Mike Misch, Author at Cover Me

Mike Misch

The first cassette tape Mike ever owned was MC Hammer's "Too Legit to Quit." He has spent the following years trying to repair his severely damaged "indie cred." He first recognized the power of cover songs when he heard Dave Matthew's Band cover Soul Coughing's "Is Chicago, Is Not Chicago." As part of his musical education, he is working his way through Tom Moon's excellent book, "The 1000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die" and tracking his progress at Recording the Recordings and on Twitter. Mike currently lives in Wisconsin but his heart still bleeds for Cleveland sports teams (yes, really).

First Aid Kit Harmonize on a Short but Sweet “Angel From Montgomery”

Posted by Mike Misch at 12:00 pm No Responses »

Apr 162020

Anyone familiar with John Prine probably hasn’t been surprised by the amazing amount of tributes being done by musicians of all kinds. He was a songwriter’s songwriter and he inspired a lot of folks. Our first round up included 13 different artists playing 15 songs, hits and deep cuts alike. In that list of songs, “Angel from Montgomery” was done four different times. It’s worth checking them all out but if you’re short on time, you should definitely give First Aid Kit a listen. Continue reading »

Rodrigo y Gabriela Return to Their Roots with Flamenco-Thrash Cover of Metallica’s “Battery”

Posted by Mike Misch at 9:11 am No Responses »

Nov 262019

Anyone familiar with Rodrigo y Gabriela’s catalog can hear the influence of the acoustic duo’s roots in thrash metal bands, and not just because of the metal covers they have done over the years. The Mexican duo have covered Metallica frequently in their distinctive virtuosic style and they’ve returned to an early favorite with a studio version of “Battery”. It’s one of three metal songs, alongside Slayer and Megadeath, that will be included on their Record Store Day vinyl Mettal EP. Continue reading »

After Nine Years, The Bird and The Bee Announce Volume Two of Their Cover Series: Van Halen

Posted by Mike Misch at 9:00 am No Responses »

Jun 242019

If you missed it the first time around, immediately go check out The Bird and The Bee’s truly wonderful Hall & Oates tribute from 2010. We’ve included songs from it on our Hall & Oates lists before, but start to finish it’s a great listen that has held up well. When the duo of Greg Kurstin and Inara George first released a Van Halen cover in March, we thought the long-awaited Volume 2 may be on the way. Now it’s confirmed with another track from the album: “Ain’t Talking ‘Bout Love”. Continue reading »

Lana Del Rey’s Trip-Hop Version of “Doin’ Time” is Sublime

Posted by Mike Misch at 9:23 am No Responses »

May 212019

It’s been 23 years since Sublime released their self-titled studio album. It was their breakout record, gaining tons of airplay and new fans for the band. It was also their final album, released just months after lead singer Bradley Nowell’s death. One of the hit singles was “Doin’ Time”, a song built largely on samples and influenced heavily by George Gershwin’s oft-covered “Summertime”. Although it has aged well, it’s still a song that evokes the late 1990s. And then Lana Del Rey got a hold of it. Continue reading »

Mark Kozelek and Petra Haden Deliver Quietly Powerful Huey Lewis Cover

Posted by Mike Misch at 12:46 pm No Responses »

May 142019

Mark Kozelek is no stranger to finding the gourmet meal in what others might consider fast food. A prolific songwriter whose own tunes have gotten progressively less melodic and lyrics have gotten more and more literal, Kozelek has not lost his touch in turning rock songs into acoustic vignettes. Here, he takes the Huey Lewis and the News 1985 pop rock song “The Power of Love” and, with the help of singer/violinist Petra Haden, he finds the beauty at its core. Continue reading »

Steady Holiday Cover Weezer’s “Holiday” with Ambience and Atmosphere

Posted by Mike Misch at 9:27 am No Responses »

Apr 112019

If ever there was a time to cover Weezer, now seems like one of the best since 1994 when they released their eponymous debut (aka the “Blue Album”). In January, Weezer capped off a wacky, Toto-filled 2018 with their Teal Album of cover songs. They’re certainly in the zeitgeist right now, so it seems like an excellent time to quickly slap together a tribute to one of their radio-saturating hits. Steady Holiday, however, went with a deeper cut. Continue reading »