Aug 232011
 

Jerry Leiber, the famed songwriter, passed away yesterday at 78. He was the lyricist in the songwriting duo Leiber and Stoller while Mike Stoller handled the composing. Together they penned such classic pop songs as “Hound Dog,” “Kansas City,” “Stand by Me,” “Jailhouse Rock,” and “Yakety Yak,” among many other hits which were originally performed by artists like Elvis Presley, The Drifters, and Ben E.King. In 1995 Leiber and Stoller’s catalog of hits was turned into the Broadway musical Smokey Joe’s Cafe, which was nominated for seven Tony Awards. The duo was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1985, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. Continue reading »

Jul 252011
 

Amy Winehouse, the British singer who almost single-handedly revived a mass appreciation of soul and R&B, was found dead in her Camden home in London on July 23. Media in every form – blogs, magazines, newspapers – often scrutinized her abuse of drugs and alcohol instead of focusing on her unmistakable talent as a singer and songwriter. While the idea of a young person rising all too quickly to fame and crashing is alarmingly expected, the loss of Winehouse is still incredibly tragic. Fans and fellow musicians have posted their tributes, and here at Cover Me, we look back at a few of her stand-out covers in memoriam. Continue reading »

Feb 032011
 

Our White Stripes tribute continues today with a massive live collection. The Stripes were known for their concert presence as much as anything and, with the freedom that only a two-person band can bring, they frequently performed covers both expected (delta blues) and not (Mazzy Star). Some songs appeared frequently over the years, others popped up for one night only. Sometimes they were planned performances, other times Jack White just started singing some lyrics.

Below, we give you a collection of cover songs the band performed on their 2005 Get Behind Me Satan tour. The set was originally compiled by a user over at the Little Room forum and his/her efforts amaze us to this day. Thirty-three songs, all available as MP3 downloads below. The audio quality ranges from pretty-good to fantastic. Download them individually or as a full set. Continue reading »

Feb 022011
 

As you have likely heard, the White Stripes officially called it quits today. True, on paper this may not be particularly meaningful; they last preformed regularly in 2007. For everyone who has endured every announcement of a new Jack White project though, hoping it will all come full circle for a reunion with Meg, this announcement proves an ignoble end to four years of hoping.

Needless to say, we’ll be discussing the Stripes quite a bit over the coming days. In our neck of the woods the loss is doubly hard because this pair was a cover lover’s dream. Without a full band to contend with, Jack could perform cover songs on a whim. From their definitive “Jolene” – a performance that has to rank among the best covers of this century – to the impromptu one-offs, they delivered great reinterpretations of blues nuggets, Bob Dylan classics, and the occasional indie nod to Tegan and Sara or the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Before we begin all the new content though, we thought it’d be a good time to spotlight our massive White Stripes cover archives. Below we present ten looks back. We won’t be reposting stuff we’ve already discussed, so you’ll have to head to the original posts, linked below. Here are some of our favorites. Continue reading »

Jan 182011
 

The world of somewhat under-the-radar pioneers has suffered devastating losses this past month. First the legendary Captain Beefheart passed in December. A few weeks later, Gerry Rafferty of “Baker Street” and “Stuck in the Middle with You” fame left us. Finally, just four days ago Trish Keenan, lead singer of indie electro-poppers Broadcast, died of pneumonia. Oof. Continue reading »

Jan 132011
 

Jay Reatard passed away one year ago today. His unexpected death shocked everyone except, perhaps, himself. “Everything I do is motivated by the fear of running out of time,” Reatard had told the New York Times several months earlier. Songs like “It Ain’t Gonna Save Me” and “An Ugly Death” indicated a near-obsession with mortality. Maybe that’s why he packed 22 albums into his 29 years. Continue reading »