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Kathleen Edwards covers Tom Petty

Frank Yang — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 14:42:38 +0000

AmazonFlashback: 2004. Ottawa singer-songwriter Kathleen Edwards has made a bit of a name for herself with her debut album Failer the year before, and perhaps seeking to solidify the lucrative “people-who-buy-their-CDs-while-buying-coffee” demographic, contributes a song to the Starbucks/Hear Music-assembled Sweetheart: Love Songs compilation. This places her alongside artists like Aimee Mann and Josh Ritter in recording love songs covers, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Edwards chooses to reinterpret a Tom Petty song from his 1989 solo album, Full Moon Fever.

Eight years and three albums and one solid career later, Edwards seems poised to have a real breakout year, thanks more to the excellence of her latest record Voyageur and not the music-buying impulses of caffeine addicts. And you know, that’s probably for the best. Exclaim, Post City, Express Night Out and The Washington Post have interviews with Edwards and her show at The Phoenix this coming Saturday – February 11 – is just about sold out. Tom Petty’s last record with the Heartbreakers or without was 2010′s Mojo. Starbucks has largely abandoned their Hear Music initiative, but there were three more Valentine’s-timed Sweetheart covers comps released over the years – 2005, 2009 and 2010.

MP3: Kathleen Edwards – “A Face In The Crowd”
Video: Tom Petty – “A Face In The Crowd”

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds cover Leonard Cohen

Frank Yang — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 16:20:17 +0000

WikipediaI was having a little trouble coming up with something to say about this week’s selection by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and taken from the 1991 Leonard Cohen tribute album I’m Your Fan, but happily a little plumbing around the tubes of the internet turned up this little piece at chromehorse (chrome solidarity!) that corroborates the bit at Wikipedia on the song. Which is basically that Cave and company got wrecked before recording a marathon-length jam on “Tower Of Song” that was left to the engineers to splice it all together into something usable. The raucous end result/pastiche is a far, far cry from Cohen’s meditative original, but I kind of love it and the backstory just adds to it.

Nick Cave has put Grinderman to bed and reconvened with The Bad Seeds to work on their fifteenth album, the follow-up to 2008′s Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!. Cohen releases his twelfth studio album Old Ideas on Tuesday. NPR has a feature piece on Cohen. And while on the topic of Cohen covers, Old Ideas With New Friends is a series of web videos of artists doing reinterpretations of the old master’s tunes – head over to Rolling Stone for Greg Dulli of The Afghan Whigs doing “Paper Thin Hotel” and Consequence Of Sound for Cold War Kids doing “There Is A War”. More is still to come.

MP3: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – “Tower Of Song”
Video: Leonard Cohen – “Tower Of Song” (live on Night Music)
Video: Leonard Cohen – “Tower Of Song” (live in London 2009)

The Hold Steady covers Bruce Springsteen

Frank Yang — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 14:49:03 +0000

War ChildWhen The Hold Steady get likened to Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, it’s usually in reference to the big, raucous, arena-sized bar-rock that the latter invented and the former aspire to. So it kind of made sense that the two would be paired up for the 2009 War Child: Heroes benefit compilation wherein artists covered their inspirations, but the song selection was a bit curious. “Atlantic City” comes from Springsteen’s 1982 record Nebraska and being a solo-billed album with a stark, acoustic presentation it doesn’t feature Springsteen’s usual backing band doing what they do. Not that that stopped The Hold Steady from pretending they were on their redo, doing it up big with piano and sax and all those E Street accoutrements.

Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn’s solo debut Clear Heart Full Eyes comes out this week and it doesn’t go quite as far as Springsteen did with Nebraska in switching things up from the expected, it’s a leaner, darker work as well. And just this week, Springsteen announced the March 6 release of his new record Wrecking Ball; Rolling Stone has details on that while DIY and The New York Times have feature pieces on Craig Finn. And oh, a new Hold Steady record is also in the works.

MP3: The Hold Steady – “Atlantic City”
Video: Bruce Springsteen – “Atlantic City”

Letters To Cleo cover Nick Lowe

Frank Yang — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 15:01:29 +0000

WikipediaFolks of a certain age got an unexpected thrill this past Thursday night when on Parks & Recreation – assuming they were home watching television (or torrenting it for later) – Adam Scott showed up on their screens wearing a Letters To Cleo t-shirt. LTC were never amongst the A-list of the ’90s college rock scene, or even the ’90s Boston college rock scene, but they held a special place in the hearts of fans of scrappy power pop and to see them getting name-checked out of the blue over a decade after packing it in brought on some warm waves of nostalgia.

A wave which has carried me through their back catalog this weekend – 1997′s Go! remains a personal favourite – and to this week’s selection, which may have represented the band’s commercial peak as it appeared on the soundtrack of the 1999 film 10 Things I Hate About You, which retold The Taming Of The Shrew in modern terms while introducing North America to the charisma of Heath Ledger, the world to the curious woodenness of Julia Stiles, and somehow spawning a television adaptation almost a decade later (which failed badly). Their reading of Cheap Trick’s “I Want You To Want Me” was probably the best known of their four contributions to the soundtrack but I always liked their take on Nick Lowe’s classic single better; it originally appeared on his 1979 album Labour Of Lust, which was rereleased in shiny remastered form last Spring.

