Apr 262013
 

A little over a year ago, Toronto-based pop-rockers Zeus released Busting Visions, putting them on a lot of people’s radars as a band to watch. With the re-release of this stellar album, the band is also putting out an EP with the FANTASTIC title of Cover Me, featuring seven unique and wonderful covers. One stand out is their take on R. Kelly‘s “Ignition (Remix).” Continue reading »

Dec 212012
 

Adele dominated the cover song landscape in 2011, but Two-Aught-Twelve saw no similar galvanizing figure. Yes Lana Del Rey got covered a lot, but Leonard Cohen and Arcade Fire also seemed to garner an unexpected landslide of great covers (and speaking of landslides, so did Fleetwood Mac). “Call Me Maybe” was a huge hit that didn’t lead to much in the way of classic covers, and few seem to have even bothered attempting the Korean raps on “Gangnam Style.”

Which means that cover songs in 2012 were more diverse, ambitious, and left-field than ever before. A given YouTube search or Hype Machine browse would be as likely to turn up forgotten hits or underappreciated songwriters as it would the latest Top 40 smash. Find a sampling of all the diversity in Cover Me’s official Best Cover Songs of 2012 countdown. Start with #40-31 on the next page, and check back daily as we’ll be adding more til we hit #1.

Aug 162012
 

If you are like the millions of people who obsessively watching the Olympics, you are probably having a little bit of a withdrawal. If there is one thing we can thank NBC’s shoddy coverage for, it is that fact that gems like Ellen and the Escapades covering R. Kelly will slowly but surely surface, giving us Olympic Fever moments weeks after the games are over.

While most Americans were probably watching Ryan Seacrest talk to Ryan Lochte about his obnoxious collection of shoes, viewers in Great Britain were privy to this subtle rendition of “The World’s Greatest” during coverage on boxing. Even if the United States did come home with the most gold medals, Ellen Smith’s gorgeous vocals make a pretty convincing argument otherwise.

 Listen to more of Ellen and the Escapades over on their official website.

Mar 222012
 

No matter who you are, chances are while listening to R&B singer R. Kelly’sIgnition (Remix),” you feel the same joy that comes with summer or a good night out bubble up inside. Or, at the very least, you bob your head in enjoyment. It’s just one of those songs — it feels good whenever, wherever, and however it’s played. That’s probably why Young the Giant’s cover of the 2002 R&B hit is so damn good…well, that and the fact that the alternative rock band is quite a talented quintet. Continue reading »

Apr 012011
 

This Week on Bandcamp rounds up our favorite covers to hit the site in the past seven days.

This week’s Bandcamp spotlight takes a somewhat unusual focus: covers of imaginary artists. Three of the featured songs come from unusual origins, to say the least. One is a song by a cartoon band, one is a song performed by a creepy character in a whacko movie, and one is the text of an online comic strip put to music. Yeah, some strange stuff. Bookending this bizarre trifecta, the other two featured covers spotlight two new free tribute EPs.

For the first time, though, we’re actually bringing you ten Bandcamp covers. Focusing our main selection on the oddball left a lot of terrific, more traditional covers by the wayside. In a week with an unusually large number of quality releases, we just didn’t have the heart to leave them behind, so find bonus covers of Huey Lewis and the News, the Fauves, Bing Crosby, Johnny Cash, and the Ronettes below the main set. Continue reading »

Jan 072011
 

You know the story. The Jews needed eight days of oil to purify the Temple in Jerusalem. There was only enough oil for one day. Miraculously, though, that small amount lasted for all eight nights. And on every one of those nights Yo La Tengo played a concert.

Well, maybe they passed on that first Hanukkah, but it seems they’ve played eight crazy nights of shows every year since. Twenty-ten was no exception. As chronicled at BrooklynVegan, the nights of December 1-8 each saw a unique Yo La Tengo show go down at Maxwell’s in New Jersey. Every evening featured surprise openers and comedians, including heavy hitters like the National and Jeff Tweedy. Continue reading »