Juding Books by Covers?

I really like cover songs. Even if the cover is terrible, I still find it interesting to see how someone else is interpreting the song. There are even some rare occasions where I like the cover more than the original. These are 3 examples.

1.

"Dancing In the Dark"
covered by Pete Yorn

I know it seems blasphemous to say that Pete Yorn could do a song better than Bruce Springsteen, but the lyrics to this song are some of the Boss's most heartwrenching and he made a mistake when he threw those cheezed up synths on top of it. These lyrics needed an eeyore and he gave them a tigger. Pete Yorn and his mournful piano are that eeyore.

"Dancing in the Dark" by the Boss
"Dancing in the Dark" by Pete Yorn

2.

"We Will Become Silhouettes"

covered by the Shins

There's nothing wrong with the Postal Services version, it's a very enjoyable song. The shins version is just a GREAT song.

"We Will Become Silhouettes" by the Postal Service
"We Will Become Silhouettes" by the Shins

3.

"On With The Show"
covered by the Get Up Kids

So this isn't even really a great get up kids song. The thing is, as a Mötley Crüe song, it's not even listenable.

"On With The Show" by the Get Up Kids

Wallowing

When you're in the mood for a good wallowing session, you need just the right music. Just in case any of you readers out there were planning on a life questioning depression kick, here's my quick list of

5 Great Songs for Wallowing, Despair, etc.

As is usually the case, these are in no real specific order.

5. "Wasted Days" by the Slackers

Take the repeated line "what have I done wrong" tossed in with some mournful hornfuls and you've got yourself a self-pity pie.


4. "Autumn Sweater" by Yo La Tengo

The organ melody here is key. If you take out the organ, there's a lot of really rocking percussion going on with nothing to counterbalance it. Ira Kaplan's bashful vocal delivery helps too.


3. "I'm Still Your Fag" by Broken Social Scene

Gentle quiet vocals, meandering instrumentals, spaced out drums. All the elements are there.


2. "Walking On A Wire" by the Get Up Kids

A lot of Get Up Kids songs rely on the lyrics to convey the emotion of the song. The lyrics relate to the mood here, but the slow winding guitar tells much more of a story than anything that's sung. This was the first get up kids song I ever heard and not one other song by them sounds anything like it, which to me is a shame.


1. "If You're Feeling Sinister" by Belle & Sebastian

The second song on this list that was my introduction to a band. This song is like "Autumn Sweater" in a sense; elements of the song are very upbeat, but the overall package is certainly not. When I saw this song played live, it was an upbeat show, and they delivered a dancy/rocking tune, more evidence of the power of delivery.


Now, I believe that wallowing is a good thing to do every now and again. It's a good way to get that built up sadness out of your system. But while it might be a fine place to visit, it's certainly no place to live. If you find yourself staying too long, maybe you need to remember that you don't have to be so sad.

Black Hammah!

So although he may not write for the site superoften or even read it all the time, the Black Hammer is an integral part of our team, and my motherfucking boy. Regretfully, the lingering effects of a vicious testicular malfunction (no shit!) kept me grounded in Westchester, but even without me, our boy has crossed that threshold into manhood. Happy Birthday, Matty.

"I'm a Loner Dottie, A Rebel..." by the Get Up Kids

"Bring it on Home to Me" by Sam Cooke

The Black Hammer made it a lot easier for me to admit to liking the Get Up Kids and I wouldn't know nearly as much about Gospel, Soul, and Sam Cooke as I do now, if it weren't for this guy.