I don’t know why so many folks are covering Pat Benetar these days, but it warms my heart. She was totally my favorite when I was ten. And surprisingly, the craft of her songs holds up real well.

BONUS PAT!

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Download Thao & Mirah Love Is a Battlefield (pat benetar)

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Yeah, I was busy listening to The Clash and Marvin Gaye and having contempt for anything recorded after 1980.  I was a snob.

Despite all that, thought, I thought the covers of Bon Jovi and Def Leppard were pretty neat.  Oh, and it’s always nice to hear Helmet again….

And while we’re on the topic of Heavy Metal, any of you ever see the doc “Heavy Metal Parking Lot?”  It’s just as good as “Decline of Western Civilization Part 2.”  Both are great.  Do a double feature, and then you can listen to this new album while you’re driving to and from the video store.  Remember video stores?  Remember video tape?

Christ, I’m old.

GBA3 Track Listing:
01. Canon Logic – Don’t Know What You’ve Got (Till It’s Gone)
02. Gold Lake – Seventeen
03. Madison Square Gardeners – Nothing But A Good Time
04. theSTART -  Kickstart My Heart
05. Helmet – Crazy Nights
06. Mike Viola – Round And Round
07. Elk City – Heavy Metal Love
08. Malibu Shark Attack! – You Give Love A Bad Name
09. Common Rotation – We’re Not Gonna Take It
10. Bird of Youth – I Remember You
11. Murder Mystery – Photograph
12. My Cousin, The Emperor – More Than Words
13. The Old Ceremony – Here I Go Again
14. Farrah – The Final Countdown

MPfree: You Don’t Know What You’ve Got-Canon Logic

Here‘s the soundcloud page, where you can stream it all.

Want to know all about the year in covers, with links to tons of free or low-cost albums, and the wonderful political musings of Me?  Then hit the break!

Numbers

A DJ who takes the opposite take on music is the muscular, gritty Blackwater Jukebox, who is absolutely killing everything this year.

Go to Bandcamp to scoop up the latest free single.  You’ll be glad you did.

Blackwater Jukebox

And speaking of gritty bandcamp bands, Different Skeletons’ newest release is also free at Bandcamp.  It’s called “Secret Jeers,” and it’s great old-style grunge/garage rock.  Retro, but with hot licks.

And who doesn’t like hot licks?

From there, I’m gonna give a shout to the boys in Rademacher, who have released part 2 of their 3-part epic “Baby Hawk.”  Part one had some familiar stuff on it–it was kind of like a greatest hits for the band, with some of their great indie rock.  Part two is a lot quieter and darker.  Find it here.  I’m fairly certain you’ll love it.

Here’s the soundcloud:
Babyhawk (Part II of III) by BabyHawk

And last but not least, Philly’s Parachuting Apostles have a great band name, great classic and indie rock experience, and a cool video cover of Hendrix’s Foxy Lady….

I had a discussion recently with my wife about the 1980s.  We were watching VH1’s “One Hit Wonders” show—a guilty pleasure—and the focus was on 1980s movies.  The themes to both Dirty Dancing and St. Elmo’s Fire made their list, and I was reacquainted with how incredibly awful those tunes are.  My wife was prompted to say that the 1980s sucked, but I had to disagree.  The argument can be made that so much of what hit the charts back then was treacle—but there’s a reason why so many of today’s pop artists seem to be structuring their tunes as if they were created thirty years ago.  And when else could you find a chart shared by a three-chord punk band of screamers like The Ramones and a synth-driven, hyperstructured band like The Cars?

What are the other similarities between these two titans?  Both bands had a string of top 40 hits that are as indelible today as they were when they were created. Both featured incredibly ugly, gangly and tall lead singers.  Both knew, more than anything, how to market themselves—even if Joey Ramone professed to eschew commercialism, his appearance in the brilliantly campy Rock and Roll High School shows his true colors.  And both have tribute albums released this year.

Hit the cut for the reviews…

First, let’s take a look at Osaka Ramones: Tribute to The Ramones by Shonen Knife on Good Charamel records.  The album is truly a tribute: Shonen Knife make no effort to change, rework, revive, or otherwise alter the songs as played originally.  What they add are their female voices and Japanese accents.  As a result, the album is a blast—a quick blast—that doesn’t really stick to your ribs.  If you’re a Ramones fan, you won’t want to miss it.  But if you’re not, it won’t make you one.  And it also probably won’t make you a new Shonen Knife fan, either.  That said, it’s sexy, edgy and a rip.  If you are a Ramones fan, you’re gonna want to hear this.  And you’re probably gonna want to see the band live as well.  Their tour dates are below.

