Everyone Loves Bobby D (Covers Month Post #4)

Yes! Making my four-post-a-month quota! Whoo-hoo!

Last post for COVERS MONTH:

GOOD (ORIGINAL) SONG: Lay Lady Lay by Bob Dylan

I am a HUGE Dylan fan (as anyone in their right mind should be, of course). I love this song, even though it doesn't sound like "normal" Dylan. It's from his 1969 album "Nashville Skyline," which shows off Dylan's amazing folk-song writing skills, but with much, much smoother-sounding vocals. Why? He quit smoking! And, boy, can you tell! All the songs on this album are FANTASTIC, I can't lie. This one is great, though. It's obviously slightly sexually charged (lay on his bed, yeah yeah, I get it), but still rather sweet to me. Maybe it's that he's calling her lady. My favorite line?

"Why wait any longer for the one you love

When he's standing in front of you?"

Oh yeah, and you gotta love the cowbell.

He's Norwegian. He's not comfortable singing if it isn't snowing.

GOOD (COVER) SONG: Lay Lady Lay by Magnet w/ Gemma Hayes

This one has a much sexier, fuller, more lustrous sound. Check out those violins! Magnet, a Norwegian singer, has chosen to make it into a duet with Irish singer Gemma Hayes, which totally works. Magnet (a.k.a. Even Johansen) has a smooth voice, too, but in a much different way than Nashville-Skyline-era-Bobby-D. I don't know how I'd describe it. Languid? Sleepy? Soft? And Gemma Hayes's voice has a nice, slightly husky twang to it. It's definitely worth a listen. I wouldn't say I like this song better than the original, but it gives it a run for its money. It's from his album 2003 "On Your Side," which I got when it came out, and have enjoyed since then. I'm a big fan of Norway's music scene. They've been producing a lot of great musicians for a while now. 

BEST MOVIE EVER!

I would be ashamed to make a post of great Dylan cover songs without mentioning the fantastic film "I'm Not There" (2007). I am a HUGE fan. It's great for Dylan fans, or anyone interested in music or film, for that matter. It's especially interesting if you have read Bob Dylan's book Chronicles, Volume One and/or seen the Fellini film "8 1/2." It makes a lot more sense if you have seen them. It's a very odd film.  

There are a TON of great covers of Dylan songs throughout the movie. In fact, the entire soundtrack is awesome Dylan covers by all sorts of musicians. Here is give you one of my favorite original/cover duos:

I beg to differ, Mr. Zimmerman.

GOOD (ORIGINAL) SONG: Moonshiner (live) by Bob Dylan 

From his album "Live at the Gaslight 1962" (recorded at the Gaslight, in Greenwich Village, a few blocks away from my house), this song is an old, old song. It's definitely not a Bob Dylan original. It's probably an American folk song, but some say it's Irish. Personally, given the use of the very American term "moonshine" I would say it's American. Whatever it is, it's melancholy and beautiful. This has his more recognizable voice. It is a heartbreaking song sung from the point of view of a lonely old alcoholic. 

"The whole world's a bottle,

and life's but a dram,

when the bottle get's empty,

it sure ain't worth a damn."

Moral of the story: you are what you drink, folks. 

"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."
-Oscar Wilde

GOOD (COVER) SONG: Moonshiner by Bob Forrest

Although it's hard for me to choose, I think this may be my favorite cover on the whole soundtrack. And that's saying a lot! Bob Forrest takes this song and OWNS it. The harmonica! Amazing! The percussion! Awesome! I love how everything kicks into gear after the line "Their breath is as sweet as/ a dew on the vine." I feel he gives the song more feeling than Dylan does, honestly. Given Forrest's long, public struggle with (and final victory over!) addiction, there may actually BE more feeling there. A sad song overall, but Forrest nails it, and makes it moving and new every time I listen to it. 

Go out and buy that soundtrack!!

If you liked these songs, you might also like:

Kings of Convenience

The Tallest Man on Earth

Neil Young

John Prine

Thelonious Monster

Over and out,

Anna

Preachers and Talking Heads (Covers Month Post #3)

Another great song and great cover:

I have to admit,"smarmy" is the first word that comes to my mind
when I see this photo.

GOOD (ORIGINAL) SONG: Take Me to the River by Al Green, from his album "Al Green Explores Your Mind."
This song is classic R&B/soul amazingness. It's clearly a "woman done did me wrong" sort of song, but with some baptismal overtones. I like the little dedication in the beginning.
Al Green (or the Reverend Al Green, as he is known now) is a living legend. He is one of the most famous soul singers of all time. He sold more than twenty million records! Insanity. Like me, he was the sixth child in his family, and unlike me, was the son of a sharecropper. In 1974, at the height of his career, things changed. Supposedly after a horrible incident with a girlfriend of his (who gave him serious burns and then killed herself), he became a preacher at Full Gospel Tabernacle Church in Memphis. He still does some recording, but his role as preacher remains first and foremost in his life. Perhaps this song was a hint of future baptisms to come...
His voice, high and strong, is sooooo good. I'm sure he is a fantastically charismatic preacher.

