please please please

One of my favorite movies, especially in jr. high & high school, was Pretty in Pink. I wanted to grow up and be Iona. I named my blog in part after her record store, TRAX. I also loved the soundtrack. There is some really fabulous stuff on there, and for a wanna-be New Waver it was really key in finding new bands, as no one was playing that stuff on the radio where I lived. I had to sneak out and sit in my parents' car and tune in to a static filled station coming out of San Fransisco to get to hear something new. Having so many songs in one place was revolutionary for me at the time.

INXS, Psychadelic Furs, New Order, Echo and the Bunnymen, and The Smiths fill up half of the 10 track compilation. Those bands are the foundation of my musical knowledge and I can trace it all back to this soundtrack.

The final track on my tape (yes, my copy is still just on tape) is "Please Please Please, Let Me Get What I Want" by The Smiths, which is our feature cover today.

SONG OF THE DAY: "Please Please Please, Let Me Get What I Want" - The Smiths

HIGHLIGHTED COVER: "Please Please Please, Let Me Get What I Want" - Muse

OTHER NOTABLE COVERS:

"Please Please Please, Let Me Get What I Want" - Deftones

"Please Please Please, Let Me Get What I Want" - She & Him

"Please Please Please, Let Me Get What I Want" - Elefant

"Please Please Please, Let Me Get What I Want" - Hootie & The Blowfish

Review of Delta

My latest review of regional band, Delta, for Paper Dragon Ink.


http://paperdragonink.com/review_of_delta.htm

love will tear us apart

The other day, I mentioned my equal love of New Order and Joy Division. Then, I chose to highlight New Order, today I choose Joy Division.

The loss of Ian Curtis to the music world is enormous. For their genre it is the same as the loss of Jimi Hendrix, Curt Cobain, Michael Hutchence, Sid Vicious, Janice Joplin (sadly the list goes on). However, when that much sadness creates such beauty, either the beauty or the sadness will have to come to an end; it cannot go on indefinitely.

I was originally going to highlight the cover by The Cure, but then I found this Honeyroot cover. It had me on the verge of tears. Although The Cure, and of course New Order, both do great musical tributes to the song, Honeyroot really captures the feeling behind it. I listened to it about 10 times in a row, it was so moving.

COVER SONG OF THE DAY: "Love Will Tear Us Apart" - Joy Division

HIGHLIGHTED COVER: "Love Will Tear Us Apart" - Honeyroot

OTHER NOTABLE COVERS:

"Love Will Tear Us Apart" - The Cure

"Love Will Tear Us Apart" - New Order

"Love Will Tear Us Apart" - Worm is Green (can't resist an Icelandic band!)

"Love Will Tear Us Apart" - U2 & Arcade Fire

"Love Will Tear Us Apart" - Nouvelle Vague

enjoy the silence

Last year Katydid and I read The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery together. If you have never read it, I highly recommend picking it up. It's a short story, and although written as a children's book, as is the case in most good children's literature, it is a much deeper allegory than it may initially appear. Anyhow, soon after we read the book, we were talking about our favorite songs and watching a few videos, and one that I pulled up was "Enjoy the Silence". She immediately saw the storyline of The Little Prince in the video, from the cape and crown, to the rose, the baobab tree, the mountain, and his solitary wanderings. I had read the book in three different languages and watched that video countless times, but I had never seen the connection. Sometimes you need a fresh pair of eyes. So, for your listening and viewing pleasure, click on the link below, and watch Dave Gahan as The Little Prince, in the video for one of my all-time favorite songs,"Enjoy the Silence".

SONG OF THE DAY: "Enjoy the Silence"- Depeche Mode

HIGHLIGHTED COVER: "Enjoy the Silence" - Tori Amos

OTHER NOTABLE COVERS:

"Enjoy the Silence" - Failure (off the various artists for the masses compilation I mentioned here a few weeks ago)

"Enjoy the Silence" - Nada Surf

"Enjoy the Silence" - Lacuna Coil

"Enjoy the Silence" - Anberlin

Yes, I know there are covers by Keane and Breaking Benjamin, but I don't like them, so they don't get
my approval.

tainted love

There are an incredible number of misconceptions about this song. I have seen it attributed to Depeche Mode, Billy Idol, The Cure and another half dozen more famous synth-pop bands. Marc Almond is totally getting ripped off. But beyond that, poor Ed Cobb who wrote it, and Gloria Jones who first sang it, they have lost all due credit
Hopefully this sets a few things straight.

