More Joy 2013: cover songs
I asked whether I should post covers or hip-hop for More Joy Day; when I started prepping the post, covers were winning, but since then hip-hop has taken the lead. So... covers now, hip-hop later this month.
I am not a fanatical collector of covers, though I do like them, and the existence of several blogs maintained by people who are fanatical collectors makes it easy to go find stuff when I'm in the mood. So here is a mix of 26 songs - an hour and forty-five minutes' worth; there is no particular theme aside from "stuff I like, arranged in an order that makes sense to me." There's some stylistic variation, but the mix as a whole tilts heavily toward acoustic sound and melancholy mood, which... is perhaps not super-appropriate for More Joy Day, but, uh, they make ME happy. And some of them are bouncy, I promise!
I've uploaded a .zip file with all of them; I'll leave it up until I remember to take it down, which might be anywhere from two weeks to ten months. (I just realized the 2011 obsesso-songs are still up there. Oops.) As always, please support the artists if you like the music!
ETA:
renenet has made an .m3u playlist file that will play the tracks in the order listed here. \o/
More Joy Day 2013: cover songs
Kris Delmhorst, "You Might Think"
As soon as I started thinking about a covers post, I knew this had to be the kickoff track; it's from Cars, Kris's album made up (as the title might have led you to guess) entirely of Cars songs. I was never a huge Cars fan, but I did like some of the singles. Predictably, this song and "Drive" are my favorite tracks.
Brandi Carlile, "Heaven"
As long as we're starting with the '80s, we might as well just embrace it. 1984-85 was a shitty year, and Bryan Adams did not improve things, but I have to admit I still knew all the words to this one.
Trampled By Turtles, "Where Is My Mind"
The Pixies were much more my '80s. (I didn't love Surfer Rosa as much as I did Doolittle, but still.) This cover delights me; my favorite covers are reinterpretations rather than mere re-creations of songs, which is why I prefer this version to, say, Placebo's or Nada Surf's.
Nada Surf, "If You Leave"
...that said, I do have a soft spot for bands I love covering songs I love, even in fairly straightforward versions. I was never that into Pretty In Pink or for that matter OMD, but oh man, this song.
Aimee Mann, "The Scientist"
Yeah, this is another one in that same category. Aimee Mann covers Coldplay! I was sold before I ever heard the track. Heh.
Birdy, "Skinny Love"
Recorded when she was 14, which I can't quite wrap my head around. I love this version way, way more than Bon Iver's original; I appreciate a cover that realizes the unrealized potential in the original.
Bon Iver, "I Can't Make You Love Me / Nick of Time"
But I do like Bon Iver! And this cover, especially the segue into "Nick of Time" at the end, is one of the reasons why. Not everyone can pull off a Bonnie Raitt cover, you guys.
Peter Mulvey, "Stranded in a Limousine"
Choosing a Peter Mulvey cover was hard: two full-length albums, an EP, selected songs from other albums, and a vast accumulation of miscellany from live shows. Ultimately I went with this one, though, in honor of
sdwolfpup and our shared goal to get Peter to do an entire cover of Paul Simon songs. (I do really wish I had a decent live version of his "The Boy in the Bubble." Alas.)
Flogging Molly, "The Times They Are A-Changin'"
One of my favorite tracks on the recent Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan. Flogging Molly tears it up!
Michael Franti & Spearhead, "Subterranean Homesick Blues"
Another of my favorite tracks from Chimes of Freedom. So bouncy! This one really does fill me with joy.
Eva Cassidy, "Fields of Gold"
I tried to stick mostly to covers from the last 10 years for this mix, but I had to dip back to 1996 for this one. I have quite a few covers of this song, including most recently Jake Shimabukuro's (see below), but this is probably my favorite cover (my all-time favorite is still Sting's original).
Janina Gavankar, "Love Lockdown"
Hat tip to
sdwolfpup, who linked to the YouTube video of this one and sent me in search of it. Holy smokes, you guys. So nice to hear that the song is even better without Kanye West's auto-tuning.
Holly McNarland, "In the Air Tonight"
And back to the '80s. Holly McNarland did this song the one and only time I ever saw her perform live (I think she must have been opening for The Drovers, which seems like an odd combo, but whatever), and I was glad to see it show up on Live Stuff. Wikipedia informs me that she's released several more albums in the last 10 years, which clearly I should check out. This is another one especially for
sdwolfpup. :D
Dum Dum Girls, "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out"
God bless good Smiths covers. I love the way this version captures both the itchy energy in the music and the ennui in the vocals.
