Bangarang

Dubstep covered Acapella, in dutch. Sure ... why the heck not? It's just refreshing to hear Skrillex and not wonder if 2, twenty year old fax machines are making sweet, sweet love.

 So here's Dario Fo Choir covering Skrillex.

 

I Will Always Love You

Texas Chainsaw Orchestra is an Orchestra from Texas that play chainsaws as musical instruments. Same days these just write themselves you know? Anyway covering the Polly Parton original, "I Will Always Love You" here ... dammit Now I forgot their name.

Baby Got Back [Johnathan Coulton / Sir Mix-A-Lot]

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You know what? I have to admit it. Every freaking time someone covers a rap song with Banjos, I think it's like ... an LA Face with an Oakland booty. 

So here's internet nerd alt-folk TMBG opening act Jonathan Colton covering Sir Mix A Lot.

Wait and Bleed

Slipknot ... covered by Hanson?!?

Is this some kinda of April Fool's gag? Oh ... yes, kinda of course it totally is. In 2011 Hanson pulled one over on their fans leading them to believe they were releasing an entire album of Slipknot covers. As proof they offered grainy leaked cellphone video on YouTube of them covering "Wait and Bleed."

Not the greatest audio quality here, but still ... rubber duckin' weird in an awesome kinda way.

Pour Some Sugar On Me

It's not a secret. Every actor secretly wants to be a rock star. Remember The Bacon Brothers? 30 Odd Foot Of Grunt?  That album Eddie Murphy released in the 80's? Anyway when the chance to play a rock star in a movie comes along, it must be hard to say no. That's my theory on how "Rock of Ages" got made because I've heard nothing but shitty reviews about it. 

The review over at IndieWire states "'Rock of Ages' will make you want to raise your arms...and then immediately plunge your fingers into your eyeballs for salvation (you can go back for seconds to rescue your ears)." 

Alas I'll let you judge for yourself.  So here's Tom Cruise giving his take on the Def Leopard classic, "Pour Some Sugar On Me."  I mean I'm not going to tell you he sounds like Mickey Mouse with Nasal congestion on a poorly mixed track. 

Hard To Handle [Deep Cover]

It's amazing how many bands' "signature" songs are actually covers. For example Aretha Franklin's "R.E.S.P.E.C.T." was originally by Otis Redding. Today's Deep Cover is also an Otis Redding original, covered here by the Black Crows, "Hard to Handle" originally recorded by Redding in 1968 reached #38 on the Billboard R&B charts and #51 on the pop charts. And you thought he was just the "Shitting on the Dock of The Bay" guy. Sitting! I meant Sitting!

 

Lovers In a Dangerous Time

Bruce Cockburn's "Lovers In A Dangerous Time" was ranked by CBC radio as the 11th greatest Canadian single of all time. This cover was also the first top 40 hit, all the way back in 1992, for Canadian band Barenaked Ladies. So if you get a slight maple taste listening to this track, that's why.

Do You Really Want To Hurt Me

Last year I went to the Rock and Roll all of Fame when they had their special "Women Who Rock" exhibit. It wasn't bad I suppose, but they over looked some obvious choices ... Like Alice Cooper, Marylin Manson, Twisted Sister, Catherine Wheel and Alice in Chains.

Also over looked, Violent Femmes. Here they are covering the Culture Club's "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?"

She Don't Use Jelly

Remember the 90's? When excess was judged in palooza's? Those were magical times. Lollapalooza, HomerPalooza, and of course Lounge-A-Palooza, a CD of Lounge style covers and other songs. 

From that album, here's the trio known as the Ben Folds Five covering the Flaming Lips' "She Don't Use Jelly."

Born This Way

Country band, Little Big Town apparently has an on going series on their YouTube channel called "Scattered Smoothered and Covered" an obvious riff on the Hootie and the Blowfish album of all covers with the exact same name, which obviously lifted it's name from the Waffle Hizzy menu.

Anyway, banjos. Every song can be made better with banjos. Here's "Born this Way" sounding less Lady Gaga and more Lady Antebellum.

