Mar 302011
 

In the Spotlight showcases a cross-section of an artist’s cover work. View past installments, then post suggestions for future picks in the comments!

Florence + the Machine songstress Florence Welch recently capped off a breakout year with performances at the Grammys and Oscars. Considering her affinity for covers, it’s appropriate that she took on Aretha Franklin’sThink” at the Grammys and handled Dido’s part with Best Song nominee A.R. Rahman at the Oscars. Florence + the Machine’s debut, Lungs, arrived less than two years ago, but Welch has already performed more covers than some musicians do in decades. Here are a few highlights, from Florence solo and with the help of her band the Machine. Continue reading »

Mar 302011
 

If you’ve never heard of Martin Solveig, you probably live in America. His singles chart list features hits all over the map, with one suspiciously empty column: the United States. His 2010 single “Hello” hit Top 20 in Britain, Australia, Canada, and a dozen more countries. Its peak position in the States though? 116th.

Though they model their whole appeal on 1950s America, the Baseballs come from Germany, so it figures they would include “Hello” in their latest disc of rockabilly covers of pop hits. Due in April, Strings ‘n’ Stripes includes covers of hits by Ke$ha, Pras, and Diddy-Dirty Money. Despite the fact that they seem to have based their whole look on John Travolta in Grease, they too enjoy far greater popularity in Europe than in the States. Continue reading »

Mar 302011
 

We know some of you might be thinking, “Hold on, Willie and Wynton? Didn’t this album come out a few years ago?” Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis understand the possible confusion. They even prefaced this brand new album of Ray Charles cover hits by titling it Here We Go Again (also a track off the album, natch) in an attempt to clarify.

Back in 2007, Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis joined up for a two-night live show and created Two Men with the Blues. They found a connection as well as commercial success, so what seemed like a novelty cross-genre one-off became a lasting collaboration. In 2009, Nelson and Marsalis reunited, this time asking Norah Jones to join them at New York’s Lincoln Center. Two years later, the live album Here We Go Again: Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles delivers the experience to all those who missed out. Continue reading »

Mar 302011
 

Rooney bandmembers Robert Schwartzman, Louie Stephens, Taylor Locke, Ned Brower, and Brandon Schwartzel have traveled a weary road since the release of their first album. Young and naive when first starting the professional music scene, they signed on with Geffen Records and recorded their self-titled debut in 2003. Their elation at “making it” quickly turned sour when Rooney felt pressure to make their next hit single and album. After the release of their second album, Calling The World, Rooney continued writing and recording music on their own, simultaneously trying to break free of their contract. In 2010, Rooney got their wish and signed on with Warner Music’s independent label, California Dreaming Records. They have since released their latest album, Eureka. Continue reading »

Mar 302011
 

This March, we pit 64 Beatles covers against each other in what we call Moptop Madness.

Yesterday’s winner: Joe Cocker, “With a Little Help from My Friends” and José Feliciano, “A Day in the Life”

The Elite Eight. Sixty-four covers entered, but only eight remain. They are: The Black Keys, Jake Shimabukuro, Neil Young, Booker T. and the M.G.s, Johnny Cash, Elliott Smith, Joe Cocker, and José Feliciano. One of these will win it all. For the remainder of the contest, we’ll be eliminating one cover each day. These matches are big; they deserve to stand alone. Competition will be tough for every contest, so whichever team’s fans can get out the vote best may well prevail. First up: “She Said She Said” versus “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” Here we go!

Listen to both songs below, then vote for your favorite. For added sway, try to convince others to vote your way in the comments. Voting closes in 24 hours. Continue reading »