Aug 162011
 

Artists who contributed to the new John Martyn tribute album had a lot of options when choosing a track to cover; Martyn released twenty albums during his forty-plus year career. Thirty artists covered a song from Martyn’s expansive catalog to create Johnny Boy Would Love This: A Tribute to John Martyn. The British singer-songwriter, best known for his unique style on guitar, had a career that spanned genres from folk to jazz to rock and his music touched artists old and new. We previewed contributions from Beck, David Gray, and others earlier this month; now the complete album is available.

The remarkable scope of Johnny Boy Would Love This is an asset in that the album offers a rich, diverse group of tracks from well-respected artists. However, similarities between many tracks give the feeling that the collection could have been more carefully curated. Both discs are disproportionately populated with gentle, introspective covers; all the tracks respectfully pay tribute to Martyn, but not all offer something unique to the collection. There are, however, a selection of standouts among the thirty songs that make Johnny Boy Would Love This a worthwhile purchase for Martyn fans. Continue reading »

Mar 042011
 

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

Every week it seems four out of five Bandcamp covers are acoustic bedroom recordings. Well, not this week. The blogosphere has been hit with a heavy dose of dubstep recently – James Blake, Radiohead, even Britney Spears – and so, apparently, has Bandcamp. Three out of the five covers today feature dubstep influences, making it an unusual set indeed. Continue reading »

Nov 102010
 

Live Collection brings together every live cover we can find from an artist. And we find a lot.

The recent release of Easy Wonderful has given Guster fans reason to fall in love with them all over again. As their album title insinuates, they have an agreeable sound that resonates with you and has aged well over the past (almost) 20 years. If the Beach Boys went to college in the 90’s, added some bongos, and stayed out of the sun, Guster is what they would sound like.

Featured on soundtracks like Life as a House and Wedding Crashers, their songs can pull at the heartstrings as you croon along with them. On the other hand, they are better known for their laid-back, wisecracking personalities that beam from the stage and infect their fans. During their years of touring, they have taken on many cover songs with both their sensitive and playful dispositions (but mostly the latter). Typically at the end of a show, Guster will rile up the crowd with a number from Madonna, Talking Heads, or whoever sings the “Cheers” theme song (Portnoy) and get everyone involved.  Most of the time, it’s just an excuse to get drummer Brian Rosenworcel out in front showing off his questionable vocals, calling in the crowd for backup.  It’s just like being at a karaoke bar. Continue reading »

Oct 282010
 

You all submit so many great covers it’s hard to keep up. When we fall behind, we gather the best and brightest in a Submission Roundup.

It’s that time once again. The proverbial mailbox is bursting with great submissions worthy of a feature, but there’re just too many! So, with less fanfare than they deserve, we round up all the submissions we didn’t get a chance to post this month. Thanks to all the artists for sharing their gifts. Enjoy. Tell us your favorite in the comments!

Do you have something to submit? Send it along here! Continue reading »

Oct 082010
 

Song of the Day posts one cool cover every morning. Catch up on past installments here.

Sometimes fiction is better than truth. Phil Collins says “In the Air Tonight” is about his divorce. Yawn. Legend, on the other hand, says it’s about Collins watching someone stand by as another man drowned. Admittedly, this begs the question, why wouldn’t Collins just help since he’s clearly standing right there? But no matter. He later invited the guilty man to a concert, then threw the spotlight on him while he sang this accusatory song. Fantastic, brutal tale. I’ll take fiction over truth.

So let’s make up a new legend! Here goes… Brooklyn quintet Takka Takka attended a Collins concert a few years back. During the encore, the band started “In the Air Tonight” with Phil at piano. About two minutes in, the drummer grabbed his chest with one hand (ever a professional, he continued playing with the other). He began to shake, eyes slowly rolling back, even as he kept ticking away. Phil’s piano faced the drum riser and the concerned look in his eyes indicated he saw this. But the band was only thirty seconds from the drum break – the break that every member of the crowd, Takka Takka included, had been waiting for all evening – and Phil was damned if he’d stop the band before they got there. Even as the drummer began to turn green, Phil pressed on. The drum break finally arrived. The drummer executed it perfectly. Then he spontaneously combusted. Continue reading »

Sep 142010
 

You all submit so many great covers it’s hard to keep up. When we fall behind, we gather the best and brightest in a Submission Roundup.

Our inbox is just about bursting. You guys send so many great songs I wish we could feature them all individually. Sadly, we can’t. Instead, we’re beginning a new feature: Submissions Roundup. It’s just what it sounds like: a barebones post collecting all the submissions we didn’t want to fall through the cracks. Next to each, you’ll find a link to the artist’s website.

Do you have something to submit? Send it along here! Continue reading »