At the recent Just Like Heaven festival in Pasadena, Vampire Weekend stepped away from their signature sound to pay homage to the indie hits that defined their generation. The band delivered a series of electrifying cover performances that revisited the raw, unpolished energy of early-2000s indie rock and post-punk revival. Dubbed a “salute to indie” medley, they covered iconic tracks from their contemporaries, including Phoenix’s “Lisztomania,” Tame Impala’s “The Less I Know The Better,” Beach House’s “Space Song,” Grizzly Bear’s “Two Weeks,” and finished off with TV on the Radio’s “Wolf Like Me.”Continue reading »
There is no Queen without Freddie Mercury. On a fundamental level, we all agree that is true. But, if you want to be literal about it, there is Queen without Freddie Mercury. Thirty years after Freddie’s death, the show must go on, and so the band still exists. Adam Lambert now sings Freddie’s parts on tour, just as Paul Rodgers did before him. The Bohemian Rhapsody movie included some new vocal recordings – not by star Rami Malek, but by Canadian singer Marc Martel. And then of course there are the many singers who fronted Queen at the 1992 Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, broadcast to an audience of up to one billion people. (If you haven’t watched George Michael singing “Somebody to Love” or Annie Lennox joining David Bowie for “Under Pressure,” go do that now, then come back.)
Suffice to say, millions if not billions of people have heard Queen songs sung by singers other than Freddie Mercury. But none of those we just mentioned are covers, strictly speaking, since they feature most or all of the band’s three surviving members. Bassist John Deacon has since departed – and his joining Queen fifty years ago this month, solidifying the lineup, marks the anniversary we’re pegging this post to – but guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor have kept the Queen name alive. No doubt, when touring becomes a thing again, Queen will be back on the road once again.
The forty actual covers on our list do not feature any members of Queen. As such, they’re free to roam much further afield than Adam Lambert or George Michael, turning the band’s hits and the occasional deep cut into genres from polka to punk, a cappella to acoustic instrumental. Queen dabbled in so many different genres during their time – I mean, “Bohemian Rhapsody” alone! – I think they’d appreciate how malleable their songs can be. Even when they’re not the ones performing their songs, Queen will rock you.
Nashville locals Milktooth have been busy, to say at the least. After two years of touring from 2010-2011, the band was able to follow up on their eponymous first EP with 2012’s Wild Before Our Eyes. Not only did they record and release their second EP, but they were also able to embark on a new project, the “Stay Home America” web series. It is a monthly series of – you guessed it! – awesome covers. We here at Cover Me may be a little late to the game (the first cover was released back in July), but we are glad to have stumbled upon their fantastic renditions of Kavinsky’s “Nightcall,” the xx‘s “Fiction,” and Beach House‘s “Wild.”Continue reading »
You might not be familiar with UK singer-songwriter Stella Le Page, but she sure is familiar with some of your favorite artists. Her musical resume includes skills on the piano, keyboard and cello, as well as her former position as synth player for Primary 1 and cello player for Plan B. She hasn’t released a CD yet now that she’s broken out on her own, but she was kind enough to deliver an extremely well done cover song EP titled Home Covers. The EP includes 8 full length songs, including covers of pop superstars Robyn and Lady Gaga, as well as indie-alternatives like James Blake and Little Dragon.Continue reading »
Quickies rounds up new can’t-miss covers. Download ‘em below.
• Halloween is over and, according to some retailers at least, that means the Christmas season is upon us! Celebrate with one of the first new carols of the 2011 holiday season (after She & Him). Electropoppers Class Actress play it uncharacteristically straight on this oft-covered staple. They even include sleigh bells!
MP3: Class Actress – Silent NightContinue reading »
Dream-pop duo Beach House’s “Zebra” has been something of a favorite on the music blogosphere since its release last year. It has inspired a number of covers, most recently by Brooklyn-based indie rock group Wakey!Wakey!. Despite the band’s lively name, Cover Me favorites Wakey!Wakey! deliver a sleepier version of the song that really allows for Michael Grubbs’ vocals to shine.Continue reading »