Under The Cover

Last night I was messing around, looking at different blogs and I came across this little gem.  It's Hayseed Dixie's version of the Metallica classic "Enter Sandman."  If you're not familiar with the Hayseed Dixie they are a Hillbilly cover band that hails from Dear Lick Holler, Appalachia (not a real place).  They're known mostly for doing Bluegrass cover versions of AC/DC, KISS and other classic rockers.  

MP3:  Hayseed Dixie - Enter Sandman

Wayne Takes Your Love Over The Borderline, Borderline!

In true Flaming Lips fashion the OKC group (and his nephew in Stardeath and White Dwarfs) let their freak flags fly on the video for their cover of Madonna's "Borderline."  What would a Lips video be without crazy video playing behind the band?

Under The Cover

This cover is pretty damn interesting.  The Pearl Jam is one my favorite all-time bands and I'm pretty unimpressed with cover versions of their songs and I haven't really heard that many that are good.  So, when I saw this I just rolled my eyes because I figured it would suck too.  But, P.O.S. from the Twin City of Minneapolis puts a nice hip-hop touch on the classic PJ deep cut "Why Go?"

I have to go on record and just say that I don't actually hate this version.  I don't know that I'll be bumpin' it in my truck, but it doesn't suck.  

P.O.S. will be coming to Dallas on the Warped Tour this summer if you have a desire to see him.

MP3: P.O.S. - Savion Glover

Under The Cover

The other day I was cruisin' around the back alleys of the internets (lookin' for tricks obviously) and I came across The Boy Least Likely To.  Now, I'd heard of them before, but I saw they were compared to my fave Camera Obscura and Belle and Sebastian, so, I finally checked them out.  Well, when I did I came across this little gem--their cover of the George Michael classic "Faith."  And once I listened to it I realized what that song truly needed was a little banjo and acoustic guitar.

MP3:  Boy Least Likely To - Faith (George Michael cover)

Under The Cover

Despite being a big fan of all variations of Brit-pop growing up I never really got into XTC.  The only song I ever really knew of theirs was "The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead" and more recently "Making Plans For Nigel."

So, it was quite a treat when one of my favorite bands covered a song by a band I'm not familiar in love with, but know the song at least.  I really can't get enough of the Headlights.  To me it doesn't matter if Tristan or Erin is singing, either way their music is top notch.  

Oh, and their coming back to DFWd...only this time their playing Lola's in March on their way to SXSW.  I saw them at The Cavern last year open up for The Evangelicals.  It was nice to see the band up close.

MP3:  Headlights - Making Plans For Nigel (XTC cover)

Under Cover

I really think Ben Gibbard needs to get out of my head.  This year I've heard three fantastic covers he or Death Cab have done.  The latest one is "I Wanna Be Adored" by The Stone Roses.  Yep, I be lovin' the Roses and this is definitely one of my favorite songs of theirs.  But, since the Roses only released two albums, pretty much all of their songs are great.

This cover is pretty faithful to the original, but ya know, with the Gibbard/Death Cab voicey thing going on.  It's a bootleg, so, it's sound is pretty decent.  One thing I like about it is the one guy who "woos" at the beginning of the song.  It seems that he's pretty much the only one who knows what goodness the bubble bass line is about to bring.  Woo!

MP3:  Death Cab For Cutie - I Wanna Be Adored (Stone Roses Cover) 

Under Cover

Those crazy dudes in Radiohead, always doing something I wouldn't expect them to do.  This time they covered the U2 classic "Sunday Bloody Sunday."  The band replaced the originals urgency for a more dour, slowed down version.  

Everytime I hear or think about "Sunday Bloody Sunday" I'm reminded of a girl I grew up with.  She thought the song was "Someday, Bloody Someday."  I've always found her mis-hearing of it to be quite funny.  But, she was always a funny girl.  

MP3:  Radiohead - Sunday Bloody Sunday

Under Cover

One of the things I really like about Old Crow Medicine Show is how they can turn a song you know by heart on it's ear.  Case-in-point: Bob Marley's "Soul Rebel."

