Oct 252011
 

We just posted new U2 covers by the Killers, Nine Inch Nails, and Depeche Mode a few hours ago, so we won’t rehash the details again. Q Magazine’s Achtung Baby tribute album is out now and so are the rest of the covers. Listen to the new recordings by Snow Patrol, Patti Smith, the Fray, Glasvegas, and Gavin Friday below, then pick up the magazine and CD here. Continue reading »

Aug 162011
 

Artists who contributed to the new John Martyn tribute album had a lot of options when choosing a track to cover; Martyn released twenty albums during his forty-plus year career. Thirty artists covered a song from Martyn’s expansive catalog to create Johnny Boy Would Love This: A Tribute to John Martyn. The British singer-songwriter, best known for his unique style on guitar, had a career that spanned genres from folk to jazz to rock and his music touched artists old and new. We previewed contributions from Beck, David Gray, and others earlier this month; now the complete album is available.

The remarkable scope of Johnny Boy Would Love This is an asset in that the album offers a rich, diverse group of tracks from well-respected artists. However, similarities between many tracks give the feeling that the collection could have been more carefully curated. Both discs are disproportionately populated with gentle, introspective covers; all the tracks respectfully pay tribute to Martyn, but not all offer something unique to the collection. There are, however, a selection of standouts among the thirty songs that make Johnny Boy Would Love This a worthwhile purchase for Martyn fans. Continue reading »

Aug 082011
 

Last month, we heard the first cut from upcoming John Martyn tribute album Johnny Boy Would Love This. Today we have seven more to check out, from some of the album’s heaviest hitters. John Martyn may not be a household name, but these cuts should help breathe new life into many near-forgotten gems. Continue reading »

Feb 252011
 

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

We’ve already posted on this biggest Bandcamp news this week: that free King of Limbs cover set. Even amidst the indie blog targeting, though, plenty more covers burbled under the surface. Here are the best, for whenever you get sick of Thom Yorke dancing. Continue reading »

Sep 072010
 

Quick, name a classic Jerry Lee Lewis album. Okay, now try Chuck Berry. Little Richard? Bo Diddley? Fats Domino?

How’d you do? Bet you came up empty. Don’t feel bad. After all, these artists didn’t make albums; they made singles. Sure, labels collected those singles on any number of mix-and-match LPs, but the artist never intended them for that medium. Singles mean to grab you by the lapel for two minutes before the disc jockey switches to someone else. The end result: artists recycled proven formulas. But who cares if “Johnny B. Goode” is basically a “Roll Over Beethoven” rewrite? They weren’t meant to be listened to together.

On The Baseballs Strike! Back, the expanded re-release of their 2009 debut Strike!, the nostalgic trio rips off Domino, Jerry Lee, and all their Brylcreem-slick peers. Their sound isn’t particularly innovate, but that’s the whole idea. These guys adapt that early rock and roll style to current pop hits. Ever wonder what Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love” would sound like as skiffle? Probably not, but they’ll show you anyway. Continue reading »

Aug 122010
 

The Baseballs should stink. The conception of turning modern pop hits into rockabilly raves, greasy pompadours and all, sounds godawful. Somehow they make it work though. Their cheeky cover of Rihanna’s megahit “Umbrella” has been viewed over ten million times on YouTube and their 2009 debut Strike! is set for a grand re-release this fall.

Their new video features a big-bopping take on Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars.” The boys hit the prom stage, performing on an Ed Sullivan-esq variety show for a crowd of screaming teens. The tune goes from Drifters harmonies to Jerry Lee Lewis piano in seconds, leaving the original emo ballad in the dust (or, more accurately in this case, on fire). Continue reading »