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10 covers, remixes or renditions of songs that I adore.
Sometimes a cover song is an artist’s way to give a nod to the original. When a cover song becomes more is when it transforms the original in a way you did not expect and often may overshadow it.
Andrew Beaujon – Orinoco Flow
This odd selection is my favorite cover song, Beaujon put’s Enya‘s song through such a transfiguration that its unrecognizable until the chorus of “Sail Away / Sail Away / Sail Away”. Comes complete with frog-like sounds as the back-beat and 4-track construction in all its glory.
Xiu Xiu – Ceremony
Of all the Joy Division / New Order covers as of late, Xiu Xiu’s “remix” is startling — if Ian Curtis were making music today, it might sound like Xiu Xiu. The lyric’s delivery is panicked, the percussion could be M-80s, and the instrumentation is a cacophony of electronics and Game Boys. Yet the spirit is more than intact, it is raised to the next level.
The Books – Cello Song
The second song on the latest Red Hot compilation Dark Was the Night is a precious gem. Nick Zammuto‘s intricate guitar plucking is as deft as the Nick Drake‘s original and Paul de Jong‘s cello keep the title of the song intact. What makes this song stand out is the sampled shower collage that is a quiet percussion and José Gonzáles voice which is soft and luxurious.
This Mortal Coil – Song to the Siren
If you grew up “alternative” in the 80s, you would eventually find yourself cast upon this Tim Buckley serenade and this version of the song was ubiquitous amongst my friends who loved 4ad or the Cocteau Twins. The cover has Elizabeth Fraser‘s glossolalia at bay, her singing clear so the lyrics don’t get lost while Robin Guthrie guitars lap up the Mediterranean. Because of this song, you cannot bring up Buckley without bringing up This Mortal Coil.
Sonic Youth – Superstar
If you grew up “alternative” in the 90s, If I Was a Carpenter tribute album was likely part of your collection. One song that stands apart is the Sonic Youth cover of “Superstar.” Thurston Moore sang it as sad as it had to be — Karen Carpenter sad, so much so The Carpenters would not approve – with noisy antics and electronics that sound so much like sparks. Goodbye schmaltz, hello one epic torch song.
Montag – Angel, I Will Walk You Home
There are few Unrest covers and Montag’s is a direct lift. The signature Mark Robinson guitars are replaced with synthesizers and beats, Antoine Bédard slow delivery replacing Bridgett Cross‘s duet with Mark. The song is performed with the same care and respect that the original brought and shines for it.
You can download Montag’s collection of covers free from the The Peppermill:
Des Cassettes et un Walkman Jaune
The Go! Team – Bull in the Heather
While we’re on direct lifts of songs and Sonic Youth, I’d be remiss not to gush about this cover of “Bull in the Heather.” All the noise, all the percussion, all grind of guitar is still there but it has more boom-box, more rah-rah handclaps, and more marching band percussion than I can fully place. Where it differs and becomes euphoric is that the cover fully employs The Go! Team’s cheerleading pep and instead of Kim Gordon‘s gooey delivery they chant each line with their double-dutch spirit.
Yo La Tengo – You Can Have It All
Masters of their craft, Yo La Tengo own the art of the cover. Here they take George McCrae‘s single and turns it into indie bliss. Less R&B than the original, Georgia Hubley‘s drums offer a soft, slow-tempo ride to a song she also sings. The song nearly has a cappella feel because of the bomp-pah-bomp-bah-da-bumps that Ira Kaplan sings beneath her lines until he takes over the chorus in the back half. The result is a sweet, repetitive reinvention.
Yacht – Psychic City
I’m thankful that Jona Bechtolt interacts with the great artists in Oregon, and (possibly) through K Records he met Rich Jensen and created the best song of 2009. The original has all the grunting and the lyrical underpinnings, but when Bechtolt turned it into crazy-danceable crack, layered on Claire Evan‘s sexy vocals and Ferris Bueller iMac-created raindrops, the song became unstoppable.
Ani Difranco – Amazing Grace
There is something truly captivating about Difranco’s rendition of this hymn from the 18th century’s John Newton. There are thousands of versions of this song, but this one is modern and feels somehow political. The backing of the song begins with guitar staccato and keyboard-based church bells. Difranco’s delivery has her distinct howls and flutters and she sings over what sounds like an older woman on the radio reading the same lyrics. All of these components come together unexpectedly in a song is both intimate and triumphant.