Gooftacular.

GOOD (COVER) SONG: Take Me to the River by the Talking Heads, from their album "More Songs About Buildings and Food"(great album title).
Theirs is quite a different version, which I can appreciate. I mean, what good is a cover song, really, if you don't take it and make it your own? The beat is fantastic. They make the song kinda trippy, especially with that organ in the background (I think that's what that is). The Talking Heads understand this.
I have a special place in my heart for the Talking Heads. They rose to fame on my very street, at the late, great CBGB on Bleecker Street (about four blocks from where I grew up). David Byrne, the lead singer, still continues to make awesome music, although the band itself broke up in 1991. Their sound is hard to pin down, but Byrne's voice is very distinctive. They're famous for using odd instruments and combining all sorts of influences. I love them.

If you like these songs, you might also check out:
Marvin Gaye
Otis Redding
Jackie Wilson
Brian Eno
Tom Tom Club
Television

Over and out,
Anna

Break It Down! (Covers Month Post #2)

H'okay, moving on with Covers Month:

Look at that snazzy man. He's diabolically snazzy!
Maybe it's the hat...

GOOD ORIGINAL SONG: Stop Breaking Down Blues by Robert Johnson

What an awesome song! And definitely cover-worthy. Johnson himself is quite the legend-- an incredible blues musician and guitarist, he died by being poisoned (supposedly) in 1937 (the same year he recorded this song) at the age of 27. Eric Clapton called him "the most important blues singer that ever lived," which is quite a statement. Legends about him making a deal with the Devil in return for musical ability abound, and the man has some crazy stories. This song, though, is pretty straight-forwardly amazing. It's a pretty funny song to me-- basically a guy complaining about all the other people in his life who are "breaking down" on him. Bluesy yet also a pretty upbeat song.

There are a lot of covers of this song, unsurprisingly, but here are my faves:

Only TRUE rock stars can get away with the no shirt + vest combo.

GOOD (COVER) SONG #1: Stop Breaking Down by the Rolling Stones

Whoa! Nice one! This cover is from "Exile on Main Street" (1972) which is one of my top ten albums of all time, which is saying a lot. The whole album is GENIUS. This song in particular is great-- they made it much more raw with that piano riffing and the harmonica and wailing gee-tar. They took this song and OWNED it.

Fringed shirts are also largely owned by rock stars. 

GOOD (COVER) SONG #2: Stop Breaking Down by the White Stripes

This song is from their self-titled album released in 1999 (wow, that was a long time ago). They took that whole "raw" sound to a WHOLE 'nother level here. Jack White's distinctive whine  + those bashing drums = Robert Johnson rockin' out in his grave.

I have a hard time deciding which version of this song I like the best. It basically depends on my mood. Check 'em out. What's your opinion?

If you liked this song/these songs, you might also like:

The Black Keys
Muddy Waters
Leadbelly
Led Zeppelin
The Raconteurs

Over and out,
Anna


 

Run for Cover(s)!

H'okay, so I am declaring this November to be GOOD (COVER) SONG Month! Hip hip hooray! Huzzah! And there was much rejoicing. This month's posts will be dedicated to artists who have done great covers of songs by other artists. There are many. It will be a difficult task to narrow it down to just a few, but I will proceed, undaunted in my quest.
Here goes nothin':

You can tell he's a metalhead because he has long hair parted in the middle.
And because she looks pissed. 

GOOD (COVER) SONG #1: Orion by Rodrigo Y Gabriela (the original is by Metallica).

I have never been the biggest Metallica fan, so maybe this good cover song post is a bit unfair, since I'm bound to think that many covers of this song will be better than the original. But whatever. The cover is legitimately really amazing. And am I surprised? No. Rodrigo Y Gabriela are insanely good musicians.

Originally from Mexico, they began their music careers playing in a metal band. Hence their awesome musical chops. Much as I dislike a lot of metal, technically, metal musicians are often the best of the best (as my former metalhead brother likes to remind me). They grew frustrated with the scene, moved to Europe, started busking in Ireland, and the rest is history. Their most recent album, 11:11, dropped in fall of 2009. Their surprisingly cool blend of flamenco guitar with metal riffs is quite unique and a lot of fun to listen to. I guess it makes sense- both the metal world and the flamenco guitar world revolve around guitar and percussion, and give rise to a lot of virtuosos. Listen to that percussion-- all done on the guitar itself! So cool. They way they use their hands reminds me a lot of these guys.
If you have to get up at 3:30 am and give a loved one a ride to the airport in the dark, and you're still tired, they're a good band to listen to. Trust me on that one.

