Fort Frances - Summertime (Will Smith Cover)

Hey look, Fort Frances did it again. Another fantastic cover, this one being the most stylisticly different than the other covers they've done. I really could sit back and unwind to this one.

In case you forgot what the original was like--it was released in 1991 after all--check out the classic summer jam below.

The Rosebuds - Road to Nowhere (Talking Heads Cover)

The Rosebuds released a stellar, albeit depressing, album in 2011 titled Loud Planes Fly Low. I live near enough to the airport that when the routes change no alarm clock is needed. I literally wake up to loud planes flying low. I think it's because of this that I always have one of their songs stuck in my head. Now maybe I can have this cover song stuck in my head instead, it works just as well and is an interesting take on the Talking Heads' classic. Download for free on bandcamp.

Coeur de Pirate - Wicked Games (Weeknd Cover)

Béatrice Martin is Coeur de Pirate of Montreal whose 2008 self-titled debut was widely successful. It came out when I was living in the french speaking part of Switzerland and it was all we heard on the radio and in the shops. We even had to write the lyrics to her songs in french class. I fell for that album and it led me into a world of french pop with which I'm still steadfastly obsessed. While she sings mainly in french she is bilingual and has done some great covers in english in the past.

The most recent cover is the song "Wicked Games" by the highly buzzed about Toronto group, Weeknd. What Coeur de Pirate usually sings is sweet, romantic, and innocent and this song is not at all PG. She simply plays the piano and sings lyrics like "let me motherf*ing love you" and somehow still sounds like her felicitous young self. The effect is not unlike when Anya Marina covered T.I.'s "Whatever you Want". It's easily one of the best covers of the year.

Coeur de Pirate - Wicked Games (Weeknd Cover)

Weeknd - Wicked Games 

Thanks to Chromewaves for this one. 

If you want to see what she sounds like singing in French, the lovely Wood & Wires filmed her singing at the piano for two songs from her new record, Blonde, which is out today. The songs are "Place de la République" and "Adieu". It's a gorgeous video. 

Cœur de Pirate- Wood & Wires Session from Adrian Vieni (Wood & Wires) on Vimeo

Lykke Li - Unchained Melody (Righteous Brothers Cover)

How could you resist listening to anything by Lykke Li? This cover is as simple as it should be and a good reminder of why everyone fell in love with her voice in he first place.

 Lykke Li - Unchained Melody (The Righteous Brothers Cover) by LykkeLi

Frazey Ford - Lovers in a Dangerous Time

Mmm hmm love some Frazey Ford, who was one part of the now defunct band Be Good Tanyas. She covers Bruce Cockburn's 1984 classic hit and turns it upside down, making it a tumultuous and moving song with her sultry voice, something the original was not. Her phenomenal debut album from last year is one you should be familiar with, it won't let you down.

Don't the hours go shorter as the days go by 

                                                 We never get to stop and open our eyes 

One minute your waiting for the sky to fall 

The next you're dazzled by the beauty of it all 

Frazey Ford - Lovers in a Dangerous Time

Her Space Holiday - Black Cat Balloons

I hope nobody took my last rapturous post seriously. I don't believe any of that stuff, in fact I don't believe in anything at all. Of course this reminds me of one of my favorite songs by Wolf Parade. But I've always liked this cover by Her Space Holiday. 

Her Space Holiday - I'll Believe in Anything (Wolf Parade Cover)

Luckily, looking up Her Space Holiday led to the discovery that they'll be releasing a self titled album on August 16th. Her Space Holiday has always been the definition of indie pop in my mind and judging by this brand new single, "Black Cat Balloon" it looks like they've stuck with that sound. 

 

Black Cat Balloons  

[COVER] Bruce Peninsula - The Swimming Song

via anitrone 

Bruce Peninsula covers Loudon Wainwright III's "The Swimming Song" and they make it just a little more rockable, dialing down the banjo a tad. Their harmonies are the best. This one is probably going to make it as the lead off track on my summer mix. "This summer I did swan dives and jack knives for you all/ and once when you weren't looking I did a cannon ball." If those aren't the most fun loving, summer appropriate lyrics then I don't know what is.

Bruce Peninsula - The Swimming Song

It's my birthday and I'll blog if I want to...

The title pretty much sums it up. I've been on the fence about continuing this blog for weeks now. The only way I want to move forward is if I make the blog better, make some drastic changes, and take it to the next level. Otherwise, it is too depressing to take the blog seriously when I am doing what hundreds of other (better looking) blogs are doing. But frankly, I don't have the time or energy to do this 100% and I hate half-assing it. When I realized my blog was approaching it's first birthday, a magical milestone that months ago I had told myself would be the day I decided what to do with the blog, I knew it was decision time.

Here is the verdict: I love it too much to stop.

A year ago today, I wrote my first post about Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, I didn't know Hype Machine existed, and I spent the first three months posting you tube videos. Now, 400 posts later, I know a little bit more, but there is still a long way to go. Thank you to everyone that has read and continues to read, and a huge thank you to all the music makers out there. A love for music, a passion for sharing, and an unending quest for new music is the only reason I do this. So it's my blog's birthday and I'll blog if I want to...I'm pretty happy to say I'll stick with it for another year.

