The full moon closest to the Autumn Equinox is referred to as the Harvest Moon. This time is upon us for 2023 and this year the show is particularly impressive, as our satellite is particularly close to us as a Supermoon. It could also be a time to revisit Neil Young’s 1992 classic album Harvest Moon. That is what his fellow Canadian Bella White has done, with a new cover of “Unknown Legend.” Continue reading »
It’s been 15 years since the last Al Green album. Does “Perfect Day” signal the beginning of his comeback? Unclear — I thought so after his last single, another cover, and that was five years ago. But we can hope. “I loved Lou’s original ‘Perfect Day’—the song immediately puts you in a good mood,” Green explained. “We wanted to preserve that spirit, while adding our own sauce and style.” Continue reading »
The second single from Rihanna‘s seventh album Unapologetic, “Stay” is a somewhat atypical piano ballad featuring minimal instrumentation. Cowritten by her duet partner Mikky Ekko, it’s a song that relies mostly on the power of their voices to succeed. And it did succeed, becoming Rihanna’s twenty-fourth top ten hit.
Rum Jungle are an Australian rock band from Newcastle, NSW who have been releasing music for about six years. Their new cover of “Stay” marks their first appearance on legendary Australian radio network Triple J’s cover series Like a Version. Continue reading »
As In This Moment prepares for the release of their new album Godmode this October, they have been teasing us with Björk covers. This formidable force within the alternative sphere released a version of “The Purge” by Björk this past July, and more recently they made their into Las Vegas’s Hideout Recording Studio to cover “Army of Me.” Continue reading »
There are a small number of modern songs based on a prayer from the Talmud, with one of the most famous, and most covered, being Leonard Cohen’s “Who By Fire.” >Cohen took the Unetanneh Tokef (“Let Us Speak of the Awesomeness”) passage, recited on Yom Kippur, and wove a tale of those who would pass during the year, as the judgment of God from the Book of Life. Cohen and Janis Ian play the role of the readers. The original is very matter-of-fact about the job and attaches no additional emotion to the task at hand. Although there are a number of ways in which the judgment can be visited, the outcome is (of course) the same. Continue reading »
California folk pop singer-songwriter Madison Cunningham enjoys her covers, having released an EP full back in 2020. Her latest is a solo acoustic cover of Tina Turner‘s most covered song: “What’s Love Got to Do with It.”
Performed live for the Howard Stern Show, Cunningham’s version begins with her finger-picked guitar and nothing else. Though the tempo is nearly the same at first – a little slower in the verse – the vibe is entirely different. She slows down in the pre-chorus and the chorus, reinforcing how distinct it feels.
Cunningham’s vocal sounds almost rueful. There’s a feeling of liberation in Turner’s performance at times; sure, she’s not entirely happy about coming to this realization, but she knows she won’t get fooled again. Whereas Cunningham’s performance sounds like she’s come to this unhappy realization now it’s pure lament. That attitude fits the rest of the performance, as Cunningham performs it as a traditional folk song, there’s nothing peppy in in it.