Each week I'm posting a random or not-so-random cover song. Only the current week's track will be available but if you see a past one you'd like, contact me and we'll make arrangements.
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Sunday, January 1st, 2012
Guided By Voices cover The Rolling Stones
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)
Sunday, December 25th, 2011
Slow Club, Death Cab For Cutie, The Raveonettes, and Arab Strap cover Darlene Love
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)”
Sunday, December 18th, 2011
Neil Halstead and Gemma Hayes cover Kate Bush
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”
Sunday, December 11th, 2011
The Afghan Whigs cover The Clash
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”
Sunday, December 4th, 2011
Bon Iver covers Sharon Van Etten
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)
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