30 April 2012 - Joss Stone - Fell In Love With A Boy

While I never really got into The White Stripes, I have to admit that Fell In Love With A Girl was a decent tune. When I heard a 17-year-old soul singer from England had covered it two years after the song's initial release, I was skeptical. Then I actually heard it, and well, I fell in love with a tune...and Ms. Stone.

29 April 2012 - The Soggy Bottom Boys - Man of Constant Sorrow

The Soggy Bottom Boys are fictitious.  The music and vocals behind George Clooney and friends were done by session musicians. That doesn't make it any less excellent.

The song was originally recorded in 1913 by blind fiddler Dick Burnett, as "Farewell Song," but it is unclear whether he wrote it or if it predated him.  It has been recorded dozens of times, by such artists as Bob Dylan and Rod Stewart.  

This version, from the movie "Oh Brother Where Art Thou", is a faithful bluegrass cover version of the song, and it works as such.  This pivotal scene from the movie is a tremendous performance of this song that I truly hope you enjoy.

28 April 2012 - They Might Be Giants - Istanbul (Not Constantinople)

Constantinople was the capitol of the Eastern Roman and later the Ottoman Empire.  However, the name change to Istanbul was mandated by the new Turkish government, who wanted to distance themselves from their history and insisted that the rest of the world call their city Istanbul, and not Constantinople.

This history/geography lesson was originally recorded by a Canadian band called The Four Lads.  However, They Might Be Giants rerecorded it, remade it, and now, it's theirs.

27 April 2012 - White Stripes - Walking With A Ghost

Sometimes, a song just sounds like it was meant for a group to perform.  Sometimes, it sounds like they wrote it for themselves.  This is one of those songs.  When I first heard the song, I thought it was theirs.  It certainly sounds like the kind of stuff that Jack White writes.

And when I heard the Tegan and Sara version, I thought THAT was the cover. It wasn't.

I was wrong, but that doesn't diminish the great song that Jack and Meg White crafted.  It just means that someone else did it first.  The two versions of the song go at approximately the same pace, but the hard edge of this version strikes a sharp contrast with the folky sounds of the original. Jack White can only harmonize with himself here, but it works, as well as the original, in a different way.

26 April 2012 - 7 Seconds - 99 Red Balloons

7 Seconds is one of my favorite punk bands. I've been lucky enough to see them a few times over the years and they always seem to cover this song to close out their shows.

25 April 2012 - Elwood - Sundown

Gordon Lightfoot is a Canadian national treasure.  There's no clearer way to express that.  And the original version of this song was one of his greatest - a classic.

So, when I heard yet another hip hop inspired band had covered such a treasured classic, I was instantly turned off.  Turns out I didn't have to be.  Elwood, straight out of the Portland underground, took an old song and reinvented it, successfully, without taking away any of its quiet charm.  To be clear, this classic song was certainly a tribute to naughtiness - Elwood didn't forget that when they covered it.

This live version doesn't have great song quality, but you can see the energy of the band clearly.

Here is a short documentary and the official music video for the song, if you are so inspired.  Enjoy.

24 April 2012 - Camper Van Beethoven - Pictures of Matchstick Men

While most people know Camper Van Beethoven for their classic first single Take The Skinheads Bowling, it's today's Status Quo cover that garnered CVB their biggest chart success. So sit back. Click the play button. And enjoy this psych-rock classic done Camperstyle.