Christine Sixteen

Once upon a time it was kinda okay for songs to be about sex with girls under the age of consent. Winger's "Seventeen", Motorhead's "Jailbait", Sam Cooke "Only 16", The Beatles "I Saw Her Standing There," DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince "Parent's Just Don't Understand"  and well pretty much every song by Chuck Berry.

The Knights In Satan's Service (AKA KISS) contributed with "Christine Sixteen." Here's that Chris Hanson favorite as covered by the Gin Blossoms.

Beast of Burden

If you ever just wanna make out with some one for an entire afternoon, you need to have a Big Head Todd and The Monsters playlist in your iTunes library for the soundtrack. Slow jam band goodness, without getting firsky enough to want to bump uglies. Love this group. Here they are tackling the Rolling Stones' Beast of Burden.

 

Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)

It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right ... a hall of fame caliber recording artist finds himself with out a hit record so he releases a album of contemporary covers ... Johnny Cash's "American I - V", Paul Anka's "Rock Swings," Pat Boone's "In Metal Mood" and of course Glen Cambpell's "Meet Glen Campbell."

Here's the Rhinestone Cowboy covering those American Idiots, Green Day.

Call Me, Maybe

Did I get ahead of that whole youtube cover of Goyte "Somebody I Used to Know" Facebook trend or what? Seems like I get a new one in my feed every 6.3 hours. I'm tired of the song and I've only heard the original like once.

So I'm hoping to stay ahead of the curve here, and here's the first cover of your next earworm, Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" covered by Alex Goot, Dave Days and Chad Sugg.

Billie Jean

The Civil Wars are the other duo with a member last named White with terrible hair and early 80's porn star 'stache. They are not married and they are not brother or sister. As far as I can tell they're not siblings married to each other either. They're a country group, I felt mentioning that last part was important. Here they are covering the King Of Pop ... and Foghat.

Hotel Califonia

I swear there's like a never ending battle between Dave Grohl, Jack White, and Chris Cornell to release music under as many different band names as possible. It's prolly a $1 bet too, like in that Eddie Murphy movie before he started churning out crap on a stick.

Anyway here's Mr. Cornell solo preforming under his own name, which is entirely different than when he proformed solo as the Nightwatchman. He covers the Eagles classic Hotel California, which is not to be confused with the Nerf Herder song, Motel California. 

Complicated

Why write a snarky intro when the artist covering Avril's "Complicated," Josh Woodward (aka CheEsy) has already done it for me?

"Ten years ago today, the deepest and most beautiful song in the history of Western civilization was unleashed onto an unsuspecting world. Herein, I attempt to pay tribute to this work of art, in the most respectful and heartfelt way I can."

One More Night

I'm a lyrics guy myself, hence my love of covers. Of course the music matters too, but good gut wrenching lyrics can make up for lack of musical talent. This, to me, is how Bob Dylan had a career. I know I'll get lynched for saying that, but it's true he's a mediocre musician at best, but lyricly, he's the bomb. I'd also throw Phil Collins into that group. I know I'll get lynched for that too. But he's a good song writer, and a half way decent musician.

Case in point, here's former Verucca Salt lead singer Nina Gordon covering Phil Collins's lite FM hit, one more night. It's no where near as good as her cover of Straight Out Of Compton, but still, good none the less.

Oh, no wait I have to redact my opinion on Phil Collins's musical abilities. He's one of the most bad ass musicians on the planet, but only because of that drum thing from "In The Air Tonight." I mean seriously, those 5 seconds of music or so should have it's own display in the rock Hall of Fame.

Fix You

I actually thought I posted this one many moons ago, because it's one of two songs I've ever heard, cover or not, that has ever evoked genuine tears from me without other stimulus. And the richer the sound system I hear it on, the more likely I am to have that response again. Here's Street Corner Symphony covering Coldplay.

 

Fight For Your Right (To Party)

"Mom busted in and said 'what's that noise?' I said mom 'you're just jealous it's Coldplay covering the Beastie Boys!'"


RIP MCA. You fought the good fight, which was, of course, was for the right to party.

Girls On Film

Duran Duran's Girl's on Film music video was so sexy and provocative it was banned from MTV and the BBC. So of course, it should be covered by the late homeless paranoid schizophrenia sufferer, Wesley Willis, lead singer of the Wesley Willis Fiasco. Because homelessness is so damn sexy. 