The Gaslight Anthem, "God's Gonna Cut You Down"
I have to admit to you that I would not have pegged The Gaslight Anthem as a good fit for Johnny Cash, which just goes to show that sometimes I lack imagination. Hat tip to mirrorthaw for pointing me to it. I should also mention The Gaslight Anthem's "Changing of the Guard" (off Chimes of Freedom) and their version of Tom Petty's "You Got Lucky" (a bonus track on the deluxe version of 2012's Handwritten).
Grant Lee Phillips, "So. Central Rain"
R.E.M. was my favorite band for a long time. A long time. This cover is more languid and thus even more beautifully glum than the original. (Also recommended: Hem's version on No Word From Tom, which also features an improbably lovely version of Fountains of Wayne's "Radiation Vibe.")
Redbird (Jeff Foucault), "You Are the Everything"
Speaking of R.E.M.: The first time I heard Jeff cover this song, I took it as proof that the universe loves me and wants me to be happy. I have to admit that one reason I was relatively unmoved by Jeff's Shoot the Moon Right Between the Eyes is that I can think of so many songs and artists I want Jeff to cover, including a lot of the covers he already does (some of you may recall that "Ooh La La" was one of my obsesso-songs from 2010), and John Prine was just not at the top of my list. One of the great regrets of my concert-going life is that there is no recording of Jeff singing George Michael's "Faith," which truepenny and mirrorthaw and I think
renenet and I heard him do at a cafe in Waunakee for an otherwise unappreciative audience.
Calexico, "Love Will Tear Us Apart"
I didn't know that a Joy Division song could sound this peppy. I love it. I also like the June Tabor & Oysterband version, but it's much more conventionally mopey, and this mix was morose enough already.
Damien Rice, "One"
There are approximately seven thousand cover versions of this song, and I cannot claim to have heard them all (though I do like the Cowboy Junkies' version), but I suspect that even if I did hear them all this one would still be my favorite. I love a lot of things about this cover, but I think my favorite is what Damian Rice does with the pronouns; this version of the song arguably makes more sense (though I do have a huge soft spot for U2's original).
Matt Pond PA, "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea"
This is one of those songs that I always felt I should love (because, you know, Neutral Milk Hotel, indie street credit, blah blah blah), but... I didn't. Until I heard this version. Thank you, Matt Pond PA. This EP also includes covers of "Winterlong" and "I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight," both of which I recommend wholeheartedly.
Luka Bloom, "No Surprises"
Gorgeous stripped-down acoustic contrast to Radiohead's bells-and-chimes original. Keeper of the Flame also features an improbably charming version of ABBA's "Dancing Queen," which might appeal to some of you, but my other favorite track is the cover of U2's "Bad."
The Rescues, "Teenage Dream"
I noted in my obsesso-songs 2011 post that I adored Darren Criss's version of this song from Glee but found the original unlistenable.
stultiloquentia then turned me on to Darren Criss's live version of the song, which is even better, and of which I now have 10 different live recordings. And now this. Apparently the original is the exception to the rule. IDEK, you guys. Possibly it's just that, for me, 2012 was the year in which everything The Rescues touched turned to gold. See forthcoming post about 2012's obsesso-songs for details.
Jessie J, "We Found Love"
Jessie J, who really does have a great voice, turns Rihanna's catchy electro-pop into a fabulous torch song.
Robyn, "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall"
Was this not always a Robyn song? It should have been. (Though I do love the Coldplay original.) Also, if you like Robyn and haven't checked out her SoundCloud page, do; it's got all sorts of fun stuff, including a cover of Prince's "When Doves Cry" and lots and lots of remixes.
Fleet Foxes Sing, "Born This Way"
As the SoundCloud bio says, "Contrary to popular belief, and what your ears may tell you, the songs posted on this blog were not recorded by Fleet Foxes, but rather one dude who impersonates Fleet Foxes using overdubbing and lots of reverb." FFS has a huuuuge back catalog of improbable covers ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous; my favorites are the ones that are both, like this one. They're all available for free download, so go see what strikes your fancy; I recommend starting with "Dancing On My Own," "Halo," "Walking on Sunshine," and "Call Me Maybe."
Jake Shimabukuro, "Rolling in the Deep"
Jake Shimabukuro plays the ukelele. He plays the ukelele really, really well. And thus this instrumental avoids the pitfall common to most covers of this much-covered song, which is that nobody else can sing it as well as Adele.
