Quickies rounds up new can’t-miss covers. Download ‘em below.
• It takes a lot to make Robert Palmer hip, but L.A. electro-pop duo Kisses manage just that on their new single. Made up of Princeton frontman Jesse Kivel and girlfriend/fashion blogger Zinzi Edmonson, Kisses bring the dated ‘80s sound into the 21st century.
MP3: Kisses – Johnny and Mary (Robert Palmer cover)
• Though written by Ewan MacColl in 1957 for Peggy Seeger, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” didn’t become a standard until Roberta Flack’s version 15 years later. Now, Australian folkie Emily Barker and her band release their version, an outtake from new album Almanac.
MP3: Emily Barker and the Red Clay Halo – First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Ewan MacColl cover)
• From Tony Visconti: “I knew the song because I produced it with David Bowie for his 2002 Heathen album release. But Films of Colour had altered it so much they had clearly made it their own. I think Bowie is one of the most difficult artists to cover, since his versions of his own compositions seem to be the definitive versions. After I heard Films of Colour’s version I was completely won over.”
MP3: Films of Colour – Slow Burn (David Bowie cover)
• On their gentle indie-pop Air cover, Perth-based quartet Scenic take a little of the Kraftwerk out of the Moon Safari favorite with rolling piano lines and a super-funky breakdown.
MP3: Scenic – Kelly Watch the Stars (Air cover)
• What seems like a relatively paint-by-numbers cover of Lana Del Rey’s viral hit takes a twist when those polyrhythmic trip-hop drums come in. A guitar solo and gentle crescendo keeps things fresh.
MP3: Freakish Atlantic – Video Games (Lana Del Rey cover)
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