SONG OF THE DAY: "Tainted Love" - Gloria Jones
HIGHLIGHTED COVER: "Tainted Love" -Soft Cell


OTHER NOTABLE COVERS:


"Tainted Love" - Marilyn Manson
"Tainted Love" - Inspiral Carpets
"Tainted Love" - The Pigeon Detectives (download for charity)

*** Word on the net is that there is a Skinny Puppy Cover. I heard it, it sounds a lot like Skinny Puppy, but there are conflicting reports as to it's authenicity. Yet another wrinkle in the misappropriation of attribution for this song.***

pale blue eyes

As a bit of trivia, today is Fiona Apple's birthday, so I thought we could do a round about tribute coupled with a cover by Fiona.

You will have to indulge me, though I suppose first-person blogging is all about narcissistic self-induglence, as I have chosen yet another Velvet Underground tune to use as the basis for my cover song of the day.

What can I say, but to follow that up with what rock'n'roll urban legend attributes to Brain Eno as saying "Only five thousand people ever bought a Velvet Underground album, but every single one of them started a band." They are amazing and influential, and that old unpeeled banana on my record is one of my most prized possessions.

Of all the Velvet Underground songs, this is my second favorite, because I could imagine in my teenage mind that a poor, tormented Lou Reed was singing to me. Mr.IMo? likes Fiona Apple, because he thinks she looks like me. So, this is a winner all around the house.

SONG OF THE DAY:"Pale Blue Eyes" - The Velvet Underground

HIGHLIGHTED COVER:"Pale Blue Eyes" - R.E.M.

OTHER NOTABLE COVERS:

"Pale Blue Eyes" - Crowded House & Neil Finn


"Pale Blue Eyes" - Hole (not the best cover, by interesting if you like Ms. Love)

FIONA'S COVER: "Pale Blue Eyes" - Fiona Apple with Counting Crows

"Till There was You"

It's Sunday so that's when I drag us back to our lessons, but I am sticking to my plan of covers, which makes things tricky.

Luckily, lots of bands remake musicals. And although possibly the most familiar cover of this song was on "The Wedding Singer" , here are the Beatles playing "Till There was You" from The Music Man.

SONG OF THE DAY: "Till There was You" - The Music Man (written by Meredith Wilson, performed by Shirley Jones in the film version)

HIGHLIGHTED COVER: "Till There was You" - The Beatles

OTHER NOTABLE VERSIONS:

"Till There was You" - The Wedding Singer (movie, performed by Ellen Albertini Dow)

bizarre love triangle

Don't ask me who I like better, Joy Division or New Order. You won't get an answer. It just depends on the day. This past spring while I was in England I picked up an old U.K. vinyl copy of Substance, and it is just as magnificent as I expected.

Todays cover by Frente! is a lovely tribute, and probably the best there is.

SONG OF THE DAY: "Bizarre Love Triangle" - New Order


HIGHLIGHTED COVER: - "Bizarre Love Triangle" - Frente!

OTHER NOTABLE COVERS:


"Bizarre Love Triangle" - The Killers

"Bizarre Love Triangle" - Poi Dog Pondering (no links, on album AudioVisivo)

AND THANKS TO JEN WE HAVE ONE MORE:
"Bizarre Love Triangle" - South

martyr - depeche mode

My friend B.W. posted this today. For any of you Depeche Mode fans...enjoy. I hadn't ever heard it before, but I guess since I have most of the albums I didn't bother to buy "The Best Of".


http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvf6m_depeche-mode-martyr_music

the kids are alright

Going for another classic tune today. To be honest I am not sure whether I heard the original by The Who or the cover by The Queers first.

For some unknown reason I always think of this picture of Mr. IMo? back in the day when I hear this song. Maybe there is a memory behind it, but I think it reminds me of all the wild, weird stuff I did when I was ruled less by responsibility and my livelihood didn't depend on my behaviour. I miss that.

I had a hard time choosing the highlighted cover, I was going to go with The Queers originally, but Matthew Sweet's voice better suits my memories.

SONG OF THE DAY: "The Kids Are Alright" - The Who


HIGHLIGHTED COVER: "The Kids Are Alright" - Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs

OTHER NOTABLE COVERS:

"The Kids Are Alright" - Green Day

"The Kids Are Alright" - The Queers


"The Kids Are Alright:"- Joey Ramone


"The Kids Are Alright" - The Dropkick Murphys

"The Kids Are Alright" - Of Montreal (on playlist.com)

devinemashups

Found cool mashups today by devinemashups. Some people are purists, but sometimes I like to swirl my music.

Ladyhawke vs The Killers : Two great songs in one, "Somebody Told Me" + "My Delirium" by devinemashup.

The Killers vs Muse: "Mr. Brightside" + "Starlight".

OMD vs. The Ting Tings: "Enola Gay" + "That's Not My Name"

and the best one:

The Noisettes vs Deee-Lite: "Don't Upset the Rhythm" + "Groove is in the Heart"

"all the boys think she's a spy"

So, I have a huge crush on a stunning bad boy who has been dead for 50 years. Errol Flyn is one of the best actors of all time in my estimation. He was an athletic, swashbuckling stud with a distinctive laugh and charming dimples. My favorite films are his first, Captain Blood, The Adventures of Robin Hood and Adventures of Don Juan.

