Courteney Palis

Courteney is currently a journalism and environmental studies student at NYU. When she's not busy worrying about how she'll feed herself once she graduates in December, she's reading, writing, blowing lots of money on shows, and playing piano or guitar (not both simultaneously -- she's not that talented). Her iPod is probably the most unlikely mix of music you've ever seen -- and it's only part of the collection she used to have before her hard drive crashed. You can follow her not-so-exciting life on Twitter: @courteneygoy.

Jan 312012
 

Best (So Far) finds the finest first-round covers of the latest pop hits.

In light of all the success Katy Perry has garnered in the last several years with the help of hits like “Last Friday Night” and “California Gurls,” it’s not much of a surprise that “The One That Got Away” — the latest single off her third and most popular album, Teenage Dream — is currently blowing up the airwaves. In fact, when the song finally climbed to the top of the charts in December (it was originally released back in September 2011), Teenage Dream clinched the title of first album to release seven number one singles on Billboard’s Dance/Club Play Songs chart. Continue reading »

Jan 312012
 

Try listening to electropop artist Haddaway‘s “What Is Love” without bobbing your head. First recorded in 1993, the song garnered most of its popularity with the help of the 1998 comedy, A Night at the Roxbury, and, nowadays, it’s a staple on any ’90s dance-club music playlist. While Haddaway’s version is more made for dancing, Italian band Hot Gossip’s cover – posted for free in preparation for their soon-to-be-released album, Hopeless – is a lot more indie. Continue reading »

Jan 252012
 

A relic of the early ’80s, alternative rock band R.E.M. powered through the rough and tumble of more than three decades before finally disbanding in September of last year. While many of the band’s songs are memorable, none evoke as strong a feeling of nostalgia as “Nightswimming” does. The song recalls earlier, simpler times and serves as the perfect tribute for this much-accomplished, long-time-running rock band. Indie-pop singer Ingrid Michaelson did the honors by performing a quiet a cappella version of the well-known track on SiriusXM radio. Continue reading »

Jan 122012
 

U.K. hitmaker Jessie J has come quite a ways from her beginnings as a talented songwriter – believe it or not, she’s the one behind hits like Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the U.S.A.” It seems about time, then, that she receive some of the spotlight as a star in her own right. In the past few years, pop tracks like “Price Tag” have helped Jessie J make a bigger name for herself in the music world. But it’s heartfelt songs like “Who You Are,” the title track off of Jessie J’s most recent album, that really showcase her songwriting talents. Scottish band Twin Atlantic brings said talents to light with their acoustic alt-rock rendition of the original at the BBC Live Lounge. Continue reading »

Jan 092012
 

After tackling Lady Gaga’s “Edge of Glory” and Britney Spears’ “I Wanna Go,” New York-based musician Andi – a.k.a. Andrea Kristinsdottir – has struck again. In her usual fashion, she’s completely transformed a well-known pop hit into a calming, electronic nu-jazz track. This time around, she’s served up a spacey cover of British singer Cheryl Cole’s “Parachute.” Continue reading »

Jan 042012
 

In 1988, American alternative rock band Pixies released one of their most widely known tracks, “Where Is My Mind?” Coincidentally, that same year, Sunday Girl – née Jade Williams – was born in the UK. Now that she’s all grown up and growing in popularity as a budding pop artist (she toured with Ellie Goulding back in 2010), she’s been releasing a steady flow of new music lately, including her own rendition of one of Pixies’ biggest hits. Continue reading »