Feb 072025
 
lola young close to me cover

Though not their biggest hit when it came out – topping out at 24 – “Close to Me” became one of The Cure’s biggest hits over time. It’s one of only four of their singles to go platinum in the UK and is their 4th most streamed song. It’s pretty distinct in their catalogue for lacking guitar and featuring toy keyboards and a horn section (and an even more prominent horn section in the popular 1990 remix, which actually reached higher on the UK singles chart). Continue reading »

Feb 072025
 

One Great Cover looks at the greatest cover songs ever, and how they got to be that way.

“Well it’s story time again,” says a young Tom Waits to a live audience in July, 1975. So begins his intro to “Big Joe and Phantom 309,” Red Sovine’s country hit from 1967. But his listeners were already involved in a story that night: they were collectively pretending to be in “Raphael’s Silver Cloud Lounge,” a seedy LA nightclub.

In truth, they were seated in The Record Plant, the illustrious Los Angeles recording studio. Waits had moved studio equipment aside, dragged in a few tables and chairs, set up a makeshift bar, and invited some friends over for a show. The opening act was a strip-tease. With the correct vibe established, Waits recorded his third album that night, Nighthawks at the Diner. And it included his first departure from original material with “Phantom 309.”
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Feb 042025
 
Janelle Monae Covers Michael Jackson

Leading this past weekend’s Grammys tribute to the legendary Quincy Jones was Janelle Monae. Taking the stage in a tuxedo and a “I (Heart) QJ” tank top, she performed Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough.” The song originally appeared on Jackson’s 1979 album, Off the Wall, which Jones produced. To top it all off, Monae threw a moonwalk into her performance. Monae ended her performance by tossing her jacket into the crowd, which was caught by Taylor Swift, who wore it for the rest of the night.

Also paying tribute to Jones were Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Lainey Wilson, Jacob Collier, and Cynthia Erivo.

Jones passed away in November last year at age 91.

Feb 042025
 
i love la grammys

The city of Los Angeles has been put through the wringer the past month and the fact that the Grammy Awards were able to be held there on Sunday seems like a minor miracle. The ceremony opened with a heartfelt introduction by host Trevor Noah acknowledging the city and its role in popular music. The show then kicked off in earnest with a supergroup paying tribute to the city. And they did so with what seems like the obvious choice: Randy Newman’s “I Love LA.”

The group was led by the Goldsmith brothers, Taylor and Griffin from Dawes, who both lost their houses, their childhood home and their studio in the fires. They were joined on-stage by a diverse group of musicians including John Legend, Sheryl Crow, St Vincent, Brittany Howard and Brad Paisley.

A few of the lyrics were changed, removing Newman’s trademark snark, and replacing it with a tribute to the firefighters and first responders as well as celebrating the resilience of the city. (I’m usually not okay with changing lyrics, especially when they completely de-fang a song, but they get pass on this one.) Enjoy the performance and if you can, make a donation to help the people most affected by the fires.

Feb 032025
 
olivia kaplan hand habits birds cover

A deep cut from Neil Young’s After the Gold Rush, “Birds” is still one of his more frequently covered songs, with over 40 official covers. Perhaps its due to the popularity of that album that the song is known so well, or just the stark, heartbreaking beauty of the song. It’s a relatively unusual arrangement for Young, perhaps inspired by his experience recording with Crosby, Stills and Nash immediately beforehand. It’s just Young at the piano accompanied on background vocals by two members of Crazy Horse. Continue reading »

Feb 032025
 
best cover songs
abazaba ft. Eugene Hütz — Isolation (Joy Division cover)

Adam Granduciel, Sharon Van Etten — Abandoned Love (Bob Dylan cover)

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