you don't spell it, son. you hear it!

A cover is a cover is a cover.

A while ago my brother made me listen to some cover song that he promised I would “love” since I was a fan of the original. Yeah, he was wrong.

Covers are tricky business, aren’t they? Bands either cover songs for fun or as a joke (i.e. most of the Live Lounge session tracks) or they seriously commit and take it very seriously. The latter is when things get risky because when the final product sucks there’s really no excuse.

So in the spirit of Halloween and pretending to be someone or something you’re not, here are some cover songs that I personally love and you might enjoy, maybe. I tried to show some self-restraint and only post ten songs. It was tough, there’s probably going to be a part 2:

Florence and the Machine – “Postcards From Italy” (Beirut)
I think it’s impossible for me to talk about Florence and the Machine without mentioning this song. She’s no stranger to covers (from “Girl with One Eye” by Ludes to Lightspeed Champion’s “Galaxy of the Lost Florences” to “Flakes” by Mystery Jets), but her voice is perfectly suited for this song and it absolutely shines. Girl’s got some crazy chords.

Jamie T – “A New England” (Billy Bragg)
Billy Bragg is Billy fucking Bragg, I know. “A New England” is one of his most recognized songs, I know. But Jamie T manages to deliver it beautifully. But maybe I’m just biased since I’ve seen him perform it live and it sends chills down your spine, seriously.

Kid Harpoon – “Keep The Car Running” (Arcade Fire)
I think it’s safe to say that one of Kid Harpoon’s most beloved songs by fans is his version of Leonard Cohen’s “First We Take Manhattan”. Sweet baby jesus, it’s good. But as you can see, it’s not the song I chose to share. Mr. Harpoon (Mr. Hull, if you want to be legit) is kind of a genius in the art of cover songs. So much so, that last year he took requests straight from his fans and recorded five pretty unique covers. Why did he do all this? Because he’s awesome, that’s why. They were all good (search ‘kid harpoon covers week’ on YouTube and listen for yourself), but his take on Arcade Fire’s “Keep the Car Running” is hands down my favorite because he managed to take that other-worldly, majestic sound that’s signature to Arcade Fire, strip it down to nothing but an acoustic guitar IN HIS SHOWER, and somehow keep that beautiful majestic feeling. So great.

Jeremy Warmsley – “Non, Rien de Rien” (Edith Piaf)
Jeremy Warmsley is also very good at choosing just the right songs to cover, therefore making it difficult to narrow down to just one choice. Here he is singing in French with only a xylophone as accompaniment. Did I mention he’s singing in French? Because he is singing in French.

Mystery Jets – “Pioneers” (Bloc Party)
GENERAL RULE OF THUMB: Always be weary of being covered by Mystery Jets because the chances of their version outshining your original is 99.9%. It’s just kind of a fact. Choosing one song was near impossible, but I can’t even find words to describe what I feel when I listen to this song so I knew it was the one that needed sharing. I’ve never been a fan of Bloc Party. It’s not like I hate them, their music just never made me feel anything. While I understand that it might be unfair, maybe even ridiculously biased, to say Mystery Jets’ version is superior to the original because both bands have very different musical styles, I think it’s safe to say one version definitely tugs at your heartstrings in a way the other just can’t. (For comparison purposes, Bloc Party “Pioneers”)

The Maccabees – “Boom Boom Pow” (Black Eyed Peas)
The Black Eyed Peas really hit a new level on the ‘WTF is this shit?’ scale with “Boom Boom Pow.” They truly outdid themselves and proved to us all that yes they could produce something more annoying and idiotic than “My Humps”. Luckily, The Maccabees have a sense of humor and had some fun with the song on Jo Whiley’s Live Lounge. My favorite part of listening to “Boom Boom Pow” is hearing Orlando trying to hold back laughs as he sings lines like “I’m so 3008 you’re so 2000 and late, I got that boom boom boom.” Good times.

The Holloways – “The Sweet Escape” (Gwen Stefani)
This is another Live Lounge gem. As most people know, I love No Doubt. And yeah, I totally love Gwen Stefani. But while I was all over her first solo album, I had to draw the line at solo album #2 after I heard her first single and saw her album cover and almost vomitted. I can proudly sing along to all of Love. Angel. Music. Baby. and thanks to this cover by The Holloways I can sing along to “The Sweet Escape”. Hell, most of the time I forget it’s even a Gwen Stefani song.

Franz Ferdinand – “All My Friends” (LCD Soundsystem)
I was very close to choosing Franz Ferdinand’s cover of Stefani’s “What You Waiting For?” but figured maybe that was too much Stefani and one too many Live Lounge performances, so instead here you have an LCD Soundsystem cover. I love this song because while it remains true to the original, they’ve injected that beautiful Franz Ferdinand quality that just makes you want to get up and dance. Alex Kapranos’ voice doesn’t hurt either. Mmyeah.

The Spinto Band – “Shortnin’ Bread” (Paul Chaplain and a ton of other people)
Oh, Spinto Band. What to choose, what to choose? From ELO to Seal to The Motors, these boys know how to do a damn good cover. It was a toughie, but this is a good one simply for the fact the choice to perform this song during a radio show seems so random yet the song is incredibly recognizable AND it features handclaps. You know I’m a sucker for handclaps. BONUS: Oh Mandy (Throw Some D’s breakdown) – Deep down, this is what I really wanted to share but I don’t think it technically constitutes a “cover” since 99.9999% of the song is a Spinto Band original and only 20 seconds are devoted to a Rich Boy/gangsta breakdown. BUT BUT BUT it is one of the greatest things ever. Seriously, after you’ve heard it this way + seen it live, there’s no going back to the original. Then again, maybe that’s just me. Really, this isn’t even my favorite version but it is the best sound quality version I own, so listen to it!!

Whirlwind Heat – “Another One Bites the Dust” (Queen)
I love Whirlwind Heat. Seriously, I LOVE Whirlwind Heat. You should too if you know what’s up. This cover is fun, a little bit crazy, and a whole lot of hot. Swanson’s vocals are spaztic as ever. Listen for the breathing, people. Gene pool style.

November 1, 2009 at 11:42 pm Leave a comment