I just watched him in The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, where he is again with his oft-times co-star Olivia de Havilland (such a beauty) but primarily with Bette Davis as his older
love/ tormentor, Queen Elizabeth. Not only was it a fantastic show, I finally was able to ascertain why in the world England has always made such a fuss over Ireland, something that not a single history professor has ever made so perfectly clear (I am going to leave you in suspense and let you watch the movie on your own).

So as a tribute to Errol by way of the equally amazing Bette, here is today's song, with covers.

SONG OF THE DAY: "Bette Davis Eyes" - Kim Carnes

HIGHLIGHTED COVER: "Bette Davis Eyes" - Brandon Flowers (of The Killers)

OTHER NOTABLE COVERS:

"Bette Davis Eyes" - Gwyneth Paltrow (it is not nearly as horrible as you may be expecting)

And of course while I am tracking these video clips down I stumble upon some funny things. For those who love The Mighty Boosh as much as me, THIS is a little video of the adorable Noel Fielding as the "heroine" Bette.

We will have to go over The Mighty Boosh and a few of their songs some other day, but here is a quote to ponder...

"Goth Juice... the most powerful hairspray known to man. Made from the tears of Robert Smith." - Vince Noir

burning down the house

"Burning Down the House" is a great 80's gem that would be criminal to cover if the cover isn't any good. I happen to really like the Tom Jones version of this tune. It sounds cheesy, but there really is something about his voice that is hypnotizing, and a his deep voice is great foil for the light sweetness of Nina Persson.

The Eruption of Mt. Visuvius -1777 Pierre-Jacques Volaire, at North Carolina Museum of Art.
When we lived in NC, we went to the Art Museum often and this was one of my favorite pieces.

SONG OF THE DAY: "Burning Down the House" - Talking Heads

HIGHLIGHTED COVER: "Burning Down the House" - Tom Jones & The Cardigans

OTHER NOTABLE COVERS:

"Burning Down the House" - The Used (apparently in the Transformers soundtrack)

And while I was watching the video for Tom Jones and The Cardigans I found this cute little cover by Boise Rock School's Lounge Lizards. Boise Rock School is a great program, my friends have kids that that go there, and as you can see those young kids learn to rock hard. So here is some press for the fabulous Boise Rock School and their little rockers.

people eating people

My latest review:

People Eating People,

self-titled album.

http://www.paperdragonink.com/People%20eating%20people.htm

always on my mind

I always thought that this song was originally by Elvis, but I just found out that it was actually covered by Elvis in the 1970's, and originally performed by Brenda Lee. As I read about Lee I was suprised to find she sang a lot of songs that I knew, but didn't know whose songs they were.

I also knew that Willie Nelson sang this song, because as a kid there weren't many records in the house, but Willie and his braids took up a good chunk of the small pile.

My favorite however has always been the Pet Shop Boys cover for their 1988 album Introspective.

Thinking of Him, 1963


by Roy Lichtenstein

SONG OF THE DAY: "Always On My Mind"- Brenda Lee

HIGHLIGHTED COVER: "Always On My Mind" - Pet Shop Boys

OTHER NOTABLE COVERS:

"Always On My Mind" - Elvis Presley

"Always On My Mind" - Willie Nelson

"Always On My Mind" - Iron and Wine

sweet jane

Sorry to have missed a day yesterday, but we had to take Yaz to the ER. We thought he had appendicitis. Luckily it turned out he had a virus and was just dehydrated by the bug. With the help of an IV (after 4 other holes were first made) he is back to his normal wild self.

I promised to find the great cover song I really wanted to share, but alas I cannot find it anywhere but on an old mix tape. So I have given up. Rather than disappoint you I will avoid telling you anymore about it and focus on the other covers I like.

The Velvet Underground is one of my favorites. Mr. IMo? however is more in line with Art Brut's opinions in their tune "Bang Bang Rock'n'roll" : "I can't stand the sound of the Velvet Underground". Whether or not you like their "sound", they wrote some terrific songs.

Last summer I got to see Lou Reed play at Lollapalooza, which is about the closest you can get to seeing The Velvet Underground. Although he is kind of a cranky old man these days, and some of his solos were absurdly long, when he stuck to the less free-form, more structured songs from The Velvet Underground it was amazing.

