Cover Me Q&A: What’s a favorite country & western cover of a non-country & western song?

 Posted by at 12:00 pm  3 Responses »
Apr 222015
 

Welcome to Cover Me Q&A, where we take your questions about cover songs and answer them to the best of our ability.

Here at Cover Me Q&A, we’ll be taking questions about cover songs and giving as many different answers as we can. This will give us a chance to hold forth on covers we might not otherwise get to talk about, to give Cover Me readers a chance to learn more about individual staffers’ tastes and writing styles, and to provide an opportunity for some back-and-forth, as we’ll be taking requests (learn how to do so at feature’s end).

Today’s question: What’s a favorite country & western cover of a non-country & western song?
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TV On The Radio’s “Heroes” Cover In “Game of Thrones” Trailer

 Posted by at 10:00 am  1 Response »
Feb 042015
 

Back in 2009, TV on the Radio released a cover of David Bowie‘s “Heroes” for the charity album War Time Presents Heroes. The album benefited the charity’s aid efforts in real war-stricken areas such as Iraq, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The cover has recently been deemed fitting for wars set in HBO’s fantasy drama Game of Thrones trailer for the upcoming fifth season. Continue reading »

The Unicorns Take On Daniel Johnston’s “Rocketship”

 Posted by at 10:00 am  No Responses »
Aug 112014
 

I genuinely don’t think I’ve ever heard a bad cover of a Daniel Johnston song. His music just works so well for cover versions. It might be the sparse nature of most of his songs, leaving other artists able to interpret the source material however they want.

The latest band covering one of the songs from Daniel’s vast back catalogue is recently reformed Canadian indie-rock band The Unicorns. Recently seen supporting fellow countrymen Arcade Fire, the band are re-issuing their lost indie classic ‘Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone?’ and will be including this cover of ‘Rocketship’ as a bonus track.

There is definitely a Daniel sound retained with this, with the repetitive single note so common with some of his early songs present. In fact, it sounds more like Daniel than most other covers of his songs you’ll hear (although this TV On The Radio cover sounded great using the repetitive note thing too).

This is a great addition to the many covers of the cult hero that are out there and if you listen carefully there’s even a sample of the great man himself at one minute and 50 seconds in.

Check it out below and keep your eyes peeled for the Unicorns re-issue due soon.

Cover Me Q&A: What cover song made you reevaluate your feelings about the original?

 Posted by at 12:00 pm  7 Responses »
Sep 252013
 

Welcome to Cover Me Q&A, where we take your questions about cover songs and answer them to the best of our ability.

Here at Cover Me Q&A, we’ll be taking questions about cover songs and giving as many different answers as we can. This will give us a chance to hold forth on covers we might not otherwise get to talk about, to give Cover Me readers a chance to learn more about individual staffers’ tastes and writing styles, and to provide an opportunity for some back-and-forth, as we’ll be taking requests (learn how to do so at feature’s end).

Today’s question comes from Cover Me writer Jordan Becker: What cover song made you reevaluate your feelings about the original?
Continue reading »

The Roots and TV on the Radio Sing Civil Rights Era Freedom-Song

 Posted by at 9:00 am  No Responses »
Feb 102012
 

In 1961 the Freedom Riders set out to protest segregation in interstate travel, leaving from Washington, D.C. into the Deep South. Their buses were ambushed and set on fire, their bodies beaten by mobs, the Klan and Southern police. Many of them ended up in Mississippi’s Parchman Penitentiary. Expressing their determination, the prisoners would often unite in one voice singing “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Round.” The song is based on a spiritual called “Don’t Let Nobody Turn You ‘Round.”  With recordings and performances by Joan Baez and other artists, it became known as a freedom-song for civil rights. Continue reading »

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