The emotional highpoint of the Grammys—well, other than Tracy Chapman’s return (covers-adjacent!)–was Annie Lennox’s tribute to Sinéad O’Connor during the In Memoriam. Bonus points because she was backed by two longtime bandmembers of Prince (who, of course, wrote the song), Wendy and Lisa. The teardrop on Lennox’s eye was very Prince, and the political statement at the end was very Sinéad. Continue reading »
When iral pop singer Remi Wolf was down opening for Paramore at the end of the year, she took the chance to take part in the legendary Like A Version covers spot on Triple J, leading with her version of The Zutons’ “Valerie.” The song was written as a tribute to Valerie Star, a Florida makeup artist that Zutons frontman Dave McCabe was dating. Legal woes stopped her from moving to his Liverpool home, but her positive brand of chaos was one that he continued to love. When covered by Amy Winehouse and Mark Ronson it became a ska-infused celebration of female companionship and one of the most popular cover songs of the 21st Century. Everyone wants a Valerie at their party, and the song itself can catalyze the process. Continue reading »
This month, Joe Strummer would have turned 70. In a few weeks, Dark Horse Records will release the compilation Joe Strummer 002: The Mescaleros Years. To promote it, director Lance Bangs filmed a video of Eddie Vedder covering the posthumously-released Mescaleros track “Long Shadow.” It’s a simple fireside performance, similar to Vedder buddy Neil Young’s lockdown videos, and hopefully will bring more attention to a lesser known non-Clash track from the Strummer catalog. Continue reading »