If you liked this song, you might also like:

Metallica (obviously)
Slayer
Led Zeppelin
Gypsy Kings
Paco de Lucia

Over and out,
Anna

Some cutesy fun

Still need a bit more help getting up in the morning?
Here's another remedy for ya:
GOOD SONG: Light Bulb (ANR Remix) by Rachel Goodrich

So THIS is the famed founder of Shake-a-billy.
Interesting.

Such a fun song! I recommend it as a purely fun, danceable ditty to brighten your day a bit. Don't think too much about the words. The remix is better than the original, which is too cutesy for my taste. However, the original song has a HILARIOUS video:
Check it out here: Lightbulb video
Rachel Goodrich is a Miami-based musician, who claims to be a "shake-a-billy" artist. Yeah, OK, whatever the heck that means. I hate all these new micro-genres that people make up. Anyway, though, her music is definitely fun and quirky (although I fear she might be a perfect living example of Problem #4 here) . She can play the guitar, ukulele, banjo, kazoo, autoharp, piano, and others (question: who *can't* play the kazoo?). Her first album, entitled "Tinker Toys" came out in 2008, and her new self-titled album came out this year.  If you like twee-pop, or retro-sounding/vaudevillian stuff, you will enjoy her un-remixed music.

If you liked this song/the original song, you might also like:
The Boy Least Likely To
Lykke Li
Jens Lekman
April Smith & the Great Picture Show

Over and out,
Anna

The Viking of 6th Avenue

New York has been home to many weirdos, freaks, characters, and oddballs (including me). One of the greatest?
MOONDOG!!
A.K.A. "The Viking of 6th Avenue"

I'm seriously considering dressing up as Moondog for Halloween.
Unfortunately, most people would just assume I was a Viking.
Dang.

Seriously, folks, this man was a MUSICAL GENIUS. And also, probably, totally bonkers. Which is one of my favorite combinations ever.
Background? Moondog (born Louis T. Hardin, in Kansas) was a blind jazz musician who moved to New York City in the 1940's and lived (by choice!) as a street musician, mostly on 6th Avenue, dressed as Odin, the Viking god. 
H'amazing.
Anyways, he had a genius for mixing traditional elements of jazz, like saxophone and flute, with native American percussion and ambient city street noises, like honking horns. His music is instantly identifiable by its unusual rhythms, characteristic lack of any instruments other than woodwind and brass (with a few exceptions), and funny names. Some of his songs also have male choruses and such. Those are good ones, too. If you're curious, watch the Jens Lekman video I posted at the bottom of this post.
As I have mentioned before, I am not a huge jazz fan, but this guy's music is just incredible. And different. Because of his talent and his strategic busking location, he managed to catch the attention of many famous musicians of his time, like Benny Goodman, Charlie Parker, Leonard Bernstein, Toscanini, and Philip Glass.
You HAVE to give him a listen.


GOOD SONG #1: Bird's Lament by Moondog
This song was written in honor of Charlie Parker. Such great saxamaphone.
GOOD SONG #2: Get a Move On by Mr. Scruff (with heavy sampling of Bird's Lament by Moondog)
What an awesome remix! And look at that video-- hilarious! Most of his videos have that goofy animation, actually. Another wonderful human being.

GOOD SONG #4: All is Loneliness by Moondog, sung by Janis Joplin.

Oh yeah, and he invented the Trimba.

(How did I find out about Moondog, you might ask? I was at a Jens Lekman concert in 2007 in NYC and he covered Moondog's song "Paris." You can watch him sing it at that VERY SAME concert here on this GOOD SONG VIDEO. Gotta love youtube!)

Over and out,
Anna

Better than an alarm clock!

Need a little help getting up in the morning?

I know I do. What with this incredibly gloomy MONTH of bad weather, it hasn't been too easy to get my butt out of bed and out the door every day.
I recommend a healthy helping of some GOOD SONGS to assist you in your quest.

Their music is so energizing, it almost makes me want
to go biking. Almost.

GOOD SONG #1:Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People

GOOD SONG #2: Call It What You Want by Foster the People.

Foster the people was originally called Foster & the People, but because people kept messing it up, the new version stuck. Mark Foster, Mark Pontius, and Cubbie Fink (yeah, amazing name, I know) are the three main members, with some other dudes (Sean Cimino and Isom Innis) coming out to play at their live performances. They formed in California and DANG, do they make some find indie-pop. Really, if this stuff doesn't get you out of bed with your head bopping, I don't know what will. They released an EP in January, and their full album, entitled "Torches," dropped in May of this year. There are already various remixes of this stuff (check out The Hype Machine), which doesn't surprise me at all. It's just begging for it.

FYI, they will be playing on SNL on October 8th (this coming Saturday).

If you liked these songs, you might also check out:
Passion Pit
Local Natives
The Go! Team
Campire Weekend
and lots of other indie-pop groups which are popping up (ha! pun!) all over the place

Over and out,
Anna