Kris Delmhorst’s effort is much different.

Yes, there a several songs here that hew close to the originals (particularly Shake it Up), but Delmhorst’s voice is too inflectious to cover Ric Ocasek.  Is “inflectious” a word?  No?  it is now!  By that I mean that Cars music has always seemed quite sterile to me.  I enjoy it and all, but I’ve never been one to go out of my way for it.  And that’s largely due to Ric’s flat delivery.  Delmhorst is incapable of being flat.  And her joy at playing these songs is evident throughout.  The album—in both it’s her extensively reworked versions (“Why Can’t I Have You”) and the more faithful renditions (“Drive”)—showcases what a great songwriter Ric was.  He’s like the Bob Dylan of slick pop.

In the end, both Shonen Knife and Kris Delmhorst have produced worthy tributes.  But KD’s record should—hopefully—inspire a deeper dive into her own original catalog.

Buy direct from the label, Signature Sounds.

 Scroll down for an mpfree festival! 

And catch Shonen on tour!

October 2011
20- Toronto, ONT- Horseshoe Tavern
21- Montreal- QC- II Motore
22- Brooklyn, NY- Public Assembly (CMJ)
24- Baltimore, MD- Otto Bar
25- Durham, NC- The Pinhook
26- Atlanta, GA- Masquerade
27- Mobile, AL- Alabama Music Box
28- Houston, TX- GroundHall
29- Austin, TX- Red 7
November 2011
1- Los Angeles, CA- TBA
2- San Diego, CA – Casbah
3- Long Beach, CA – Alex’s Bar
4- San Francisco, CA- Bottom of the Hill
5- Portland, OR- Dante’s
7- Vancouver, BC- Biltmore Cabaret
8- Seattle, WA- Tractor Tavern
11- Minneapolis, MN- First Ave.
12- Chicago, IL- Empty Bottle
13- Kalamazoo, MI- The Strutt
14- Indianpolis, IN- Radio, Radio
17- Pittsburgh, PA- 31st Pub
18- Brooklyn, NY- The Bellhouse
19- Buffalo, NY- Mohawk Palace

The KKK Took My Baby Away-Shonen Knife

Hello Again-KD

Just What I Needed (2002) (Cars cover)-Bush

Sheena Is A Punk Rocker (Ramones cover)-Yo La Tengo

Just What I Needed (Cars)-Weezer

As part of the “Why Pink Floyd?” campaign,  want to give you this remastered copy of Dark Side of the Moon, plus a T-Shirt and Poster!

The rest of you can buy it here.

It includes the original album and a live recording of the legendary The Dark Side Of The Moon performance at Wembley in 1974.

It’s part of a series of releases, which will include remastered versions of all 14 PF albums, a “best of,” and some “immersion and experience” editions of Wish You Were Here and The Wall.  Two of the greatest albums of all time.

How awesome is this?

DETAILS:  If you want to win:

• The remastered Dark Side album + live performance
• The T-Shirt
• The Poster

Then leave me a comment or shoot me an e-mail answering the following question: “Oh, by the way, which one’s Pink?”

Best answer wins; US residents only.  Winner will be chose on September 30.

For the rest of you, here’s some covers:
Lucifer Sam-Flaming Lips

Interstellar Overdrive-Pearl Jam

Tilted/Any Colour U Like-Lupe Fiasco

Comfortably Numb-Hayseed Dixie

And here’s a cool video to boot:

“The Best of I Am Lovedrug” is a collection of covers funded buy fans of the band.  It’s also the band’s first full-length album.  It’s quite unusual for a band to introduce itself to the world via the words and music of others, but it’s also a canny way to get internet buzz.

The selection (and arrangement) of songs ranges from the common to the quirky, as you’d expect.  There’s a the obligatory Fleetwood Mac song, “Dreams,” which, frankly, nobody seems to be able to do a bad version of.  Oddly, there’s also a Stevie Nicks song (“Talk to Me”).  Both are pretty faithful to the originals.  Then there’s some “street cred” selctions (“Only Shallow” (My Bloody Valentine)) and “Me and My Arrow” (Harry Nilsson)).  Again, the versions are fairly true to the original—although “Talk To Me” shines with its male vocals; it kind of changes from a pop song to a blues ballad.  Kind of.  It’s still pop, though.  The other big standout is a cover of The Cranberries’ “Zombie,” a song I always found grating until Lovedrug made it more contemplative, eschewing the screamo chorus.

The “we’re so weird we’re cool” pick is from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: “Pure Imagination.”  And it’s handled quite well.  Lots of fun.

