Cover News: January 23, 2010

Cover News is a weekly feature keeping you up to date on the goings-on in the world of cover tunes, tribute albums, etc. Plus, at the bottom we post the array of cover tunes we’ve been sent in the past week. Have you recorded a cool cover? Send an mp3 to the email address on the right and we’ll post it!





January’s Cover Commissions is up and running! Check out info on Kristy Brannon, then tell her what song you want to hear. [Cover Me]

Rihanna covers “Redemption Song” to raise money for the Haiti Relief Fun. Since it’s such a good cause, I’ll say no more. [iTunes]

Speak of Haiti (and who isn’t speaking of Haiti), so many covers in last night’s telecast. From classics (Bruce Springsteen doing “We Shall Overcome”) to newcomers (Taylor Swift tackling Better Than Ezra), all the stars stepped up their game for a good cause. All the performances will be available for purchase on iTunes Monday, with all proceeds going to help. [MTV]

Blondie covers from A to Z for, you know, the next time you need eight different version of “Heart of Glass.” [Berkeley Place]

Peter Gabriel gets epic in a full-orchestration cover of the Arcade Fire’s “My Body Is a Cage.” Wait for it. [Stereogum]

The “I Wish I Was There” moment of the week: The Swell Season covering Springsteen’s “Drive All Night” with Clarence Clemons’ nephew. Prepare to swoon. [YouTube]

Dear obnoxious “Freebird” requesters: Conan ended his show performing it with Will Ferrell, Beck, Bill Gibbons, and Ben Harper. You won’t get it any better, so maybe now you can shut up. [YouTube]

Starbucks continues its apparently annual Sweetheart series with a disc of new covers by Spoon, Jose Gonzalez, The Long Winters and more. [Consequence of Sound]

Grizzly Bear and Hot Chip come from the opposite end of the sonic spectrum, but as two blog darlings maybe it was inevitably one would cover the other. [I Guess I’m Floating]

Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard covers Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon” for Seattle… [GIVE Seattle]

…while Of Montreal’s Kevin Barnes covers it for Haiti. [Paste]

This Week’s Submissions

Doron Deutsch and the Astronauts – Famous Blue Raincoat (Leonard Cohen) [more]

Flecton Big Sky – Workin’ Man’s Blues (Merle Haggard) [more]

Knock ‘Em Alive – Paper in Fire (John Mellencamp) [more]

The Piano – Right Now (Akon) [more]

Julian Shah-Tayler – Cracked (Joaquin Phoenix/Antony Langdon) [more]

Send your cover to the email address on the right!

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