Obviously these Ithica, NY buskers share little in the way of the hardships known by Bob Marley.  But, their interepretation has a sense that makes you feel like they've lived it.  It still has the gentle strum of a reggae guitar, but the Bluegrass strings added to it give it a down home feel without shedding the original versions sentiment.

MP3:  Old Crow Medicine Show - Soul Rebel

Under The Cover

I'm not really sure what the deal is with Of Montreal.  I know these guys are big fans, but, I don't really see what the huh-bub is all about.  I mean, Paul Rudd likes them so why can't I?  Every blog I read has a lot of posts about them and I've noticed Of Montreal is a big fan of the cover songs.  So, I was a readin' one of the blogs today and they posted OM's cover of my favoritest John Lennon tune, "Instant Karma" (Sorry "Imagine," I didn't want you to find out like this!)

So, I figured 'what the hell, I'll give 'em a chance.'  I'm sorry that I did.  This is the worst version of a cover song--any cover song--ever.  I tried, they failed, sorry.

MP3:  Of Montreal - Instant Karma

Killers Cover Cyndi

I'm not sure what it is about The Killers, but, I've only started to soften my stance on them.  Sure, they have good tunes and what not, but, Brandon Flowers has always gotten on my nerves.  He seems a bit to pretentious for my taste.  But, what I do like about him is he seems to have a good sense of humor--as evidence by this clip. 

While everyone seems to want to cover Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time," The Killers go for he gusto and cover "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun."  That takes some balls my friends.  

Ryan Adams Covers Foo Fighters

Ryan Adams has a penchant for doing terrific cover versions of songs I love/like.  And, well, he's done it again.  This time, he's covered the Foo Fighters acoustic redux of "Times Like These."  You remember that one, right?  The one where Little Davey Grohl went from full-throated scream to hushed acoustic excellence?

Adams covered the song recently on a BBC Radio 2 show hosted by Dermot O'Leary.  Yeah, I don't know who he is either.  (Stereogum)

MP3:  Foo Fighters - Times Like These (acoustic)

MP3:  Ryan Adams - Times Like These (live)

Cover Tunes

I was reading over at Gobbler's Knob about the new Waylon CD, Waylon Forever and so I checked out the songs that were on it.  I was more than a little surprised when I saw he covered Cream's "White Room."  I guess I shouldn't be to surprised since ol' Shooter is the one behind the project.  Anyhoo, it got me to thinking about good cover tunes I've heard and what makes a good cover.

A good cover doesn't always have to be complete reworking of the origninal, but, it usually helps.  A friend of mine turned me on to a cover of  Outkast's "Hey Ya!" by one Obadiah Parker.  It's a great version, but, I can't help but think that chicks would really dig this.  Then, there is the completely awesome version of Dolly Parton's "Jolene" that The White Stripe perform.  

So, here are some of my favorite recent cover tunes.

MP3: Obadiah Parker - Hey Ya!

MP3: The White Stripes - Jolene

MP3: Ben Gibbard - Thriller

MP3: The New Frontiers - Look at Miss Ohio

Under The Cover

A while back I posted Ben Gibbard's wonderfully haunting version of Michael Jackson's "Thriller."  Well, now we can all get a taste of Death Cab's version of Eurytmics "Here Comes The Rain."  Their version is pretty faithful to the original, but you know, with the Death Cab twist.  Oh, and since it's a bootleg version, it sounds like a bootleg--it's definitely not off the soundboard.

MP3 - Death Cab For Cutie - Here Comes The Rain Again

Weezer Red Album Cover

There are a few things that I know Rivers Cuomo likes. 1) Asian girls. 2) Harvard. 3) Celebacy. 4) Naming his albums after his band/color.

Last week or so the band announced that their new album would again be self titled, but, the color would be red. Now this "cover" came out for the new disk. Not sure if it's real or not, but, it is pretty funny. (Spinner)