November 2010: Cover Your Tracks

For this month's mix, I scoured my music library for cover songs: some rare, some unlikely, some nearly unrecognizable. There's a couple of stigmas that often surround cover songs. Sometimes, it comes from the stagnancy of a cover band in a dive bar, or perhaps from the idea that the original song can never be matched by a subsequent version. I believe that each of these songs brings something to the table - whether it's a total reinvention done by the last artist you'd expect, or a perfect fit by a newer artist that brings an old song into the modern era. Whatever the reason, these versions do not take away from the originals; I believe they create a worthwhile new work. Enjoy.

1.) I Started a Joke - The Wallflowers (Bee Gees cover)

You might recognize it from the Zoolander soundtrack. It's a heartfelt rendition that's indeed cinematic in some ways. However, Jakob Dylan's characteristic vocals are an interesting twist on a song previously recorded by the likewise recognizable Gibbs.

2.) Brown Eyed Girl - Everclear (Van Morrison cover)

From Songs from an American Movie 1: Learning How to Smile, this cover puts an Americana twist on Van Morrison's classic. Art Alexakis' nonchalant take on the lyrics over a densely composed backing track of instrumentals and harmonies is worth a listen.

3.) Band on the Run - Owsley (Paul McCartney & Wings cover)

Owsley stays pretty faithful to the original track on this cover - which is an accomplishment given the complexity of McCartney's song. There's a few synths and drum machines thrown in that bring the song up about 30 years, and he accentuates the differing vibes of the song's several sections, but for the most part, it's just intriguing to hear such a close rendition by a non-Beatle.

4.) Hello, It's Me - John Legend (Todd Rundgren cover)

Another pretty faithful rendition... and quite honestly, John Legend could not have picked a better song for his vocal and musical style. Though this version is decidedly more R&B/soul than Rundgren's original, the phrasing and velvety feel remain.

5.) Dirty Work - Better than Ezra (Steely Dan cover)

In this unreleased track, Better than Ezra put their own definitive spin on a classic track. Kevin Griffin's voice helps place it firmly within their aesthetic context. It lacks the metronomic precision of the original, feeling more like the summery BTE album Closer released around the same time (2001).

6.) The Man in Me - Say Anything (Bob Dylan cover)

Definitely unexpected, and a total reinvention. Devil-may-care Bemis and his shouting comrades attack Dylan's track with a controlled, reckless abandon (paradox intended).

7.) Smells Like Teen Spirit - The Bad Plus (Nirvana cover)

Genre-jumping mod jazz trio The Bad Plus picks a song with a much grungier flavor than they're used to, just so the restraint they show is more apparent. Where Kurt Cobain moaned and distorted, The Bad Plus uses dissonant harmonies and polyrhythms.

8.) Three Times a Lady - Cobra Starship (The Commodores cover)

It'd be difficult for this song to be further from the soul-try original track by The Commodores. The original sounds like a lead-in to "Let's Get it On", while this danceable synth-pop interpretation finds itself on the total other end of the spectrum. It's not soul, and it's not funk, but it's most certainly 21st century.

9.) Imagine - A Perfect Circle (John Lennon cover)

Probably my favorite reinterpretation on this mix. Songs by any of the Beatles are among the hardest to cover well - not only are they so widely recognized, but music fans have such an attachment to the originals. What APC does here is very nearly flip the song on its end, casting a dark shadow on Lennon's lyrics.

10.) Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - Ben Gibbard (Cyndi Lauper cover)

A live, acoustic song that may have been spur of the moment. Gibbard slows it down and makes it sound like a folk ballad. Makes you think.

11.) Psycho Killer - Velvet Revolver (Talking Heads cover)

Velvet Revolver is definitely a band that sounds like they should be performing a song called "Psycho Killer". And perhaps their version sounds more like it fits with the title than the Talking Heads' original. Scott Weiland doesn't have the same neurotic twinge that David Byrne has, but overall, the increased aggressiveness of this version fits like a (black leather) glove.

12.) Miss Jackson - The Vines (OutKast cover)

A rare live version... another one of my favorites. It's not that The Vines do anything all that much with the song, other than repeat it over and over. It's just the way they fill in all the harmonic holes of the original with acoustic guitars, distortion, and a number of other elements that give a classic track new life.