Jukebox The Ghost - I Love You Always Forever [Cover]

Jukebox the Ghost*, a band that I am very excited so see tonight at Great Scott, has this Donna Lewis cover out that I am kind of obsessed with. You will recognize the song pretty quickly if you ever listened to the radio in the 90s. I have always had a thing for blue eyes and the lyrics "You've got the most unbelievable blue eyes I've ever seen" has always caught my attention, so I actually have the original in my itunes library, which is my embarrassing admission for today.

A totally cheesy pop tune has so much fun energy in the hands of this power pop band that you will surprise yourself when you magically recall the lyrics from some dark abyss and start singing along. 

Jukebox the Ghost - I love you always forever [MP3]

*Go to their website for free downloads of their new song "Empire" and downloads from their opening bands!

Boston's Bodega Girls cover DOM's "Living in America"

Finally! I've been waiting for this all summer. Why it took so long for someone to mellow out DOM's hit song that spread like wildfire is a real mystery. I am stoked that the Bodega Girls were up for the task. Get the free download of the song HERE, only costs an email address. Do it.

Borrowing from Blogs

I have two new features coming your way and I am very excited to introduce you to my first ever feature: Borrowing from Blogs. I read a lot of different music blogs throughout the week because, unlike other lucky bloggers, my inbox is not perpetually full with emails from bands and pr people trying to promote their music. Hopefully, someday soon I will be blessed with that burden. Until then, I must peruse the almighty blogosphere for new songs to become obsessed with. Each week I would like to introduce you to a new blog and songs that I liked based on their suggestions. It won't be the most common songs, just the ones that captured my attention for whatever reason.

The first blog is Sunset in the Rearview who recently added a second writer, Falade, who is responsible for introducing me to this supremely awesome cover. I love covers of rap songs and this one is not all that different from Anya Marina's "Whatever you like" T.I. cover, just a little bit crazier without being a direct representation of the original song. Click the links to stream or download via their blog.

MP3: Neon Hitch - Drop it Like It's Hot (Snoop Dogg Cover)

And thanks to Lydia for this song from Error Operator, Follow. The voice comes from a 1976 film, Network. Never heard of it before, but now I am curious. Sometimes songs with voice clips layered with instrumentation fall flat, but the energy in this is just great paired with the piano and beats, I cant stop listening to it. And by can't stop listening to, I mean I have memorized the words. It is one of those that I like to play in my car with the windows down so that people look at me funny. "I want you to get up now, I want all of you to get out of your chairs, I want you to get up right now and go to the window, open it, and stick your head out and yell: I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore!" And the ending clip is just as good too, "All I know is first you've got to get mad. You've got to say 'I'm a human being goddamn it! My life has value!'" If you happen to run into me today, you might catch me reciting that very line. London based and hidden in anonymity, Error Operator is going to be someone to look out for in the future.

MP3: Error Operator - Follow

Like what you heard? I follow both of them on twitter, you can too (Falade and Lydia). Don't forget to check out their site, Sunset in the Rearview. Also, when I happened to have flashed an entire train on the way to a concert that ended up being cancelled, and then I also lost my ID so I couldn't go to the rescheduled concert on the other side of town, Lydia was the only one to respond to my pathetic tweet about my crazy monday events. Even though I had already written this blog post before all that, they have officially solidified a place as my favorite music blogger twitterers, but they were basically right up there before then anyways.

Jamie Cullum - Don't Stop the Music (Rihanna Cover)

I like to think that enough time has passed since this song was a radio hit that you almost have to stop and think for a second before you realize where this song came from. Jamie Cullum does a great interpretation of this song, with some great jazz piano. Good stuff.

Jamie Cullum - Don't Stop The Music (Rihanna cover) [mp3]

This came from a cool blog, Music Induced Euphoria, check it out. 

Dawn Landes - Young Folks

I know Young Folks is so 2008, but the bluegrass cover by Dawn Landes and friends is a whole different story. There have been lots of covers of this song done in the past few years, its just so darn catchy, but this one really brings something different to the table. Using the typical bluegrass instruments, bass, fiddle, banjo, and a harmonica it sounds like a whole different song. Plus her helper-outers in this song are just so darned cute, in that Young @ Heart kind of way.

Don't let my affinity for Young Folks stop you from listening to Dawn's other stuff. She has a great folky voice and a great collection of songs from the catchy Straight Lines reminiscing about childhood, to the folk-rock rodeo song Young Girl. She is currently touring with Nada Surf, which seems random, but I like that. You can listen to more on her myspace page. Enjoy!

Anya Marina - Whatever you like (cover)

I was thinking of dedicating a whole week to great cover songs but then I came across this one and I just had to post it! Right. Now. It's that good...plus I realized one could dedicate a whole blog to great cover songs. I think covers are best when the artists take a song from one genre and adapt it to their own genre or style. Anya Marina has done just that with T.I.'s song. You might remember some of her first few songs (move you, miss halfway, clean and sober) from their appearance on Grey's Anatomy a few years back. Her new stuff continues to be great, with that same haunting voice, like in Satellite Heart. But this song, is just fantastic, I just downloaded it and its been on repeat ever since.