Aleah Fitzwater

Aleah Fitzwater is a rogue classical musician from Bedford, MI (a rural town between the cities of Detroit and Toledo). At a young age, she found herself taken by woodwind instruments- particularly, the flute. She continued her musical exploration at the University of Toledo where she received a bachelor's in instrumental music education. She currently works as a freelance music writer and recording artist and also runs two Etsy shops. When she’s not working, she’s probably playing with her Yorkie (Presto) or rearranging a song for a ridiculously large flute choir. Follow her at https://aleahfitzwater.com for more blog content, or https://www.instagram.com/aleahflute to hear classical spins on popular songs.

Umphrey’s McGee Plays Tribute to David Crosby with “Helplessly Hoping”

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Jan 262023
 
umphrey's mcgee helplessly hoping

Umphrey’s McGee is an indie/jam band from Indiana that is known for its experimental genre-blending and unique improv. The six-piece group just completed their 25th-anniversary tour this past Sunday. While on the tour, the group paid tribute to David Crosby with a cover of “Helplessly Hoping” at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY.

“Helplessly Hoping” is one of the iconic tracks on Crosby, Stills & Nash’s self-titled debut album. The song was about love, and writer Stephen Stills’ struggle to make ends meet back in the day when he was a session musician. Umphrey’s McGee kept the tune true to the original and did justice to the late singer. These vocal harmonies sound oh-so-sweet. 

Opening act Eggy also performed a commemorative Crosby cover at that show, tackling “Carry On” off the first CSN album where they added a “Y” for “Young.” Watch both videos below.

Kate Bollinger Covers ’60s French Tune “J’aime les filles”

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Jan 172023
 
kate bollinger

Kate Bollinger is a folk musician from Virginia signed to the label Ghostly International. She recently the seal of approval from Atwood Magazine after receiving the editor’s pick on one of her tunes, and has also served as an inspiration to Kanye West, who sampled one of her songs on his album Donda.

“J’aime les filles” (translation: “I love girls”) was written by Jacques Dutronc, and was released as a single in 1967. Dutronc is known for his contributions to French rock, particularly French psychedelic-rock, and Yé-yé, a Beatles-y genre. The tune details all the girls the character loves, including Castel, Regine, and girls in magazines. The original is jazzy with lots of piano, vocal scoops, and snare.

On her new cover, Kate Bollinger decked this French tune out with tasteful vibraphones, whisks on the snare, and crisp vocal processing. She replaced the piano with vibes and traded out vocal scoops for coy yet plainspoken vocals. This iteration of the tune is much more modern, while still giving a nod to this French jazz style. Bollinger actually named the entirety of her new album J’aime Les Filles – an homage to the French-pop/ French-rock icon.

Hear This Oddly Satisfying Chiptune Cover of Ed Sheeran’s Pokemon Tune

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Nov 292022
 
chiptune pokemon

Step aka Step On Newgrounds is a YouTuber and musician who is also an aspiring game developer. He goes by Stephan Wells IRL, and his talent as both a musician and arranger is undeniable in this 8-bit cover of Ed Sheeran “Celestial.” 

The original “Celestial” was featured on the credits of the game Pokemon and Scarlet Violet. While Sheeran’s version of the tune feels more like something you might hear in the club, Step’s genre-blends chiptune with ’80s vibes, leading to an oddly satisfying sonic experience. 

Step shows off his skills as an arranger in this iteration of “Celestial.” It starts out with 80s-feeling vocals, jagged held synth chords, multiple moving lines, and cheerful bleep-bloops. The underlying vocal harmonies, as well as Step’s diction, are absolutely impeccable. About halfway through, we get more of a dancey break before the B-section comes. The way that Step layers the two themes as we crescendo to the final choruses is chill-worthy. Not to mention, the accompanying video for his cover of “Celestial” is extremely cute and artistic, featuring watercolor-style depictions of Game Boys and Pokemon characters. 

Head here for more interesting Ed Sheeran covers.

Nessa Barrett Creates Ethereal Arctic Monkeys Cover

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Nov 222022
 
nessa barrett

Nessa Barrett is an American pop singer who first rose to fame in 2019 on Tiktok. She recently released a unique soundscapey pop cover of the 2007 Arctic Monkeys song “505”. “505” has always held a special place in the hearts of Arctic Monkeys fans and indie enthusiasts. The song details a relationship that is falling apart: The twist of a knife, falling short, a fateful meeting, and a girl in her hotel room (hence the number). “505” is about a long-distance relationship, and how a reunion doesn’t turn out to be as cheerful as you had hoped. According to band member Alex Turner, the tune is “The first proper love song we’ve done.” Continue reading »

Speak Low Brings Punky Grit to Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero”

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Nov 182022
 
speak low

Ryan Scott Graham is a vocalist and bassist for the pop-punk band State Champs. Speak Low is the title reserved for his creative solo projects, such as this cover of Taylor Swift’s new Midnights standout “Anti-Hero.”

In this cover, Graham makes “Anti-Hero” feel singer-songwritery with his acoustic guitar, but also manages to harken back to the original with the simple yet satisfying electronic drums that permeate through the background. The artist truly owned the self-critical and overly honest lyrics of “Anti-Hero”. My ears perked up immediately as the vocalist took small yet poignant melodic liberties even beyond completely changing the instrumentation of the tune. Continue reading »

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