23 December 2016 - A Very Bittersweet Christmas

One of my favorite songs of all time is "Bittersweet Symphony" by The Verve.  Legally, it's considered a cover.  No,  really: Jagger/Richards are credited because it was ruled that Richard Ashcroft lifted the violin rift from a cover of the Rolling Stone's song "The Last Time" by the Andrew Oldham Orchestra.  Judge that for yourself here:



But we aren't here to talk about that.  We're here to talk about covers of that "cover".

21 December 2016 - The BlackSheeps - Gold Lion

The BlackSheeps was a band from Norway who happened to also be indigenous people from there - Sami, to be precise.  Yeah, they live north of the Arctic Circle.

That doesn't mean they can't pull out a superhot Yeah Yeah Yeahs cover.  While they were just out for a stroll.  And using a soccer goal as a drum kit.



As an added bonus, here is a more stripped down version of the same cover......



....and here's a far less stripped down version.

29 September 2016 - Atomic Kitten - Eternal Flame

I know what you're thinking.

Just because a group of women who can sing get together doesn't mean they should tackle The Bangles.

It's a fair thought.   Hell, they probably shouldn't tackle the Spice Girls.

HOWEVER, these women really could sing, and did an admirable job with the song.  And since Jenny Frost - the woman lying down doing her solo piece - had TONSILLITIS during this shoot and COULDN'T do anything but lay down, the video even came out pretty good.

25 August 2016 - Kesha - It Ain't Me, Babe

Tonight, I get to see Kesha live.

Notice how I didn't use the $. She dumped that.  It was a good move.

Anyway, back to Kesha.  I have not been this excited for a show in years.  YEARS!!!!!!  And I admit, as a 44-year-old man, I'm slightly embarrassed.  But only slightly.  I mean, this woman has serious pipes, and this cover of a Bob Dylan classic truly showcases those.  Even the Queen of Autotune has a voice - who knew?

And if you are in Central New York, come to the New York State Fair.  It's $3 today, and it comes with a Kesha concert!

11 July 2016 - Kelly Willis - Fist City

I saw Kelly Willis live in 1991.  She did this song live.  I was there with my mother because no one else wanted to go see a country act with me.

My mother recognized the song first.  I was so ashamed.  But I got over it.  Because damn, it was brilliant.

9 July - Elle King - The Weight

This is a song that's supposed to be simple and heartfelt.

Good thing Elle King knows that.  Because she nailed it.

14 June 2016 - Tove Lo - Elastic Heart

Frequent readers of Wicked Guilty Pleasures will recall that I am a huge Tove Lo fan.  She is a brilliant songwriter in her own right, but with all her electronica, she doesn't get her due as a talented performer and vocalist.  Which she is.

So, singing a song by Sia (someone else who only goes by a part of her name professionally) is a great way to do that.  So here you go.