The Best Cover Songs of 2013

 Posted by at 11:00 am  8 Responses »
Dec 192013
 

I’m not sure there were more great cover songs this year than any other. But there were more good ones.

What I mean by that is, the average quality of the covers we come across in the time we’ve been around has risen, rather dramatically. Whether they’re iTunes homepage singles or some guy emailing us his Bandcamp, more cover songs in 2013 avoid the old pitfalls than ever before. They don’t sound like they were recorded in a cereal box, substitute ear-bleeding volume for actual creativity, or – the worst cover sin of all – try to carbon-copying the original. With the ease of production and distribution available now, artists seemed to record covers only when they felt they had something to add, and do a halfway decent job committing those ideas to 1s and 0s. Continue reading »

Silver Swans Keeps the “Video Games” Covers Coming With Best Yet

 Posted by at 10:30 am  No Responses »
Jan 062012
 

Here we are in the new year, but the 2011 song that you either love or hate continues to make headlines. “Video Games,” the internet-spawned hit was featured on the CW’s TV series Ringer and propelled “gangsta Nancy Sinatra” Lana Del Rey into the limelight. We saw quite a few bands like Kasabian, Bombay Bicycle Club and Freakish Atlantic release their versions of the track, but it appears 2012 has brought the finest take yet. Continue reading »

Quickies: James Vincent McMorrow, Silver Swans, The Meat Puppets, Bird, Silent Rider

 Posted by at 5:00 pm  4 Responses »
Sep 292011
 

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

• A couple weeks ago, James Vincent McMorrow broke our hearts with his cover of “Higher Love.” Now, he does it again on Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game.” He’s been playing it live for a while now, but Vagrant just sent over this gorgeous recording.
MP3: James Vincent McMorrow – Wicked Game (Chris Isaak cover) Continue reading »

Silver Swans Make the National’s “Anyone’s Ghost” Sadder Than Ever

 Posted by at 10:30 am  1 Response »
Oct 132010
 

The phrase “sad sack” gets thrown around a lot describing The National. Soundtracking the most ethereal midlife crisis ever, the band’s music laments love lost and uncertainty found over the delicate rock symphonies. “Anyone’s Ghost,” off the band’s new High Violet, combines morose and haunted as well as anything they’ve done. Well now San Francisco duo Silver Swans have recorded their version of the tune and – guess what – it’s even more morose and more haunted!

It’s about time too. High Violet‘s 11 tracks deserve more cover attention than they’ve gotten. “Fake Empire,” off 2007’s Boxer, garners appreciation from the likes of Frightened Rabbit, but where’s the love for “Terrible Love”? We even tried to commission a “Bloodbuzz Ohio” cover, but you all voted it down in favor of “Livin’ on a Prayer” (the fact that the album hadn’t come out yet didn’t help its chances). Hopefully this spaced-out “Anyone’s Ghost” kicks off a new trend. Continue reading »