I Love Covers
When I first started consuming music digitally, my car still only had the ability to play regular, old, non-mp3 CDs. I made one mix CD that was just a bunch of covers I'd loved over the years: John Wesley Harding's versions of "Like a Prayer" and "I Try," Fountains of Wayne's "Hit Me Baby One More Time," and, of course, Dinosaur Jr.'s "Just Like Heaven."
Today, I still maintain a playlist on Spotify where, when I remember to do it, I log the great cover songs I encounter... ...that are available on Spotify.
I thought it would be fun, then, to put up my list of favorite cover songs of 2013. Two of the songs on here come from albums which, themselves, are full covers of other records. Two of the songs were written by Bruce Springsteen. And one song comes from a band that everyone should go listen to right now.
5. "When You Sleep" (My Bloody Valentine) -- Kenny Feinstein
We got not one, but two great My Bloody Valentine records in 2013. My Bloody Valentine surprised everyone by releasing mbv, the long-awaited follow-up to Loveless, all of a sudden on a Saturday night. Portland, Oregon's Kenny Feinstein released an all-acoustic, full-album cover of Loveless with his Loveless: Hurts to Love.
Really, I could have chosen any one of the songs from Feinstein's record. My Bloody Valentine's "When You Sleep" has always been a favorite of mine, though. Feinstein's version strips away the beautiful noise of the original and makes something that's beautiful in a totally different way.
4. "Annalisa" (Public Image Ltd) -- Sleepies
Brooklyn's Sleepies could be my favorite punk band of the moment. They're ferocious, funny, and smart all at the same time -- not unlike one of their obvious influences, Public Image Ltd.
The band pay homage to their predecessor with this fantastic cover of 1978's "Annalisa" off of their recent More Humans EP. The throbbing bass and jagged guitars combine to make this one of my favorite (post) punk songs of 2013.
3. "Because the Night" (Patti Smith / Bruce Springsteen) -- Garbage / Screaming Females
This version of the Bruce Springsteen song made famous by the Godmother of Punk, Patti Smith, allows us, I think, to call Scottland's Shirley Manson an honorary Jersey Girl. Garbage and Screaming Females, hot on the heels of their fall tour together, recorded this cover as a Record Store Day exclusive.
It's complete with plenty of Marissa Paternoster shredding, and the vocals of both Paternoster and Manson show them to be two of the most distinctive singers in all of rock music.
2. "Get Me" (Dinosaur Jr.) -- Felled Trees ft. Garrett Klahn
This is my favorite song from one of my favorite albums of all time, Where You Been. The song contains at least two of my favorite guitar solos. Sure, it's not really a Dinosaur Jr. record -- Lou and Murph were both gone by this point -- and it's a major-label, radio friendly album. But it contains some great songs.
The fact that Where We Been is a full-album cover of the original done by members of emo bands like Knapsack and Samiam just underscores the emo-ness of lots of J Mascis's songwriting, especially here.
1. "Born to Run" (Bruce Springsteen) -- Diarrhea Planet w/ Patrick Stickles
Diarrhea Planet? Patrick Stickles of Titus Andronicus? Covering Springsteen at a punk rock venue in Brooklyn? How could this not be my number 1?
Stickles packs his songs with references, both musical and lyrical, to Springsteen and invoked the man's name during the first few seconds of his band's appearance at The Stone Pony back in 2012 (I won't be surprised if he does it again during the band's upcoming Stone Pony appearance on 12/28 as part of The Bouncing Souls' Home for the Holidays residency.). Diarrhea Planet bring a level of exuberance and joy that's missing from a lot of hard rock with their four-guitar assault. This is an almost perfect match.
I remember the day this hit the Internet. That was a good day.
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