Apr 012019
 
best cover songs march
Amaara – House of Cards (Radiohead cover)

We just posted the 45 best Radiohead covers ever, but there’s already a 46th. Unsurprising, really, considering how much this band gets covered. The musical project of actor Kaelen Amara Ohm, Amaara took on the In Rainbows gem “House of Cards.” Her cover carries echoes of the haunting original, but with a smoother electro-ambient sheen.

Chris Anderson – Eh-Hee / Digging in the Dirt (Dave Matthews / Peter Gabriel cover)

Composer Chris Anderson draws from some pretty deep wells of music knowledge on his new Song Cycle. He covers Laurie Anderson and John Cage and Tom Waits – twice. He covers Peter Gabriel twice too, on a beautiful “Mercy Street” and more subtly here, working bits of “Digging in the Dirt” into – of all things – a gospel Dave Matthews cover. “The addition of a choir was important to me to create the feeling of a ground-swell of support,” he writes in an email. “The fact that the song is about ‘knocking the devil to his knees’ made the gospel choir a natural choice.” Continue reading »

Mar 042019
 
new fleetwood mac covers

Last year, we ranked the top 30 Fleetwood Mac covers ever. Well in the past week along, two more contenders have emerged should we ever update that list.

The first comes from Iowa singer-songwriter Lissie. She in fact made that initial list, with a stunning “Go Your Own Way.” Well now she’s covered another Rumours classic: “Dreams.” Where she did “Go Your Own Way” with a full band, “Dreams” comes much stripped-down. Appropriate, given that it previews her album When I’m Alone: The Piano Retrospective (out April 9). With a voice as powerful as hers, you don’t need much in the way of ornamentation. Continue reading »

Jan 282015
 

When John Fahey-esq acoustic guitar virtuoso William Tyler delivered a covers session for Aquarium Drunkard, most of the choices were understandable ones for a fingerpicker: Ry Cooder, Blaze Floley, and a track from a compilation of rare solo guitar performances. The final one was a left-turn though: Blue Ösyter Cult. Specifically, an obscure track called “She’s As Beautiful As A Foot” from their relatively unsuccessful debut LP. Continue reading »

Feb 172011
 

Victoria’s Secret and music blogs have one thing in common: every year both scurry to unveil their latest Valentine’s Day collections. Blogside, February 14th mixtapes abound, compiling songs about – wait for it – love. But what about February 15th? And 16th and 17th and 18th? After all that remains of the cherry cordials is sticky fingers and a memory, the lovey-dovey collections vanish. Until now. Music blog When You Awake released their Music for the Morning After mixtape, soliciting new covers and originals that offer some under-the-radar gems. Continue reading »