RELEASED TODAY:
The Black Keys, Brothers
Bona Fide Bluesmen: Not for the faint of heart.
*Before you buy the album, check out this earlier track: "10 A.M. Automatic" from 2004's Rubber Factory
LCD Soundsystem, This is Happening
My take on LCD Soundsystem albums: they're irony-fueled celebrations of all things "North American Scum"-my, but with a little more depth than one might initially think.
*Before you buy the album, check out this earlier track: "Someone Great" from 2007's Sound of Silver
Band of Horses, Infinite Arms
Note to Ben Bridwell (who's tOteZ a regular reader, duh): I don't usually think of "yelping" as something I like to hear, but when it comes to your voice, I really enjoy it. That's a compliment.
*Before you buy the album, check out this earlier track: "The General Specific" from 2007's Cease to Begin
RELEASED LAST WEEK (Tuesday, May 11):
The National, High Violet
Everything touched by The National turns to gold. One of the main criticisms these guys get is that they're "boring." But, as Pitchfork so aptly put it, they're "boring in all of the right dependable, everyman ways-- the ways parties and friends and lagers are boring." It's true: not much on here strays from the moody framework Matt Berninger & co. set for us on their 2001 debut. But nothing about it is cookie-cutter; they can continue to write all the sad-but-hopeful songs they want because IT WORKS. Their work is consistently polished, distinct, and beautiful, dammit.
(Since this is one of my absolute FAVORITE groups of the 21st century and I'm also a sucker for beautiful baritones, I'm slightly biased here, but I just have to put in a plug for a few of their earlier albums: Alligator, Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers, and Boxer.) If you're much of a music follower at all then I'm preaching to the choir on this one, but this is simply one of the most outstanding and overlooked (commercially, not critically) bands of the past decade.
*Before you buy the album, check out this earlier track: "All the Wine" from 2005's Alligator
Phosphorescent, Here's to Taking it Easy
Country-tinged, Music from Big Pink-esque tunes from a group deeply embedded in the hipper-than-thou NYC music scene. In other words, this album reflects their Southern roots and '60s-'70s influences rather than their current surroundings.
*Before you buy the album, check out this earlier track: "Wolves" from 2007's Pride
NOW for today's Tuesday Tunes...
COVERS THAT DON'T SUCK!!!
So what makes a good cover a good cover, and not a sad reminder of, say, Bette Midler's attempt at "Beast of Burden" (*shudder*)? It's hard to say. Some might say that it's done by hitting that magical medium between paying respect to the original and putting an individualized twist on it. That's generally true. But I've heard awesome covers that sounded nothing like the original, awesome covers that might as well have been a carbon copy of the first, and I know we've all heard terrible covers out the wazoo. And sorry, but "Well, that's not as bad as I thought it would be" is not the same thing as "That is a good cover." There are few things in life I'm more skeptical about than cover songs. I'm skeptical when someone covers a song by a not-so-hot artist, and I'm even more skeptical when someone covers a song by a fantastic artist. This list is by no means an attempt at listing the "best covers of all time" and they're not necessarily my "favorites." But here are some great covers that, for one reason or another, have won me over:
Golden Smog - "Strangers" - Alt-country supergroup takes my favorite Kinks tune, revamps next to nothing about it, and pulls off an impeccable cover.
Original artist: The Kinks
Lauryn Hill - "Can't Take My Eyes off of You" - Raise your hand if you think the Fugee alum's version of this is better than the original. Raise your other hand if it reminds you of Heath Ledger and makes you want to cry. Both my hands are raised right now. Siiiiigggghhh.
Original artist: Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons
St. Vincent - "These Days" - Fragile and PERFECT. Here is a white girl with serious soul.
Original artist: Nico
John Mayer - "I'm on Fire" - He may not be the Boss, but hey, I'd answer his demands. Truth.
Original artist: Bruce Springsteen
Nina Simone - "I Shall Be Released" - Everybody and their brother has covered this song, and Nina Simone's version stands out as one of my favorites.
Original artist: Bob Dylan
David Gray - "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye" - He may have a reputation as the king of all soccer moms' minivan music, but
homeboy can sing. So far he's the only one who can take a heinous Soft Cell B-side and turn it into something that's at once heartbreaking and self-assured.
Original artist: Soft Cell (yep..."Tainted Love"...THAT Soft Cell)
KT Tunstall - "I Want You Back" - My mom stuck her nose up at this when I played it in the Volv with her once. I believe her exact words were "Ew. Melissa Etheridge?" Whatever. I like KT's spin on this J5 classic.
Original artist: The Jackson 5
Sam Cooke - "Blowin' in the Wind" - Just watch it. Killer.
Original artist: Bob Dylan
The Hollies - "Jesus Was a Crossmaker" - I could say something about the piano in this song seeming to "echo in eternity" but that would just make you (and me) gag, probs. But really...doesn't it? Note: Please ignore anonymous YouTube user's unnecessary Fan Pix. Silly people...
Original artist: Judee Sill
Jeff Tweedy - "Simple Twist of Fate" - My favorite cover from the I'm Not There soundtrack. Also worth noting: Cat Power singing "Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again" and Sufjan's version of "Ring Them Bells."
Original artist: Bob Dylan. (Can't find an online link to this song-must be a copyright thing since it's one of the greatest EVER-but if you haven't heard it, a.) we have a problem and b.) get up and go buy Blood on the Tracks right now. Your musical literacy depends on it.)
Carolina Chocolate Drops - "Hit 'Em Up Style" - The Blu Cantrell original was one of my favorite songs circa 6th grade. I specifically remember getting in trouble with one Mrs. Colburn (vom) for singing this semi-inappropriate tune too loudly in class one day. I was super excited to discover this homegrown take on it.
Original artist: Blu Cantrell, LOLZ.
John Lennon - "Stand by Me" - Do I really have to explain this one? An immortal artist covering an immortal song.
Original artist: Ben E. King
Honorable mention:
THE GOURDS singing a certain Snoop Dogg cover. We've committed to keeping this page PG, so I won't link to it, but most of you probably know it anyway. A classic in its own right.
COVERS TO LOOK FORWARD TO: Broken Hearts and Dirty Windows, a John Prine tribute album (!!!!!!!) featuring Bon Iver, Conor Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band, My Morning Jacket, THE AVETT BROTHERS COVERING "SPANISH PIPEDREAM" OMG Y'ALL, and MORE. Will be released June 22. I cannot wait.
So long for today. stay young, y'all.
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