Originally posted at Dreamwidth || Read
comments on Dreamwidth
I am not a fanatical collector of covers, though I do like them, and the existence of several blogs maintained by people who are fanatical collectors makes it easy to go find stuff when I'm in the mood. So here is a mix of 26 songs - an hour and forty-five minutes' worth; there is no particular theme aside from "stuff I like, arranged in an order that makes sense to me." There's some stylistic variation, but the mix as a whole tilts heavily toward acoustic sound and melancholy mood, which... is perhaps not super-appropriate for More Joy Day, but, uh, they make ME happy. And some of them are bouncy, I promise!
I've uploaded a .zip file with all of them; I'll leave it up until I remember to take it down, which might be anywhere from two weeks to ten months. (I just realized the 2011 obsesso-songs are still up there. Oops.) As always, please support the artists if you like the music!
ETA:
renenet has made an .m3u playlist file that will play the tracks in the order listed here. \o/
More Joy Day 2013: cover songs
Kris Delmhorst, "You Might Think"
As soon as I started thinking about a covers post, I knew this had to be the kickoff track; it's from Cars, Kris's album made up (as the title might have led you to guess) entirely of Cars songs. I was never a huge Cars fan, but I did like some of the singles. Predictably, this song and "Drive" are my favorite tracks.
Brandi Carlile, "Heaven"
As long as we're starting with the '80s, we might as well just embrace it. 1984-85 was a shitty year, and Bryan Adams did not improve things, but I have to admit I still knew all the words to this one.
Trampled By Turtles, "Where Is My Mind"
The Pixies were much more my '80s. (I didn't love Surfer Rosa as much as I did Doolittle, but still.) This cover delights me; my favorite covers are reinterpretations rather than mere re-creations of songs, which is why I prefer this version to, say, Placebo's or Nada Surf's.
Nada Surf, "If You Leave"
...that said, I do have a soft spot for bands I love covering songs I love, even in fairly straightforward versions. I was never that into Pretty In Pink or for that matter OMD, but oh man, this song.
Aimee Mann, "The Scientist"
Yeah, this is another one in that same category. Aimee Mann covers Coldplay! I was sold before I ever heard the track. Heh.
Birdy, "Skinny Love"
Recorded when she was 14, which I can't quite wrap my head around. I love this version way, way more than Bon Iver's original; I appreciate a cover that realizes the unrealized potential in the original.
Bon Iver, "I Can't Make You Love Me / Nick of Time"
But I do like Bon Iver! And this cover, especially the segue into "Nick of Time" at the end, is one of the reasons why. Not everyone can pull off a Bonnie Raitt cover, you guys.
Peter Mulvey, "Stranded in a Limousine"
Choosing a Peter Mulvey cover was hard: two full-length albums, an EP, selected songs from other albums, and a vast accumulation of miscellany from live shows. Ultimately I went with this one, though, in honor of
sdwolfpup and our shared goal to get Peter to do an entire cover of Paul Simon songs. (I do really wish I had a decent live version of his "The Boy in the Bubble." Alas.)
Flogging Molly, "The Times They Are A-Changin'"
One of my favorite tracks on the recent Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan. Flogging Molly tears it up!
Michael Franti & Spearhead, "Subterranean Homesick Blues"
Another of my favorite tracks from Chimes of Freedom. So bouncy! This one really does fill me with joy.
Eva Cassidy, "Fields of Gold"
I tried to stick mostly to covers from the last 10 years for this mix, but I had to dip back to 1996 for this one. I have quite a few covers of this song, including most recently Jake Shimabukuro's (see below), but this is probably my favorite cover (my all-time favorite is still Sting's original).
Janina Gavankar, "Love Lockdown"
Hat tip to
sdwolfpup, who linked to the YouTube video of this one and sent me in search of it. Holy smokes, you guys. So nice to hear that the song is even better without Kanye West's auto-tuning.
Holly McNarland, "In the Air Tonight"
And back to the '80s. Holly McNarland did this song the one and only time I ever saw her perform live (I think she must have been opening for The Drovers, which seems like an odd combo, but whatever), and I was glad to see it show up on Live Stuff. Wikipedia informs me that she's released several more albums in the last 10 years, which clearly I should check out. This is another one especially for
sdwolfpup. :D
Dum Dum Girls, "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out"
God bless good Smiths covers. I love the way this version captures both the itchy energy in the music and the ennui in the vocals.