Co.Create has a piece on how the Parks & Rec placement came about; you can buy the Adam Scott-endorsed t-shirt over here.

MP3: Letters To Cleo – “Cruel To Be Kind”
Video: Nick Lowe – “Cruel To Be Kind”

The Cure covers David Bowie

Frank Yang — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 15:10:27 +0000

Ten Man RecordsToday is David Bowie’s 65th birthday; traditionally, this would be the age where he could officially retire from the workaday world and spend his golden years tending to his garden and doing the daily crossword. Of course, one of the perks of being rock music’s most influential artists is that you can take early retirement and that’s what Mr. Jones has done since approximately 2005, making only sporadic guest appearances on others’ records and certainly not doing anything of his own – his final release of new material is almost a decade old, 2003′s ~~Heathen~~ Reality. And if this does turn out to be all he plans to do for the rest of his career, well he’s earned it.

Robert Smith has threatened to retire The Cure several times in the past, but no one really believes him anymore. But still, they’re now over three years removed from their last release of new material – 2008′s 4:13 Dream – and have of late been concentrating on revisiting their sizeable legacy, performing their first few albums live in their entirety and reuniting with former members Roger O’Donnell and Laurence Tolhurst. A month ago they released the live double-disc set Bestival Live 2011, which captured their headlining performance of the English festival last Summer and ~~later this year, they will be inducted into~~ last year they were nominated for entry into the Rock’N'Roll Hall Of Fame.

This studio cover by The Cure of David Bowie’s “Young Americans” is no spring chicken itself and a touch ironic considering that neither coverer or coveree is either young or America; it dates back to a 1995 compilation for London radio station XFM.

MP3: The Cure – “Young Americans”
Video: David Bowie – “Young Americans” (live on The Dick Cavett Show 1974)

Guided By Voices cover The Rolling Stones

Frank Yang — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 14:56:46 +0000

Frank YangWhen Guided By Voices hung it up with a final show in Chicago on New Year’s Eve, 2004, I rang in 2005 with a farewell post. Well not a post, reading back over it, but a (salty) salute. This followed a covers post from the Summer of 2004 when they announced they were calling it a day, and then another in October 2010 when they were gearing up for their reunion show at Matador 21 (the MP3s for the second one are still up).

All of which is to say that it felt right to welcome 2012 with another GBV cover post on the occasion of the release of their comeback LP Let’s Go Eat The Factory, which was formally released today to die-hards who’d pre-ordered it (though it either arrived on Friday or will arrive on Tuesday since there’s no mail delivery today or tomorrow, but I digress). But rather than post other bands covering Bob Pollard and company – I’m kind of running out of those – I’ve got one of them covering a band that’s hoary in comparison with GBV – and most active bands, really – The Rolling Stones. I’m not sure exactly when and where it comes from, but the GBVDB points out it’s probably circa 2000, so not the “classic” lineup that’s back together today, but that’s still Bob up front, forgetting the lyrics and not giving a damn.

2012 is also an important year for The Rolling Stones as it’s their 50th anniversary. Congratulations! Please don’t tour.

MP3: Guided By Voices – “Sympathy For The Devil”
Video: The Rolling Stones – “Sympathy For The Devil” (live at Hyde Park, 1969)
Video: The Rolling Stones – “Sympathy For The Devil” (live at Altamont, 1969)

Slow Club, Death Cab For Cutie, The Raveonettes, and Arab Strap cover Darlene Love

Frank Yang — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 14:30:36 +0000

WikipediaGood: the holiday season is just lousy with cover versions. Bad: they’ve all been posted by every blog under the mistletoe ad nauseum. So while in past years I’ve done mini-omnibus holiday mixes – 2010 and 2008 are still up – this year I’ll just focus on one song, Darlene Love’s most famous contribution to the classic Phil Spector-assembled A Christmas Gift To You, and four diverse covers of it.

Slow Club do the most faithful version of it, thanks to Rebecca Taylor’s soulful vocals and the Spector-ish production. It’s taken from last year’s Christmas, Thanks For Nothing EP and also last year’s Christmas covers post, but is topical because the band released their second album Paradise this year and will be bringing it on tour through North America this Winter; they’re at The Rivoli on February 19.

Death Cab For Cutie took a swing at the tune for the 2004 Maybe This Christmas Tree compilation and, basically, it sounds like Death Cab – for good or for bad. They also released a new record this year in Codes & Keys.

The Raveonettes turn their synths up to 10 in reinterpreting the song as the leadoff track of their 2008 Wishing You A Rave Christmas seasonal EP. They put out their fifth studio album in Raven In The Grave back in the Spring and their Rarities/B-Sides compilation just a couple of weeks ago.

Arab Strap split up back in 2006, so this version recorded for BBC Radio 1’s Evening Session – featuring Lauren Laverne of Kenickie on vocals – must date from before then, but I don’t know exactly when, sorry. In any case, Maclolm Middleton and Aidan Moffatt unexpectedly got back together this year, though not under the Arab Strap name, to record a Slow Club cover of all things. Then they got back together under the Arab Strap name for a one-off show in November. Could more be coming? Why not?

