31 March 2014 - Zac Brown Band - The Devil Went Down To Georgia

I'm kind of surprised that I haven't posted any Zac Brown Band covers here on Totally Covered. The dude has a knack for picking out some good ones. Hell, the first time I saw them they closed the show with Killing in the Name by Rage Against The Machine. A quick YouTube search unveils a who's who of greats that these Georgia boys have paid tribute to in concert, from Pearl Jam to Metallica and Billy Joel to Aerosmith. But today's video tops them all. Here they are at the 2009 CMA Awards playing killer version of the Charlie Daniels Band classic The Devil Went Down To Georgia. If your jaw doesn't drop by the end of this video I'm afraid to say the devil already has your soul.



Be sure to join in on the fun tonight at 6 PM PT/9 PM ET for a Twitterview with country legend Charlie Daniels at CMchat!

28 March 2014 - Danielle Bradbery - Try

It's hard to believe that it's been less than a year since Danielle Bradbery became the youngest champion on The Voice. Her fantastic self-titled debut was released in November and peaked at No. 5 on the country album charts, mostly due to the strength of and maturity shown on her remarkable first single Heart of Dixie. She's now on the road with Hunter Hayes' We're Not Invisible Tour. So yeah, I'd say it's been a whirlwind year for the 17-year-old Texan. Here's a video recorded at a We're Not Invisible Tour stop in Huntington, WV of Danielle performing one of my favorite Pink songs.

27 March 2014 - Sky Ferreira - Stand Back

This cover by Sky Ferreira of a Stevie Nicks staple is too good to NOT post, even without a video.

It's less rock and more electronic, but Sky gets rock, so it still works, perhaps even better than the original.



If you are one of those types that absolutely need a video, go to the 3:20 mark of this live performance by Sky.  And listen to the whole thing for two other songs!

25 March 2014 - MGMT - Voices Carry

It's a Tuesday, and since I have to wait 'til Tuesday to do my posts......

Featuring Caroline Polachek of Chairlift (and aka Ramona Lisa), here are MGMT doing this classic song, live.

24 March 2014 - John Rich - Amarillo By Morning

Y'all should know John Rich as one half of country good-time duo Big & Rich. Songs like Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy) and Comin' to Your City at one time or another were everywhere (the latter is the official theme song to ESPN's College Gameday, so college football fans here that one often).

Here's a video of John Rich playing King George's beloved hit Amarillo By Morning from the George Strait: ACM Artist of the Decade All Star Concert in 2009.



Be sure to join in on the fun tonight at 6 PM PT/9 PM ET for a Twitterview with John at CMchat!

21 March 2014 - Dixie Chicks - Wrecking Ball

This live video of the Dixie Chicks playing Wrecking Ball last week in London found its way onto my Twitter feed yesterday and I knew I had to post it here before all of the other country blogs do and I end up looking like the copy-cat fraud that I usually am. First off, this is one of the finest covers of Wrecking Ball that I've heard (and I've heard a ton). Second, it's also no surprise as the Dixie Chicks can pretty much play any song and it will sound awesome. I like how they left their own subtle stamp on Miley's mega-hit while still staying pretty true to the original. I really do hope the Dixie Chicks tour the U.S. again. It's been years since "the unpleasantness." Don't you think it's time for country fans to forgive them, if they haven't already?

20 March 2014 - CHVRCHES - Team

Lately, both Scott and I have been enjoying the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge covers.  So when I went looking for a cover today, that's where I went.  Specifically, I was looking for a cover of "Royals", by Lorde. 

What I found was this, a cover of Lorde's latest single by one of 2013's buzziest bands.  Lauren Mayberry's voice is a lot more delicate than Lorde's, and yet brings a different vulnerability to the tune.  It's a solid cover of a song that I didn't expect to find covered, by the perfect group to do it. 

