August 12, 2011
Mixtape Mixology #29: Covers II
The other day, my friend Lilan sent me a photo of a dude that was my doppelganger apparent at a comedy show. He sort of looked like me… had his arms crossed (whoooooa, that’s totally my move…) and was probably Korean?
My friend Brian is a guy who has a big beard and wears dark rimmed glasses. Whenever we see anyone who looks like him, we point and say, “Hey! A Briannabe!” There’s a lot.
I like covers. They’re either good because they embrace the spirit of the original, or because they sound totally different than it… sometimes better. Eitherway, whether it’s flattery, homage, or fucking around, I’m always gonna be listening/curious for a good cover.
The Playlist
1. Wicked Game (Chris Isaak) – Washed Out
They were made to cover this song. The woozy, gauzy, lust soaked Isaak original about rolling around and making out on a beach in black and white is coated with an ethereal shoegaze hazy blue and I fucking love it. Where the xx is sultry minimalism, these guys are that but floaty….er.
2. Rolling in the Deep (Adele) – Work Drugs
It’s not like I dislike the original… but my sweet lord is it played out/remixed a lot. Hell, I’m guilty of it (see Mixtape Mixology #22: Remixology), but Work Drugs’s (who?) version of this song… um… might be better. I love what they do with it… it’s a totally different song turning Adele’s fiery and bombastic original into a cool, metallic, and polished gem.
3. How to Love (Lil Wayne) – Plug in Stereo
I don’t like acoustic versions of hip hop songs mainly because they are so damn cheeky, cheapening the message or the feel of the original. The surprising thing is how sincere Plug in Stereo’s version, and it’s thatsincerity that I think speaks true to the original… if anything, it makes the Lil Wayne version sound better because it focuses on the Lil’s ability to tell a story and speak to the heart.
4. She Said She Said (Beatles) – The Black Keys
Kind of a no-brainer. Good.
5. Boy from School (Hot Chip) – Grizzly Bear
Totally different from the original, I love the change from a dance floor breaker to… well… Grizzly Bear-y. Grizzly Bear… Grizzly Bear sounds like the band that plays in the woods during Splash mountain at Disneyland, right before the big plunge.
6. When the Night Falls (Chromeo) – Mayer Hawthorne
I’m pretty infatuated with this one.
7. I Wanna Be Adored (Stone Roses) – The Raveonettes
I’m not sure if one is better than the other, but I love this song.
8. The Way Young Lovers Do (Van Morrison) – Jeff Buckley
Holy Shit. Jeff Buckley turned the shambolic, fun times Van Morrison song about mad young love into a blistering, epic, perspiring beast of a cover. Yes, it shows his vocal acrobatics with the scatting and all, but how about that guitar playing!? He almost doesn’t get enough credit for his hot licks… man alive, this song done live sets my ears on fire… it is on a freaking mission. This is why I love covers.
9. Oh Darling (Beatles) – Florence and the Machine
I was pretty proud that I synced up Florence with McCartney’s vocals.
10. I’m Good I’m Gone (Lykki Li) – The Friendly Fires
Good.
11. Barely Legal (the Strokes) – Real Estate
I like both songs.
12. Born Free (MIA) – Guards
One of my favorite covers of this list, the original’s video was cool (ginger blowing up etc…) but I gotta say I’m not in love with the song. The cover is pretty badass though.
13. Foggy Notion (the Velvet Underground) – Echo and the Bunnymen
A great retelling of a VU b-side. This is what good covers should do. Plus I love Echo and the Bunnymen.
14. There is a Light That Never Goes Out (the Smiths) – Dum Dum Girls
AMAZING. Done.
15. Anthem for a Seventeen Year Old Girl (Broken Social Scene) - Young Buffalo
This one’s for Skinny.
~fin~
Listen To It