Nessa Barrett delivered a beautiful cover of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” during her recent appearance on Triple J’s “Like a Version,” stripping the country classic down to its emotional core. Paired only with an acoustic guitar, Barrett’s husky and sweet vocals are the star of the performance. The self-proclaimed Dolly fan said the decision to cover “Jolene” was in part because it is one of her favorite Parton tracks. Continue reading »
Dominic Fike has won the title of shortest-ever cover on Triple J’s ‘Like a Version.’ The song in question is Primus’ theme song to South Park and lasted a whopping 26 seconds. The cover remained true to the original, with Fike even putting on a voice for the character of Kenny’s lines in the third verse of the song. The Florida-born singer-songwriter told Triple J he always admired the adventurous aspect of South Park. “It feels optimistic when the episode starts,” Fike said. “And it’s funny throughout, which is how I prefer life, and then it ends abruptly, and Primus starts.” Continue reading »
A ton of great covers come out of Australian radio station Triple J’s “Like A Version” series, and we have written about a lot of them (one other just this week!). We’ve come to expect quality, and rapper Denzel Curry did not let us down with his cover of Rage Against the Machine’s “Bulls on Parade.” Continue reading »
The usual disclaimer: Our monthly “Best Cover Songs” aren’t ranked, and the “Honorable Mentions” aren’t necessarily worse than the others.
Update: Hear me discuss this list, along with our Best Pink Floyd Covers ranking, on SiriusXM Volume:
https://soundcloud.com/siriusxmentertainment/ray-padgett-of-covermesongscom-favorite-covers-in-may-covers-of-pink-floyd
Three prominent indie artists covered Drake’s “Passionfruit” this month: Franz Ferdinand, Cornelius, and, the best of the bunch, Angus and Julia Stone. Covering a rap song is easier, I suppose, when there’s no actual rapping. Few political or racial minefields in the lyrics for artists to navigate help too (for a counterexample: this month’s worst cover). For Triple J’s great series “Like a Version,” Angus and Julia Stone brought their beautiful harmonies to a smooth soul bed. It floats like Gram and Emmylou singing a Marvin Gaye song. Continue reading »
Departing markedly from the post-punk stylings of The Strokes, Julia Jacklin’s new cover of “Someday” is nostalgic and wistful. Much of the low key feel is due to the super slow tempo, allowing Jacklin the time to dwell on every word. Her syrupy sweet voice delivers a soda shop worthy 50’s jukebox classic and the guitar is bright and gently strummed, a far cry from the frantic fuzzy haze of the original. The drummer’s choice to hang mostly on cymbals rather than drive the beat with the snare encourages the listener to sit back and groove. Continue reading »
Don’t hate me. I’m not a Radiohead purist. I wouldn’t even say I’m a fan. I appreciate a lot of their songs, but mostly they make me feel antsy. I think it’s because they are constantly pushing the boundaries of comfort in a song. There’s always an edgy, frantic feeling to their instrumentation and vocals, even in the slower songs. Case in point, “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi.”
Phantogram recently recorded their take of “Weird Fishes” on Australian radio station Triple J’s Like a Version. Sarah Barthel’s smooth vocals, the drums hanging just a bit behind the beat, and the distinctive arpeggi in the guitar result in a hypnotic, dreamy version of the song that transports me to a dark coffee house, open late. Continue reading »