Someone That I Used To Know (Cover to Cover)

Aussie crooner Goyte recently complained that Glee, did him wrong when they covered his song "Someone That I Used To Know." Which out of all the covers of the song I found, Glee strays least from the mean. So maybe he sucks at singing it is what he's saying? Judge for yourself in this edition of Cover To Cover

Here's the Glee version.

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Here's a very haunting acapella version by Pentatonix that just mops the floor with the original version.

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Here, take a moment to pick your jaw up off the floor. Then try this cover with five people playing the same guitar at the same time by Walk Off The Earth 

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And finally here's the Netherlands Radio Choir taking their shot at it.

Miracles [Look at the Fields / Insane Clown Posse]

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Normally. I'm pretty forgiving when an artist covering a song decides to omit profanity from their cover version. This time it is absolutely unforgivable. How can Look at the Fields cover Insane Clown Posse's "Miracles" and alter the best line in the song "Fucking magnets, how do they work?"

I'm mean I understand the F-Bomb doesn't lend it's self to ukulele driven songs ... but ... of all the questions pop music has produced in the past 60 years ("Why do Fools Fall in Love?'; "How Soon is Now?" ; "Should I Stay Or Should I Go?") there's no question I am more eager to have the answered than "Fucking magnets, how do they work?" I don't care if you really want to hurt me, just tell me ... fucking magnets, how do they work? I understand it's a highly travelled, six lane highway and that's why we're not doing it in the road, but that's not the question I want answered! Yes, the GPS will show me the way to San Jose, and that's where all the cowboys have gone. Do you understand? I don't give a shit about that ... all I really want to know is ... FUCKING MAGNETS! HOW DO THEY WORK!?!

For those of you not familiar with the Insane Clown Posse, and their song Miracles, here's a brief run down. ICP is equal parts Vanilia Ice, John Wayne Gacy and Kiss. Basically white boy rappers in black and white clown makeup, with grindhouse themed songs with more marketing than talent resulting in an obsessed legion of Faygo drinking fans called Jugglos. "Miracles" strays way ... way off their proven formula and takes a moment to really stop and smell the roses, appreciating all the smaller things in life like "long neck giraffes," "Fucking rainbows after it rains" and "everything chilling underwater."

So here without further ado is Look at the Fields, covering ICP. Oh ... and download it for free too, if you want.

Run This Town

From the epic Punk Goes ... series, here's a screamo cover of Jay-Z by Miss May I.

Wait, wait! Wait! ... Screamo? Did I just invent a word? It's like Screaming + Emo. I always wanted to invent a word. It's like being famous or something. Damnit. There's already a wikipedia entry for it and everything.

Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, if you haven't heard of Miss May I, looks like the odds are you will in the very near future. They have a run on this years main stage of the Warped Tour and were featured on the Saw IV soundtrack. In my opinion Saw IV was the second best of the Saw movies, with I being first, V being third, III being fourth and II being 5th.

Since discovering this band (a week ago) I've been very impressed with the lyrics rivaling the writting Lennon/McCartney, commanding stage presence to rival Jagger and screaming ability to rival Rodney King. Also the lead singer's mom reads this blog and she's really hot. So ... that may have influenced my otherwise usually unbiased review.

Superman's Song

Introducing Nataly Dawn. Before you hate her for the absurd spelling of Natalie, remember to blame her parents. Ms. Dawn is another one of those up and coming YouTube artists who ... uh ... put their music out on YouTube in hopes of being discovered. Well, I for one Nataly, have discovered you. You who sounds a lot like Zooey Deschnel and looks a lot like Beck's hot kid sister. I mean really, are you related to Beck? Because throw on some scruffy sideburns and you're a Loser, Baby.

Anyway here she is covering the Crash Test Dummies' Superman's Song. It was the song they were known for that wasn't used in a French cheese commercial. While their second biggest song here in America, (they're Canadian, eh?) it was officially only released as a B side to Mmm Mmm Mmm. Actually, I made all that up.I mean I already did research on how to spell Deschnel, and that's way to much research for one blog entry. Oh wait, the cheese part, yeah, that part is 100% fact.