May 192020
Mar 232020
Many musicians, unable to go on the road, have taken to performing concerts in their home in the past week. Personally, I have spent a huge amount of time watching various these live streams. The performances have been moving and powerful, an unusually intimate way to see some of your favorite musicians.
Many such shows have included covers, songs that feel right to sing right now, like John Lennon’s “Isolation” or Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” So I decided to round up some of my favorites below.
Unfortunately, many live stream platforms don’t archive the content, so if you miss it live, it’s gone (another reason to watch these streams!). But plenty of great covers have remained online. Check ’em out below, and let us know in the comments what others we shouldn’t miss. Continue reading »
Feb 182020
Last year, comedian and musician Jonah Ray recorded an EP of punk-rock “Weird Al” Yankovic covers. And if that sounds wild, wait until you hear this.
On their new EP, Columbus, Ohio thrash metal band Deprecator recorded a heavy-as-hell cover of Weird Al’s “Dare to Be Stupid.” It has all the hallmarks of thrash metal: growled vocals, thunderous drums, and guitar riffs rushing by at a furious clip. It’s not a gimmick – they’re a legit veteran metal band – but the band clearly has a sense of humor. The music video boasts a giant ape, a whole lot of fake blood, and some nice homages to Al’s original (itself an homage to Devo, though the song is not a direct parody). Continue reading »
Aug 022019
In 2014, Weird Al Yankovic appeared on Kumail Nanjiani and Jonah Ray’s long-running comedy show The Meltdown to perform “Dare to Be Stupid” with a string quartet (a precursor to his current orchestra tour, perhaps?). Ray, best known for his role in the Mystery Science Theater 3000 revival, introduced him simply: “It means a lot to us that he’s on the show.” Continue reading »
Jul 312019
Check out the best covers of past months here.
Anais Mitchell & The Staves – Strong Enough (Sheryl Crow cover)
For a few years now, long-running French video company La Blogothèque has been filming a series they call “One to One” at Bon Iver’s various European festivals. They blindfold one audience member and bring them into a private room for a concert for one. Bon Iver did one, and Damien Rice’s is a must-watch. Personally, that experience sounds more awkward than enjoyable – especially with all the cameras in your face – so I’d rather just watch someone else’s personal concert on video. This one is a gem, feature The Staves with Anais Mitchell delivering a gorgeously-harmonized Sheryl Crow cover. Continue reading »
Aug 282018
Full Albums features covers of every track off a classic album. Got an idea for a future pick? Leave a note in the comments!
Devo released their brilliantly-titled debut album Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! forty years ago today. Though later albums would yield bigger hits (we’re still a few years from “Whip It”), their debut remains their most iconic record. Blending their poppiest hooks with their artiest quirks, it works wonderfully as a statement of purpose.
As Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale told me when I wrote about their “Satisfaction” cover for my book (you can still read an excerpt of that chapter at The New Yorker), even completing the album became a monumental pain. Having Brian Eno produce your debut record would seem a coup, but sessions quickly became fractious. Devo wanted to record the album with zero studio experimentation. They’d honed the songs over several years of concerts and rehearsals, and saw no reason to change them. Eno did not go for that approach, sneaking into the studio with his pal David Bowie after the band left and adding new instruments at least once. The next morning, Devo caught on and wiped them. Devo’s instincts have rarely led them astray, but boy I’d be curious to hear what Bowie was trying to add to the tracks. Continue reading »