Abby Do

Abby Do is a semi-unemployed recent graduate of Dartmouth College. When she was young, she aspired to be David Bowie (circa the movie Labyrinth) or a baby panda. Neither dream came true. Currently, she resides in California and is working on a novel about sailors, a pygmy sloth, and useless inventions. Her favorite things in life include cute animals, music, and inappropriate remarks. Writing for Cover Me is her return to blogging after the demise of her angsty teen Xanga.

Dec 162011
 

Every so often the indie community embraces an older generation musician, either for their accomplishments and talent or in a more ironic way. This seems to be occurring with John Denver recently, as his heartfelt, borderline-cheesy folk songs have surfaced in unexpected places like a Pretty Lights remix of “Country Roads” from the summer and Trevor Powers’ recent cover of “Goodbye Again,” recorded in a session for Sirius XM’s college-themed station under his Youth Lagoon moniker. Continue reading »

Jan 212011
 

Five Good Covers presents five cross-genre reinterpretations of an oft-covered song.

The White Stripes made their major-label debut in 2003 with Elephant, garnering universal critical acclaim (evidenced by its rating of 92 on Metacritic). Opening track “Seven Nation Army” proved wildly popular, its ubiquitous guitar riff quickly becoming one of the most recognizable on the airwaves. Gearhead note: Priding themselves on his bass-less band, Jack White ran his guitar through a DigiTech Whammy pedal set down an octave. Continue reading »

Nov 122010
 

Bald Tom Cruise busting a move is the mental image I get every time I hear Flo Rida’s “Low,” ever since I saw Tropic Thunder. Thanks a lot, Ben Stiller.

Granted, when Flo Rida’s debut single was released in September of 2007, it represented the exact opposite of fat, bald, and hairy Tom Cruise. Featuring (and co-written by) T-Pain, this song ended up being the longest-running chart-topper of 2008 and generated remixes featuring rapper Pitbull and even more T-Pain. Continue reading »

Oct 262010
 
Sarah Blasko on her baddest behavior

Outkast’s song “Hey Ya” generally isn’t associated with words like “laid-back,” “croony,” or “harmonic.” That is, unless the word “not” acts as a qualifier.

Enter Sarah Blasko.

Recently hitting on music radars for her single “All I Want,” this Aussie singer-songwriter tackled the early ‘00s staple live on Australian radio station Triple J. The result? A smooth and sultry, yet totally tongue-in-cheek cover. Blasko’s version would not be out of place at a hipster wine bar where the Cabernet is served in jam jars and the baguette is cut into ironic shapes. Continue reading »

Oct 132010
 

Five Good Covers presents five cross-genre reinterpretations of an oft-covered song.

Michael Jackson’s sixth solo album Thriller exploded onto the music scene in 1983. A year later, he released “Beat It” as the album’s third single and won two Grammys. As of September 2010, “Beat it” has been downloaded over 1.6 million times. The music video is just as iconic as the song; there is no other instance where a knife fight between tough gang leaders could devolve into synchronized arm flaps/pelvic thrusts and still be taken seriously.

While Michael’s death last year sparked a flurry of YouTube tributes to the King of Pop, “Beat it” has generated a wide range of interpretations ever since its debut. Ranking #337 on Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” list, its popularity has inspired artists worldwide, from off-key amateurs to Fall Out Boy (ft. John Mayer, no less). Here are five of the best. Continue reading »