Joy Division Archives - Page 2 of 7

Amythyst Kiah Delivers a Gorgeous Acoustic Cover of “Love Will Tear Us Apart”

Posted by Riley Haas at 10:59 am No Responses »

Jan 202022

For non-fans, “Love Will Tear Us Apart” is the only Joy Division song. Released well after lead singer Ian Curtis’ suicide, it was their first single to make the main UK chart and any US chart and so it is, for most people, Joy Division’s one hit. (Unless you live in New Zealand.) Fairly uncharacteristic of their sound (it sounds more like New Order), its success is the kind of thing that annoys fans of influential cult bands who have one mainstream hit. But it’s their hit and so it is Joy Division’s most-covered song many times over. Continue reading »

That’s A Cover?: “Love Will Keep Us Together” (Captain & Tennille/Neil Sedaka)

Posted by Hope Silverman at 2:00 pm 7 Responses »

Mar 292021

That’s A Cover? explores cover songs that you may have thought were originals.

If asked to pick a song that best encapsulates the swinging ’70s in all its shag-carpeted, Pet Rock’d, earth-shoed glory, you’d be hard pressed to find a better specimen than the Captain & Tennille’s 1975 #1 hit “Love Will Keep Us Together.” Infectious, bouncy, and supremely sticky, sounding like both a commercial jingle and the kind of thing a Disney World in-house performing arts ensemble would include in the love-themed portion of their act (see the legendarily tacky incredible-ness of “Up With People,” or even better, The Simpsons‘ reimagined take “Hooray For Everything“), it was POP with a capitol P and Proud of it. “Love Will Keep Us Together” was the musical embodiment of everything the Captain & Tennille seemed to be about, a mission statement if you will, a song so aligned with their whole persona, so custom fit to their sugary weirdness, that even 45+ years later it’s still hard to believe it was a freakin’ cover.
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Isis Offshoot Mustard Gas and Roses Create Intense Cover of Joy Division’s “Exercise One”

Posted by Ally McAlpine at 10:52 am No Responses »

Nov 182020

Mustard Gas and Roses, otherwise known as M.G.R, the side project of Michael Gallagher formerly of defunct post-metal band Isis, covered Joy Division’s “Exercise One” on their new EP We Are One. The cover leans on overdriven guitar twisting the song into a more metal framework. The heavy guitar pushes open the song like a large wall of sound, with each guitar part given a different voice, adding to the creeping melody. Continue reading »

Saint Vitus’s Wino Turns Joy Division’s “Isolation” Into a Backwoods Blues-Rocker

Posted by Riley Haas at 4:00 pm No Responses »

Apr 302020

It seems like everyone is covering Joy Division’s “Isolation” these days. (That or John Lennon’s song of the same name.) The second track from Joy Division’s second and final album feels extremely appropriate to our times. Even if singer Ian Curtis’ lyrics don’t map directly onto our self-isolating/physical distancing world, it’s still easy to see why people find resonance in the song. And it’s not just the lyrics – the droning bass, the eery too-high synth melody and clicky electronic drums make it feel as though Curtis really is trapped somewhere unpleasant. Continue reading »

The Best Cover Songs of April

Posted by Ray Padgett at 12:00 pm No Responses »

Apr 302020

Check out the best covers of past months here.

Arlo Parks – Redondo Beach (Patti Smith cover)

I’ve wanted to do a “Full Albums” on Patti Smith’s Horses for years. But it, and she, gets covered less than you’d think. This beautiful piano “Redondo Beach” gets me one step closer. Though, admittedly, I already had Courtney Barnett’s recent cover for that slot. Someone cover “Break It Up” already! Continue reading »

Cover Me Q&A: What’s a favorite use of a cover song in a movie/TV show?

Posted by Staff at 12:00 pm Comments Off

Apr 012020

Welcome to Cover Me Q&A, where we take your questions about cover songs and answer them to the best of our ability.

Here at Cover Me Q&A, we’ll be taking questions about cover songs and giving as many different answers as we can. This will give us a chance to hold forth on covers we might not otherwise get to talk about, to give Cover Me readers a chance to learn more about individual staffers’ tastes and writing styles, and to provide an opportunity for some back-and-forth, as we’ll be taking requests (learn how to do so at feature’s end).

Today’s question, from staffer Sara Stoudt: What’s a favorite use of a cover song in a movie/TV show?
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