Cover Classics: For the Love of Harry: Everybody Sings Nilsson

Posted by Patrick Robbins at 5:00 pm 1 Response »

Dec 072012

Cover Classics takes a closer look at all-cover albums of the past, their genesis, and their legacy.

For The Love Of Harry Everybody Sings Nilsson

Harry Nilsson’s two best-known songs, both of which won Grammys, were cover songs – “Everybody’s Talkin’” came from Fred Neil, and “Without You” was originally Badfinger’s. Meanwhile, his peers knew that as talented a singer as he was, he was an even greater songwriter. For the Love of Harry: Everybody Sings Nilsson, released a year after his 1994 passing, shone a light on nearly two dozen of his compositions and showed the esteem two generations of musicians held him in. Continue reading »

Quickies: The Rosebuds, Brass Bed, Gitar, Fort Frances, overlord

Posted by Ray Padgett at 3:00 pm 1 Response »

Mar 272012

Quickies rounds up new can’t-miss covers. Download ‘em below.

• Last month, the Rosebuds covered the Talking Heads. The choice was a natural – both groups deliver poppy, off-kilter melodies that worm into your head for days. Salt-n-Pepa, on the other hand, haven’t influenced Ivan and Kelly Rosebud one iota. They just re-released it for free on their new Bandcamp.
MP3: The Rosebuds – Push It (Salt-n-Pepa cover) Continue reading »

In the Spotlight: Harry Nilsson

Posted by Dave Cowan at 5:00 pm 1 Response »

Sep 272011

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!

Few would argue that Harry Nilsson was one of the best and most unique American singer-songwriters of his time. Nilsson crafted complex multi-layered vocal pop for his amazing voice, which had a range of three and one-half octaves. He wrote beautiful, personal, and emotional songs that earned him the respect of his peers, critical acclaim, and occasional commercial success – though his two Grammy awards were not for originals. Yet Nilsson is a largely forgotten cult figure; a legacy he himself insured with his stubbornness, his insecurities, numerous bad career decisions and an appetite for destruction more commonly associated with contemporaries like Keith Richards, John Bonham and Keith Moon. (Ironically, both Moon and Mama Cass would die in Nilsson’s London apartment, which he allowed his friends to use when he was in the States.) Continue reading »

This Week on Bandcamp: Charlie Schafer, Matthew Bryan Beck, Sneak Up On The Sea, Praything, Corey Pallon

Posted by Ray Padgett at 11:00 am 1 Response »

Aug 052011

This Week on Bandcamp rounds up our favorite covers to hit the site in the past seven days.

Today’s set takes a simpler, quieter approach than most. No dubstep, chillwave, or other “new” sounds to be found here. Just basic productions showcasing classic songs done right. Continue reading »

Rebuilding the Wall of Sound: The Music of Phil Spector

Posted by Abigail Covington at 5:00 pm 1 Response »

May 052011

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the release of the Phil Spector collection Back to Mono (1958–1969), the landmark set that compiles all of the early productions by the one-in-a-million wunderkind. Phil Spector’s abhorrent personal life and criminal history notwithstanding, the man’s influence on American music is indisputable.

So much in music circles back to this now-infamous sociopath. Music seems to channel Spector now more than ever: She and Him spearhead a resurgence of doo-wop sounds; Best Coast rebuild the Wall of Sound in fuzzier, shoegaze form; and, while it is no longer 1999, there are still millions of teenage generations to come that will have to see Top Gun and download the song all over again. So let’s celebrate the music that defined a generation and changed the landscape of popular American music forever. Here are five of the most well-known and oft-cited covers of classic Phil Spector productions. Old and new, these tracks have contributed to the ongoing resurrection of the Wall of Sound. Continue reading »

In the Spotlight: LCD Soundsystem

Posted by Caroline Lees at 5:00 pm No Responses »

Apr 222011

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!

A few weeks ago, the music world and 20,000 lucky fans in Madison Square Garden said a bittersweet goodbye to LCD Soundsystem. James Murphy is probably better known for who has taken on his music than for covers he’s done, with everyone from Franz Ferdinand to the Muppets reimagining LCD songs. However, he’s recorded some excellent covers as well (including this week’s take on Franz’s “Live Alone” for Record Store Day). At first, it’s hard to imagine how covers could live up to LCD’s best original moments: the songs that capture the complexities of lost youth, fading love, or hipster culture with a few deft electronic tweaks. But Murphy successfully brings his signature sound to a surprising number of genres, draping sharp, lush electronics over a diverse assortment of other musicians’ work. Here’s a look at five of his best studio covers, along with a bonus live track. Continue reading »

LCD Soundsystem Says Goodbye with Alan Vega, Harry Nilsson Covers

Posted by Ray Padgett at 12:00 pm 1 Response »

Apr 042011

After three albums and decades’ worth of critical acclaim, LCD Soundsystem called it a career Saturday night at Madison Square Garden. Dubbed “The Long Goodbye,” the four-hour party found guests like Arcade Fire and Reggie Watts joining James Murphy and co. and, despite all the drama leading up to the event, it proved by all accounts to be a smash success.

The 29-song setlist allowed room for a few covers. Fittingly for their last show ever, the two performed were older chestnuts – no point debuting new material in your victory lap. Halfway through Set #3, the group reprised their cover of Alan Vega (of Suicide)’s “Bye Bye Bayou.” Then, for their second-to-last song, the group dug up “Jump Into the Fire,” a super-rarity Harry Nilsson cover originally the B-side to the “Daft Punk Is Playing at My House” vinyl single. Continue reading »

Review: Neil Diamond, 'Dreams'

Posted by Aryl Watson at 10:30 am 14 Responses »

Nov 022010

What Neil Diamond means to you depends on your frame of reference. It could mean The Jazz Singer film and soundtrack with the iconic hit “America.” It could mean singing “Sweet Caroline” during the eighth inning of Red Sox games. It could even mean Will Ferrell parodies on Saturday Night Live, but few don’t recognize the name. A prolific songwriter and performer, Neil Diamond sells out arenas and, unlike certain schmaltz-rock peers (read: Billy Joel), regularly releases new material. On his newest disc Dreams, Diamond interprets classic songs by Bill Withers, Leonard Cohen, Randy Newman, The Eagles and others. Johnny Cash‘s American series remains the most obvious point of comparison for any aging singer releasing back-to-roots covers, but unlike Cash, Diamond chose not to cover any current artists. He didn’t exactly unearth any buried treasures either. No, he chose to cover songs like “Hallelujah” (over 200 covers to date) and ”Ain’t No Sunshine” (144). Interpreting standards is a tricky business and albums turn out badly if the artist doesn’t choose the songs and arrangements with care. We’re looking at you, Rod. Continue reading »