Darlene Love also had an eventful 2011, what with being inducted into the Rock’N'Roll Hall Of Fame this Spring. Phil Spector’s appeal to overturn his murder conviction was denied this Summer and he remains in prison for murder. His year has been less good than the others in this post.

MP3: Slow Club – “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”
MP3: Death Cab For Cutie – “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”
MP3: The Raveonettes – “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”
MP3: Arab Strap – “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”
Stream: Darlene Love – “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”

Neil Halstead and Gemma Hayes cover Kate Bush

Frank Yang — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 15:36:36 +0000

Frank YangOne of the music stories of 2011 was the return of Kate Bush from whatever misty English castle she’d been hiding in since releasing her last album, Aerial, in 2005. It began with the curious remix/renovation project Director’s Cut in the Spring, but was followed by a proper collection of new works this Fall in 50 Words For Snow. And there was much rejoicing throughout the land. To mark this – and also because I’ve had the tune kicking around my head for a while – are a couple covers of one of my favourite Kate Bush songs by two artists who don’t, incidentally, belong to the ever-growing cohort of Kate Bush art-rock devotees emerging into the UK music scene of late.

Given that Bush was one of Britain’s biggest stars when Neil Halstead first led Slowdive out of Reading in 1989, it’s unlikely that wasn’t some degree of fan. And though his solo output has been fine – 2008′s Oh Mighty Engine was quite enjoyable – I’m hoping he can draw inspiration from her comeback this year to restart Mojave 3. They’ve been on hiatus since 2006′s Puzzles Like You, though the band did reconvene to play some shows earlier this year – precisely who was in the lineup is unclear to me, though. Otherwise all that he’s done this year is contribute a track to his label’s Christmas compilation, a one-off in the vein of where this cover comes from – a collection of indie lullabies. Sorry Neil, we want more.

Irish singer-songwriter Gemma Hayes put out her fourth solo record Feel It Break earlier this year so even though it took three years to follow up Hollow Of Morning, she escapes any chiding for being lazy. And certainly none for not being generous; this live recording of “Cloudbusting” comes from an early December 2009 gig in Cork, Ireland and was given away for free by Hayes a couple weeks later.

MP3: Neil Halstead – “Cloudbusting”
MP3: Gemma Hayes – “Cloudbusting”
Video: Kate Bush – “Cloudbusting”

The Afghan Whigs cover The Clash

Frank Yang — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 15:05:20 +0000

WikipediaThere’s not a whole lot to recommend Burning London, the 1999 tribute album to The Clash. The lineup is mostly ’90s-vintage acts who’ve not aged well and the performances are by and large unremarkable – certainly not a compilation worthy of one of the greatest rock bands ever. But there’s one standout – to me, at least – courtesy of The Afghan Whigs, and not just because they were far and away a better band than most of their peers on the comp.

They also turn in a genuinely good and soulful rendition of The Clash’s meditation on consumerism, which is incidentally probably my favourite Clash tune. Greg Dulli injecting some of his trademark soul – as well as some of “Stand By Me” and “Train In Vain” in the coda – while maintaining the plaintiveness of the original. Purists probably hate it but purists hate everything. Nuts to purists.

Though Greg Dulli has never gone away since the Whig’s dissolution in 2001, keeping busy with the Twilight Singers, Gutter Twins and solo work, he got more headlines than he has in a while this past week with the announcement that The Afghan Whigs had reunited and were going to be touring in 2012. As we come up on the ninth anniversary of Joe Strummer’s death, obviously a proper Clash reunion is never going to happen but Mick Jones and Paul Simonon did get together onstage last week for the first time in 29 years at a benefit show for a few songs together. And that’s something.

MP3: The Afghan Whigs – “Lost In The Supermarket”
Stream: The Clash – “Lost In The Supermarket”

Bon Iver covers Sharon Van Etten

Frank Yang — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 14:57:28 +0000

D.L. AndersonIt’s all a little bit of serendipity. Justin Vernon brings Bon Iver to perform at the 2010 edition of the MusicNOW festival in Cincinnati. Cincinnati is the hometown of The National, in which one Aaron Dessner plays guitar. Dessner joins Vernon onstage for his set and together, they cover the song “Love More” by up-and-coming New York singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten. Van Etten hears (about) it and contacts Dessner and asks to work with him. With Dessner as producer and guest musician, Van Etten records her third album Tramp and readies it for a February 7 release as her debut for Jagjaguwar – which just happens to be Bon Iver’s label. Coincidence? Maybe. Probably not.

Bon Iver is at Massey Hall on December 6 and 7. The National are at The Air Canada Centre on December 8. It’d be kind of perfect if Sharon Van Etten were playing in town on December 8, but she’s not – you’ll have to wait until February 21 to see her at Lee’s Palace. Which you absolutely should.

MP3: Bon Iver – “Love More” (live at MusicNOW 2010)
MP3: Sharon Van Etten – “Love More”
Video: Bon Iver – “Love More” (live at MusicNOW 2010)