28 February 2022 - Doja Cat - Celebrity Skin

Once upon a time, there was a big football game that people watched for the commercials.  One of those commercials was for a little taco joint chain restaurant, and it featured a song that everyone knew was performed by Hole.... but it wasn't Courtney Love singing it....

...and why was Doja Cat in the commercial?

Well, it turns out Ms. Cat was also the artist of record on that song.  And, after that suberb owl of a game, she released the whole song... which became an instant hit on the ROCK charts, a place she hadn't been before.  

That's right.  Not a pop hit. A ROCK hit.  

See?!

Seriously, the song is a walking fire.  You can't get rid of it.  Here's the whole song, in a fan-made video, clearly cut from the Taco Bell commercial. 

3 February 2022 - Kelly Willis - Harper Valley PTA

Jeanne C. Riley had her biggest hit with her debut single, written by Tom T. Hall.  Kelly Willis recorded a fantastic and nuanced cover of this song, building as it goes. Stick with it, because she understands the rising emotional impact of this super huge hit.

25 January 2022 - JoCo and Friends - Just What I Needed

Jonathan Coulton is someone who does a lot of quirky songs, including quirky covers.  This one, however, is spot on and reverent.  Accompanied by a who's who of session musician/songwriters - Jim Boggia (guitar), John Roderick (guitar), Christian Cassan (drums), Jon Spurney (keyboard) - and yes.  That's Aimee Mann on bass and 2nd vocal - Coulton and his band give the Ric Ocasek classic its due. 

And yes, this is because it's Scott's birthday and I absolutely remember that he saw Aimee Mann ten years ago Sunday, and also that today is his birthday.

24 January 2022 - Kim Wilde - Sleeping Satellite

Kim Wilde covered Tasmin Archer's biggest hit in 2011.  She brings a more pop and less soulful feel than the original, but still, she understands the emotional gravity of the song, and delivers it appropriately. 

It sounds like I'm giving her a performance review.   I promise that I'm not.  She just does a good job.  Sometimes, there's not a lot more that has to be said.

21 January 2022 - The Smithereens - It Don't Come Easy

The Smithereens released a great and faithful cover of one of Ringo Starr's biggest hits.  They really didn't change it at all.  Pat DiNizio might as well have been Richard Starkey.   Rather than break down the song any more than I already did, I figured you could just listen.  

14 January 2022 - Mandy Moore - Senses Working Overtime

TEN Years ago today, on Wicked Guilty Pleasures, Scott posted the following:

Years ago, my old office had an administrative assistant who listened to a lot of the same indie rock and alt stuff as I did at the time. Needless to say we got along smashingly. One day I was asking her a question and today's song was playing on her computer. I then had a non-work question: "who's this covering XTC?" She wisely asked if I liked it. I said, "yeah, it's pretty cool." She said, "It's Mandy Moore." I died a little inside that day. Fortunately, Mandy went on to marry Ryan Adams which of course made her cool in the eyes of hipsters everywhere (I'm certainly making that last part up). I should say though that her last two records: Wild Hope and Amanda Leigh are some damn fine folkie/pop.

Forget the Ryan Adams comment, which didn't exactly age well.  But it was - is - a terrific cover.  He was right about that.  But also, this started us both thinking, and those thoughts led us to the creation of this blog a couple of months later.  

So, I consider this the anniversary of Totally Covered.

7 January 2022 - Camila Cabello - good 4 u

When big artists go to BBC Radio 1, they do big covers.  So, when Camila Cabello went, she brought.... wait, a mariachi band? - to cover this big Olivia Rodrigo hit.  She doesn't curse during it, but she does it justice.