17 March 2014 - Dropkick Murphys - I'm Shipping Up To Boston

Happy St. Patrick's Day people. I trust y'all will celebrate appropriately (lots of Guinness) and safely (cab or walk home). Let's get the party started with Boston's Dropkick Murphys. I guess technically I'm Shipping Up To Boston isn't a cover, but it's close enough, which works for me. To be honest, I had no idea that The Dropkicks took Woody Guthrie's words to I'm Shipping Up To Boston and turned it into one of their most beloved/badass songs. I'm sure glad they did too!

12 March 2014 - Selena Gomez - ...Baby One More Time

Two years ago, on this very day, I decided to "prank" Tony by posting a Britney Spears video at Wicked Guilty Pleasures to celebrate his birthday. Oops I did it Again last year too. Since today is a Totally Covered day for me, I say we all wish Tony a most happy birthday with Selena Gomez singing Britney's ...Baby One More Time.

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11 March 2014 - Miley Cyrus - Jolene

I don't want to hear any more crap about how Miley can't sing and how she's just all about shock value and how she has no artistic credibility.  Anyone who doubts the pure musical skill of this woman - her ability to belt out an emotion-filled song.... originally done by country music icon (and her godmother) Dolly Parton.... and make it her own - is just ignoring the facts.

So, enjoy this pure, acoustic performance by one of pop music's greatest talents.

10 March 2014 - Katie Armiger - Guys Do It All The Time

Katie Armiger is a ridiculously talented 22-year-old singer/songwriter from Sugar Land, Texas. Her fourth album, 2013's Fall Into Me was one of my favorite albums of the year based solely on the first two killer singles - Better in a Black Dress and Playin' with Fire. The touching video for her latest single Safe is currently getting a ton of airplay on GAC (it hit No. 1 a few weeks ago and has been No. 2 for the last two weeks). While I would love to post the Safe video, it's obviously not a cover song (y'all go check it out on your own). Anyway, here she is playing Mindy McCready's Guys Do It All The Time.



Be sure to check out CMchat tonight at 6 PM EDT for a Twitterview with Katie!

7 March 2014 - Lorde - Everybody Wants To Rule The World

I've posted covers of Lorde's award-winning Roayls twice this year already. To be honest, even I'm getting sick of hearing new versions of the song (looking at you Springsteen). With that in mind, I was determined to find the young New Zealander playing someone else's music for a change, and it didn't take me long to find this awesome Tears For Fears cover which appeared on the Hunger Games: Catching Fire Soundtrack.

5 March 2014 - Beck - Need You Tonight

In 2009, Beck started a new musical project called the Record Club. The concept was pretty cool; Get some musicians together and record an entire album by another artist in one day. Today's video comes from their INXS Kick session. Taking the vocal duties for Need You Tonight are Annie Clark (St. Vincent) and Angus Andrew (Liars). Beck's Record Club also put their unique spin on The Velvet Underground's The Velvet Underground & Nico, Leonard Cohen's Songs of Leonard Cohen, Skip Spence's Oar, and Yanni's Yanni Live at the Acropolis. They recorded video for all of the sessions as well and they're pretty easy to find on YouTube so check 'em out if that's your sort of thing. Y'all know I'll be all over that Yanni record.

4 March 2014 - Postmodern Jukebox - Thrift Shop

What? What? What? What?

Postmodern Jukebox is the brainchild of Scott Bradlee, musical genius and jazz pianist, who reinteprets the songs of modern pop music in different styles.  When going with their cover of "Thrift Shop", by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, ragtime seemed to be the right choice.

GUARANTEED that we will have a lot of future covers by these guys.  They're brilliant.

3 March 2014 - Luke Bryan - Bad Romance

Totally Covered is back baby after a 10-day break. I probably created more cobwebs in the ol' noggin' than I cleared out with my week in Punta Cana, so I assure you that I'll be as mediocre as ever while continuing to present y'all with some fun covers (remember it's all about the music). So as I stare out my window this morning at the snow falling down, knowing that in a few hours I'll be shoveling (a far cry from the beach, palm trees and swim-up bar that I had grown accustomed) there's only one thing that can pick me up...Luke Bryan covering Lady Gaga's Bad Romance!

*please note you get a snippet of Poison's Nothin' But A Good Time before Bad Romance starts.