Jan 032012
 

Last April’s five-song set of Franz Ferdinand covers to celebrate Record Store Day was unlikely enough. LCD Soundsystem, Debbie Harry, and more came together to tackle some newer songs by the Scottish quartet. Even less likely: now all the covers have honest-to-goodness music videos. Continue reading »

Dec 162011
 

When people look back in 2011 in music a decade from now, one name will come to mind: Adele. In our little world of cover songs, she dominated. Everyone covered Adele this year. It’s not just that we saw more covers of “Rolling in the Deep” than any other song; they beat out second place (probably “Pumped Up Kicks”) by like a factor of five! We generally try to look for larger cover trends in these annual wrap-ups, but it’s hard to remember anything else from this year except the year-long onslaught of Adele covers hitting our mailbox.

There’s only one “Rolling in the Deep” cover in this year’s list though. The rest are all over the place. Some of the artists listed built their covers with lush soundscapes, thick beats, and intricate string work. Others just took guitars or pianos and bowled us over with the emotion in their voices. There may not be much of an overarching “Year in Covers” narrative, but that means there’s a cover or two for everyone. From feel-good takes on rap songs to kill-yourself versions of pop songs, this year’s list features flips, flops, and genre switcheroos of all sorts. A good cover should be informed by the source material but stand on its own, and we’ll be unrolling the 50 finest examples of songs doing just that all week. Start with #50-41 on the next page and check back daily as we count down to the best cover of 2011.

Jun 012011
 

For Record Store Day, Franz Ferdinand’s record label Domino released a limited edition vinyl of Franz cover songs, including this electro-rave cover of “Turn It On” done by Peaches. Peaches, who is known for her overtly sexual lyrics and performances, amps up anything that can be interpreted in an erotic manner and does so exponentially. Continue reading »

Apr 182011
 

This weekend’s Record Store Day brought a deluge of new covers, with some of the most hotly anticipated arriving on Franz Ferdinand’s 5-track Covers EP. The Scots teamed up with LCD Soundsystem to cover “All My Friends” for RSD 2009, and this year James Murphy returned the favor with his take on Franz’s “Live Alone.” Murphy’s previously-released cover is included on the EP along with offerings from Peaches, ESG, and Stephin Merritt of the Magnetic Fields, as well as a collaboration between Franz and Debbie Harry. Continue reading »

Apr 122011
 

LCD Soundsystem didn’t stay dead very long. Their farewell show was only a week and a half ago, but they already return with a new track, albeit one recorded pre-MSG. It’s a cover of Franz Ferdinand’s Tonight jam “Live Alone.” Squonking sax and thudding drum machine stretch the three-minute song well past the seven-minute mark. Continue reading »