Indie/pop star Mitski’s new music video for “My Love Mine All Mine” was released four days ago and has a decidedly noir feel. The original video depicts the artist climbing chairs in a dark room, singing soulfully to the moon, and of death. And just a couple days afterward, singer-songwriter Clairo (aka Claire Cottrill) pulled out her acoustic guitar on Instagram in order to create a much lighter version of the new single. Continue reading »
California reggae band Stick Figure went to Great Stone Studios to reinvent Green Day’s 2004 track “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.” As the tune phases in with the traditional tremolo pedal, we hear a slow pleasant swell. The band doesn’t just “start the song” they blossom into it. Stick Figure’s version of this melancholy tune is lackadaisical in diction (which is extremely satisfying given the genre’s context), and heavy on the backbeat, with a countermelody on a percussive steel pan, crisp timbales, and clean guitar hits.
This cover will be a part of Nathan Aurora’s Pop Punk Goes Reggae collection (volume 1) and will feature other big-name reggae bands such as SOJA, Ballyhoo! And more.
Counting Crows is currently on tour with Dashboard Confessional in their Banshee Season Tour. At one of their most recent stops, Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, the band decided to play a Taylor Swift cover. But for those who closely follow Counting Crows, this should be no surprise, as lead singer Adam Duritz has recently found a deep appreciation for the female pop idol. Several months ago in an interview with Nuvo Duritz said: Continue reading »
New Friends are self-described “pop gangsters” who hail from Toronto. In an interview with the online magazine Nylon Manila, the band called the forming of their band “organic” and “spontaneous.” Both descriptors, coincidentally, describe their synergetic sound. Their most recent live cover was of the single “High and Dry” from Radiohead’s 1995 The Bends. In the video, the members are bathed in vintage-looking pink and green lights.
While the original intro is strummy and bleak, the New Friends version begins with a compelling swell. Next, the drums ramp up, then…Stefan Boulineau’s mellow vocals take center stage. From the clarity of the falsetto to its swathes of ‘verbed guitar chords, this cover is a true sonic treat. Not to mention, the group seems to dance as a unit! New Friends is not just a band, but rather, a visual and sonic act.
For more great covers of Radiohead click this link!
Photo Credit: AXELLE/BAUER-GRIFFIN/FILMMAGIC
It’s been about a month since Demi Lovato released their most recent album, Revamped, which consists of heavier (rock) versions of their best hits. Lovato came back to the studio soon to record something much different: a cover of “Let Me Down Easy,” from the album Aurora. If neither the song title nor the album title ring any bells, you’re probably not familiar with Daisy Jones & the Six, the fictional band from ’70s LA now streaming on Amazon Prime; Aurora is DJ&TS‘s soundtrack.
Continue reading »
Photo Credit: Wall of Sound AU
The post-hardcore/ experimental rock group Pierce the Veil isn’t exactly known for covering songs, but it seems the lead singer has made an exception for the popular radio series Like A Version.
“Karma Police” was the second single released for OK Computer and is a dark philosophical tune inspired by the dystopian book 1984 by George Orwell. PTV’s version of “Karma Police” builds a rich sonic landscape- one that’s melancholic yet energetic, soothing, and discontented. The band struck the perfect balance of paying homage to Radiohead, while still keeping true to their own roots.
Continue reading »