The Gaslight Anthem, "God's Gonna Cut You Down"
I have to admit to you that I would not have pegged The Gaslight Anthem as a good fit for Johnny Cash, which just goes to show that sometimes I lack imagination. Hat tip to mirrorthaw for pointing me to it. I should also mention The Gaslight Anthem's "Changing of the Guard" (off Chimes of Freedom) and their version of Tom Petty's "You Got Lucky" (a bonus track on the deluxe version of 2012's Handwritten).
Grant Lee Phillips, "So. Central Rain"
R.E.M. was my favorite band for a long time. A long time. This cover is more languid and thus even more beautifully glum than the original. (Also recommended: Hem's version on No Word From Tom, which also features an improbably lovely version of Fountains of Wayne's "Radiation Vibe.")
Redbird (Jeff Foucault), "You Are the Everything"
Speaking of R.E.M.: The first time I heard Jeff cover this song, I took it as proof that the universe loves me and wants me to be happy. I have to admit that one reason I was relatively unmoved by Jeff's Shoot the Moon Right Between the Eyes is that I can think of so many songs and artists I want Jeff to cover, including a lot of the covers he already does (some of you may recall that "Ooh La La" was one of my obsesso-songs from 2010), and John Prine was just not at the top of my list. One of the great regrets of my concert-going life is that there is no recording of Jeff singing George Michael's "Faith," which truepenny and mirrorthaw and I think
renenet and I heard him do at a cafe in Waunakee for an otherwise unappreciative audience.
Calexico, "Love Will Tear Us Apart"
I didn't know that a Joy Division song could sound this peppy. I love it. I also like the June Tabor & Oysterband version, but it's much more conventionally mopey, and this mix was morose enough already.
Damien Rice, "One"
There are approximately seven thousand cover versions of this song, and I cannot claim to have heard them all (though I do like the Cowboy Junkies' version), but I suspect that even if I did hear them all this one would still be my favorite. I love a lot of things about this cover, but I think my favorite is what Damian Rice does with the pronouns; this version of the song arguably makes more sense (though I do have a huge soft spot for U2's original).
Matt Pond PA, "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea"
This is one of those songs that I always felt I should love (because, you know, Neutral Milk Hotel, indie street credit, blah blah blah), but... I didn't. Until I heard this version. Thank you, Matt Pond PA. This EP also includes covers of "Winterlong" and "I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight," both of which I recommend wholeheartedly.
Luka Bloom, "No Surprises"
Gorgeous stripped-down acoustic contrast to Radiohead's bells-and-chimes original. Keeper of the Flame also features an improbably charming version of ABBA's "Dancing Queen," which might appeal to some of you, but my other favorite track is the cover of U2's "Bad."
The Rescues, "Teenage Dream"
I noted in my obsesso-songs 2011 post that I adored Darren Criss's version of this song from Glee but found the original unlistenable.
stultiloquentia then turned me on to Darren Criss's live version of the song, which is even better, and of which I now have 10 different live recordings. And now this. Apparently the original is the exception to the rule. IDEK, you guys. Possibly it's just that, for me, 2012 was the year in which everything The Rescues touched turned to gold. See forthcoming post about 2012's obsesso-songs for details.
Jessie J, "We Found Love"
Jessie J, who really does have a great voice, turns Rihanna's catchy electro-pop into a fabulous torch song.
Robyn, "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall"
Was this not always a Robyn song? It should have been. (Though I do love the Coldplay original.) Also, if you like Robyn and haven't checked out her SoundCloud page, do; it's got all sorts of fun stuff, including a cover of Prince's "When Doves Cry" and lots and lots of remixes.
Fleet Foxes Sing, "Born This Way"
As the SoundCloud bio says, "Contrary to popular belief, and what your ears may tell you, the songs posted on this blog were not recorded by Fleet Foxes, but rather one dude who impersonates Fleet Foxes using overdubbing and lots of reverb." FFS has a huuuuge back catalog of improbable covers ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous; my favorites are the ones that are both, like this one. They're all available for free download, so go see what strikes your fancy; I recommend starting with "Dancing On My Own," "Halo," "Walking on Sunshine," and "Call Me Maybe."
Jake Shimabukuro, "Rolling in the Deep"
Jake Shimabukuro plays the ukelele. He plays the ukelele really, really well. And thus this instrumental avoids the pitfall common to most covers of this much-covered song, which is that nobody else can sing it as well as Adele.
Originally posted at Dreamwidth || Read
comments on Dreamwidth