I wasn’t familiar with this band prior to getting this solicit, and I have to confess that after having listened to the whole thing, I still don’t feel lI know them.  They’re clearly a talented and tight pop band, skilled on the synths and good singers, all, but what are they about?  No clue.

But I had fun trying to figure them out!

“Talk to Me” (Stevie Nicks cover)

“Dreams” (Fleetwood Mac cover)

BONUS FLEETWOOD MAC COVERS!

Everywhere (Fleetwood Mac Cover)-Vampire Weekend

Go Your Own Way (Fleetwood Mac) Death Cab for Cutie w/The Decemberists

Dreams-Whiskeytown

Dreams-New Pornographers

Italian website Ondarock has a free 2CD collection of indie artists covering “outlaw” country–Merle, Hank, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Willie, and of course Waylon.  Artists include Great Lake Swimmers, Wooden Wand, and a bunch of others you’ve never heard of.  Go here.  For a taste, here’s Turner Cody covering Townes.  It’s pretty cool….

And for the price of a “like” on facebook, Spin offers a free tribute album: All of Nevermind, covered by bands like The Meatpuppets, Jeff the Brotherhood, Amanda Palmer, more.  Here.

This here’s an awesome tune: Sol, Grieves and Budo rapping about how technology has changed the music scene.  Download here (direct link) or stream it, if my streamer player loads right. About half the time it fails.

Sol The Times ft. Grieves & Budo

Phil Ade’s new mixtape features Oddisee and Black Cobain.  Get it here.

NYC Taper has a Bill Callahan show!

I was thinking about covering a bunch of MIA covers, but I really only like her “Paper Planes” song.  And Galang.  Both are covered on Cover Me’s cover post of MIA covers.  Go here.

And this is supercool: “Craft Singles” by Aleon Craft is the indiehiphopper’s latest FREEep, which costs just your e-mail address here, and includes Matt & Kim, Deerhunter, Tame Impala, and more!

The Postelles have a free album on their website.  You have to scroll down a bit to get to it, but it’s got Smiths, Ramones, Wreckless Eric and more.  Go here.  It’ll cost you an e-mail addy.

Astrid Swan- Box Elder by Soliti

For example, take Hussalonia.  Go here to download, for free, their cover of the entire Glass Houses album.  That’s one I played until the needle wore through the wax.  Perfect album for a ten year old boy.  Especially All For Leyna.  Nothing like comparing love to electrocution.

So, today, we post a tribute to Billy Joel covers!

A is for Anthony’s Song-Garret Anderson.  I love this song because it sums up Billy so well: A Jew who wants to be Italian.

B is for Big Shot Pimpin’-Jay Z and Billy J.

C is for Charlotte Martin’s Madman/We Didn’t Start the Fire medley.

D is for Das Racist-You Oughtta Know. Not a mash up, a sample.  And one of the best songs in this post.

E is for Ernie Halter doing the lesser known Joel song “And So It Goes.”

F is for Fire!  We Didn’t Start The Fire-Hoosiers.

G is for Guster doing “My Life.”

H is for Hi8us’ version of Movin’ Out.

I is for Italian Restaurant-Ween.  See, I know Ween are being smartasses when they cover Billy, but I just don’t care.  I’m diggin’ it.  And they do it a lot.

J is for Just the Way You Are-Brian Chartrand.  See, now this song is just bad.  A great example of a bad song.

K is for Knuck if You Buck-Crime Mobb meets Billy Joel! (A mash up.)

L is for Leyna.  Hussalonia-All for Leyna.

M is for Movin’ Out-Tanner Walle.

N is for New York State of Mind-Travis Allison Band

O is for Only The Good Die Young-After the Fall.  O is also for Downeaster Alexa-O.A.R.  See, now I think this is an ambitious song to cover…

P is for Pale Pacific’s take on Anthony’s Song.

We Didn’t Start the Fire-PLeeko.  One of my favorite live covers on this post.  I love the tacky keyboards!

Q is for Big Shot-Raq.  Look, at least there’s a Q in there….

R is for Movin’ Out-Restless Groove.

S is for Robbie Schaefer’s version of You May Be Right.

T is for Tek and Steele-Reloaded (sampling Billy Joel’s “Pressure”).

U is for The Stranger-Umphreys McGee.  Anyone out there ever see this band live?  I love their stuff on the Archive.

W is for Weezer’s “Uptown Girl” cover.

Y is for You May Be Right-Grampa’s Chili

Z is for Zip File!

And back around to A again: A is for Alternate zip!