SONG OF THE DAY: "Sweet Jane" - Vevet Underground


HIGHLIGHTED COVER: "Sweet Jane" - Cowboy Junkies


OTHER NOTABLE VERSIONS:


"Sweet Jane" - Gang of Four

"Sweet Jane" - Mazzy Star [no link but on playlist.com]

"Sweet Jane" - Ian McCulloch


"Sweet Jane" - Phish

get your kicks

About 3 1/2 years ago things in my house started to be weird. It was like the movie Groundhog's Day. Every day I would wake up and the same things would happen. Macaroni would wake up before the rooster's crow and be on the floor lining up cars in a perfectly straight line watching the Disney version of Cars. Eventually we found out we were not involved in a supernatural occurrence, rather an Autism induced regimen.

As a result, I could probably recite most of Cars in my sleep, and I am keenly aware of the theme music. The best part of my morning was when John Mayer finally ended things with his version of "(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66".


For about 12 months now, there has been a reprieve. Macaroni has been more interested in locomotives than automobiles, but this week Yaz discovered that he too could watch Cars everyday. And so it begins again.


SONG OF THE DAY: "(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66" - Chuck Berry


HIGHLIGHTED COVER: "Route 66" -Depeche Mode [Casualty Mix]


OTHER NOTABLE VERSIONS:
"Route 66" - Nat King Cole (Natalie also did a cover too)

"Route 66" - Nancy Sinatra (smokin' hot cover! very sultry) [sorry, no links]

"Route 66" - The Rolling Stones

"Route 66" - Brian Setzer Orchestra

"Route 66" - U.K. Subs [sorry, no links]

"Route 66" - The Cramps

helter skelter

The Beatles. Either you love them or hate them. I lean more toward the love side. I think that one of their greatest abilities was adaptation and evolution. That is really what made them so influential for so long, when so much of the world was changing.

"Helter Skelter" is a perfect example of that. Paul McCartney wrote it because he wanted to yell, something he never did in his music before, and that in itself changed a lot of things.

SONG OF THE DAY: "Helter Skelter" - The Beatles
HIGHLIGHTED COVER: "Helter Skelter" - Siouxie & the Banshees


OTHER NOTABLE COVERS:


"Helter Skelter" - U2 (this is probably the most well-known cover)

"Helter Skelter" - Oasis

"Helter Skelter" - The Killers w/ The Vines, Belles & Louis XIV

"Helter Sketler" - Stereophonics

"Helter Skelter" - Autolux

"Helter Skelter" - Hüsker Dü(sorry no links...you just have to own it or take my word for it)

heart of glass

One of my heroines is Debbie Harry. She made blondes smart and punk rock, a feat seldom accomplished even since.

Although her songs are now showing up as peppy theme music for cleaning products (which makes me sad, but hooked Katydid as a fan) there are some biting lyrics and hefty jabs at men (sorry boys).

Debbie Harry by Andy Warhol circa 1980

I love this wicked little tune...

SONG OF THE DAY: "Heart of Glass" - Blondie

HIGHLIGHTED COVER: "Heart of Glass" - by Puppini Sisters

OTHER NOTABLE COVERS:

"Heart of Glass" - Erasure

"Heart of Glass" - Lily Allen (this is a perfect Lily Allen song)

"Heart of Glass"- The Associates

"Heart of Glass" - Nouvelle Vague

reuse, repeat, remake - September is the month of the Cover Song

I have been thinking about doing a month of covers since before I had a blog and was only sending out my song of the day to the facebook world.

I am jittery with anticipation and excitement. Not since last spring when I was doing my April Women's music month,which I promise to revisit this April in the blogosphere, have I been this stoked about posting.

I had a perfect beginning to this blog, but I am having a hard time tracking down an original source for the cover and it requires a bit more research. However, it will be posted with great fanfare later.

Instead I have decided to begin with a well-known classic that takes on a whole new meaning when covered.

Nancy Sinatra and her go-go boots made this song famous in 1961. My most vivid memory of this song occurred in a little diner in Seattle with one of my best friends from high school,  J (your average punk in mohawk, leather jacket and knee-high Doc Martens) and another girl (tall, rail-thin with long blonde hair). There was a jukebox in the diner and we put in quarter after quarter playing and re-playing Nancy Sinatra's version of this song and dancing our bouncing souls off.

That memory is a perfect segue into the cover song that I want to highlight, done by the psychobilly band The Meteors. I was able to find THIS video on youtube. This song is most excellent.

SONG OF THE DAY: "These Boots Are made for Walkin' " - Nancy Sinatra 

HIGHLIGHTED COVER: "These Boots Are made for Walkin' " - The Meteors

OTHER NOTABLE COVERS:

"One of These Days" - Operation Ivy 

"These Boots Are made for Walkin' " - The Fixx

"These Boots Are made for Walkin' "- Siouxsie Sioux
                                  
"These Boots Are made for Walkin' "-KMFDM

And yes, even this....
"These Boots Are made for Walkin' " -Megadeath