Apr 012024
Mar 052024
Nick Cave may have started in the Birthday Party—”the most violent live band in the world”—but his latest release a bit more toned down: an old-timey style cover of Edith Piaf’s “La Vie En Rose.” It comes from producer Jack Antonoff’s The New Look soundtrack, which has showcased period-appropriate versions of popular oldies by famous musicians and groups such as The 1975 (“Now is the Hour”), Lana Del Rey (“Blue Skies”), and more.
The show focuses on designers Coco Chanel and Christian Dior inside of Nazi-occupied Paris, France. Cave’s deep baritone voice was gritty and rich in the heartfelt version of the French song. This nostalgic cover is floating on a jazzy cafe-style piano with a steady quarter-note beat. About halfway through, Cave’s voice seems to fade into the distance, and orchestra-feeling saxes, and chimes/bells come in.
Cave takes his time on some unexpected syllables and even adds a spoken word section in the middle. Between the instrumentation, production, and weary/melancholy, the delivery makes it feel like it is coming from World War II.
Feb 282019
Andrew Leahey & the Homestead – Lips Like Sugar (Echo and the Bunnymen cover)
Nashville Americana musician Andrew Leahey first heard “Lips Like Sugar” a couple years ago while touring through Texas. Dozing in the van, he woke up to a bandmate blasting the Echo and the Bunnymen hit. “I remember thinking, ‘I hope we don’t crash right now, because I absolutely need to learn how to play this,'” he said. “We’ve been playing it ever since.” He recorded it for his new album Airwaves, out tomorrow.
Bill Frisell and Thomas Morgan – You Only Live Twice (Nancy Sinatra cover)
Guitar great Bill Frisell first recorded the classic James Bond theme a couple years ago for his album (one of our favorites of that year). He revisits it now for a live album with bassist Thomas Morgan. Like any jazz musician worth his martini, Frisell changes and expands the Bond song the second time through. It’s barely recognizable much of the time, but would still be worth a spot on our Best Bond Covers list. Continue reading »
Nov 162010
Quickies rounds up new can’t-miss covers. Download ’em below.
• Any Nirvana cover that abandons electric guitar earns immediate brownie points. Any Nirvana cover that replaces it with violin, accordion, and musical saw gets a full-on gold star. Horse Feathers’ “Drain You” may be the best Nirvana cover to come out of 2010. Given that 274 “Smells Like Teen Spirit”s drop every week, that’s saying something. (via PopMatters)
MP3: Horse Feathers – Drain You (Nirvana cover) Continue reading »