Part of their flirtation with New Wave, Queen‘s “I Want to Break Free” was initially reviled by UK critics and criticized in America for its video. But it ended up as their biggest hit from its album and one of their biggest hits of the ’80s. It remains a Top 10 song in popularity based on streams. Among Queen songs, it’s instantly recognizable for its synthesizer opening, not a common trope for Queen. (Though that intro is missing on the album version.) Continue reading »
This beautiful performance aired on South Dakota Public Broadcasting and, as of this writing, has 81 views, half of which are mine. (To be fair, presumably more people saw it when it aired on actual TV). But this Sioux Falls singer-songwriters beautiful Taylor Swift cover deserves a far bigger audience. It’s simply done, no frills or gimmicks, but he sells the hell out of it. Continue reading »
In one of those once-in-a-lifetime Coachella moments, Queen’s legendary guitarist Brian May made a surprise appearance during pop star Benson Boone’s set. The duo performed a dynamic rendition of Queen’s iconic “Bohemian Rhapsody,” captivating the crowd with their performance. Continue reading »
For their recent Like a Version performance, Confidence Man, a duo of Janet Planet and Sugar Bones, covered Bryan Adam’s “Heaven.” Well, sort of. They really took their cues from the hit club cover of “Heaven” by DJ Sammy. “We didn’t actually know [it was a cover],” said Planet. “Stu, our manager – who’s old – told us that. We listened to [the original], and it’s not that good.” Ouch! But their cover is a blast to watch, all charisma, choreography, and energy from the two of them in front of an ominously veiled band. As NME points out, Confidence Man are the third act a a cover of a cover on the show. In 2017, Alex Lahey covered Natalie Imbruglia’s hit cover of Ednaswap’s non-hit “Torn” (we wrote a feature explaining the backstory there). And in 2018, garage-rock septet West Thebarton covered Florence + The Machine‘s cover of The Source and Candi Staton’s “You’ve Got the Love.” Continue reading »
Lucas Imbiriba is a Brazilian guitarist and songwriter who is known for his lush arrangements of both rock tunes and classical pieces. His cover of “Bohemian Rhapsody” has turned many heads, topping half a million views in a couple weeks, and for good reason. Continue reading »
Angel Olsen dropped two terrific covers this month. Her version of Dylan’s “One Too Many Mornings,” recorded for the TV show Shining Girls, features haunting electronic textures underpinning her voice. It’s a surprisingly un-folky cover of one of Bob’s early folk songs. Her version of Lucinda Williams’ Car Wheels on a Gravel Road standout “Greenville” is just as good, guitar echoing behind her mesmerizing double-tracked vocals. Continue reading »