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.

Nov 112024
 
Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes

Though they predate Brit-pop by over a decade, Pulp have been forever linked to the movement due to their hit albums and their biggest hit, “Common People,” which was once voted Britain’s favourite Brit-pop song. Later a Rolling Stone poll found the same thing about their readers, so the song is indelibly linked to moment in time where a band ten years older than their contemporaries somehow broke through and helped define an era.

Taylor Goldsmith, one half of LA folk rockers Dawes, chose this iconic song for his recent appearance on AV Undercover. In the pre-performance interview/chit chat, Goldsmith says it was the story-song nature of “Common People” that drew him to it, as that stands out so much from the other Brit-pop songs. Goldsmith has been listening to and playing it for years when he was younger but hadn’t played it in some time.

As with many solo acoustic covers of big hits, the focus is on the lyrics more than it is in the original, which has a big sound that kind of distract the listener. Goldsmith plays it a tiny bit slower than the original and gives it the folk balladeer treatment. He adds some speak-singing and alters his register to give the song some dynamics it would otherwise be lacking in such a performance.

The result is a pretty performance – occasionally interrupted by the distant sounds of somebody’s children – fully celebrating the nature of “Common People” as one of the great put-down songs in music history. Check it out:

Apr 102020
 
new john prine covers

For our third edition of Quarantine Covers, we pay tribute to the man every musician is paying tribute to: John Prine. Artists, including many he worked with and mentored, have covered his songs since his tragic passing. And not just the hits, but songs from throughout his deep catalog. Here are some we caught – let us know of others in the comments.

Rest in Peace, John. Here’s hoping you finally got that nine-mile-long cigarette. Continue reading »

Mar 312020
 

Check out the best covers of past months here.

best cover songs march 2020
Adam Green – All Hell Breaks Loose (Misfits cover)

Misfits go mariachi! Adam Green, best known as one half of the Moldy Peaches, plays “All Hell Breaks Loose” like it was “Ring of Fire.” He writes: “In The Misfits and in his glorious solo work, Danzig bridged punk and metal with the blue-eyed soul music of the mid-1960’s like The Righteous Brothers and The Walker Brothers. I’d had an idea for a while to do a Scott Walker / John Franz style production at punk speeds, and the Misfits song ‘All Hell Breaks Loose’ seemed like the perfect vessel for the experiment.” Continue reading »

Apr 032014
 

In honor of Johnny Cash‘s new posthumous release, “Out Among The Stars,” French filmmakers La Blogothéque put together a beautifully shot tribute to the late artist. Featuring Brandon Flowers of the Killers, Dawes, Father John Misty, and Local Natives, this short film captures the unifying and completely human spirit of Cash’s songs in a desert landscape. Continue reading »