Elliott Smith was a man with many demons. Before his unexplained stabbing death in 2003, he struggled with mental illness, alcoholism, and drug abuse. This is not lighthearted stuff, nor were his lyrics. Smith’s “Between the Bars” is regarded as one of his most haunting pieces of work off of his highly praised album Either/Or, which is likely why Agnes Obel chose this cover. Continue reading »
The second greatest thing to come out of the 1981 movie Arthur besides Dudley Moore (we’re not sure if any greatness came out of the recent remake) was Christopher Cross’s “Arthur’s Theme (The Best That You Can Do).” Although some cheese gets moldy with age, this cheesy classic only gets better. Perhaps Jukebox the Ghost knew this when deciding to cover Cross’s song in a failed bid to get their cover included on the recent remake soundtrack (the honors went to Fitz and the Tantrums). Continue reading »
Download This! scours the web’s dark corners for cool cover freebies. View past installments.
If someone were to give a word-association test for the term “music,” one might respond with “dancing.” Music and dance go hand in hand, whether it’s literally a song about shaking your groove thang or just a song that inspires you to move. Dance is as universal as music; both do not require great intellectual thought, but require our emotions to respond with joy or sadness. Dance is a physical representation of our emotional response to music. Continue reading »
YouTube is filled with amateur cover “artists.” Most stink. On the ‘Tube extracts the exceptions.
YouTube musician Brett Domino is a superstar. Yes, that guy up there with the glasses. Oh, you didn’t know? Well, let him be the first to tell you. “We do get a lot of attention now that we are hugely famous,” he tells Cover Me. “We’ve had poems written about us, pictures drawn of us, marriage proposals. I signed a lady’s bosom once after a gig in Bangor.” Brett’s collaborator, Steven Peavis, gets his fair share of groupies too. “Quite a lot of people seem to comment on the YouTube videos confessing that they have a crush on Steven,” says Domino. “I think it must be his strong nose.” Continue reading »
Is it just us, or are there a lot of great female-fronted bands as of late? Well, be prepared to add Stone Darling to that list. Coming from Los Angeles, Liv Mrasico, Lindsay Dawn, Mikki Itzigsohn and Paige Stark were a favorite of this year’s SXSW festival and recently featured in Nylon Magazine. With the same current sound as Sleigh Bells and Metric, a throwback to Mazzy Star, and a bit of Dusty Springfield ‘60s countrified soul, these four lovely ladies are generating buzz. Continue reading »
The Submarines duo Blake Hazard and John Dragonetti share the typical relationship story: meet, fall in love, break up, get back together, form an indie electro pop band, and get married. Or at least, a typical relationship except for the band part. Originating from Los Angeles, they first achieved critical success in 2006 with their album Declare a New State!: a chronicle of the couple’s separation before reconciliation. They are quickly gaining popularity thanks to a showcase of their songs on iPhone commercials, prime time television, and movies. Continue reading »