It’s not often a classic 80s disco track gets covered, so LA via NYC singer-songwriter Holmes took it upon himself to cover this Gap Band hit.
Originally a funk track, Holmes puts his own spin on it, trading in the funk sound for a more introspective, slower paced track. The spin on the original song almost makes the track sound entirely new. Holmes has an album of covers called… Covers. Check that out if you like this track.
Anna Calvi can play guitar. She can play it really really well. From the set opener Rider to the Sea to the set closing Edith Piaf cover, the English singer songwriter set the bar quite high for future shows with some blistering guitar solos to accompany her Mercury Prize nominated tracks. You know a singer has control of the room when the entire place is in silence as they sing. This was Anna Calvi on Thursday – confident, radiant (especially in her red and black assemble) and entirely engrossing, the singer made good promise on the large amount of hype bestowed on her this year with an impressive performance at Lee’s Palace.
One of the tracks she performed was this cover of TV on the Radio’s classic track Wolf Like Me. As you would expect, it’s completely different from the original, but still rather good. Have a listen.
This cover sees two worlds collide as hip hop dance floor sensation Taio Cruz covers nostalgic folk farmy revivalists Mumford & Sons. The song covered is “Little Lion Man” and as you would expect, Taio puts his own touches on it which includes a rousing string section to replace the banjo hee haw explosion that is the song’s (and the band’s) signature moment.
The cover is a part of BBC’s Ongoing Live Lounge series which sees a host of disposable pop artists covering songs by artists slightly more popular then them. Other artists on this years compilation include Panic Manual favorites Pixie Lott and N-Dubz. I know this doesn’t exactly pass as glowing endorsement but have a listen anyway, it’s a good cover.
For the second time in ten years, Welsh rock band (and person fave) Manic Street Preachers will be releasing a best of/singles compilation. Obviously, this time around, the compilation will also consist of tracks from the four albums they have released since their last compilation Forever Delayed.
National Treasures will be released on October 31st aka Halloween and will contain a new track – This is the Day, a cover of a song by the band The The. Given The Manic’s penchant for playing covers, this should come as no surprise. The video for this song is quite amazing if you are a Manics fan as it contains many archival footage that spanned the groups career, including yes, footage of long lost member Richey Edwards, who some die-hards still believe is happily working away as a cashier at a Sainsbury in some small Welsh village.
The video makes me feel old, as the realization that I’ve been following some of my favorite bands for almost twenty years now. Watch as James Dean Bradfield go from skinny, sharp jawed military wearing anarchist to slightly chubby, happy with himself rock star. You’ll get what I mean.
Here is the track listing
Motown Junk, (Heavenly) 1990
Stay Beautiful, Generation Terrorists 1991
Love’s Sweet Exile, Generation Terrorists 1991
You Love Us, Generation Terrorists 1992
Slash ‘N’ Burn, Generation Terrorists 1992
Motorcycle Emptiness, Generation Terrorists 1992
Suicide Is Painless, Theme From M*A*S*H 1992
Little Baby Nothing, Generation Terrorists 1992
From Despair To Where, Gold Against The Soul 1993
La Tristesse Durera (Scream To A Sigh), Gold Against The Soul 1993
Roses In The Hospital, Gold Against The Soul 1993
Life Becoming A Landslide, Gold Against The Soul 1993
Faster, The Holy Bible 1994
Revol, The Holy Bible 1994
She Is Suffering, The Holy Bible 1994
A Design For Life, Everything Must Go 1996
Everything Must Go, Everything Must Go 1996
Kevin Carter, Everything Must Go 1996
Australia,Everything Must Go 1996
If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next, This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours 1998
The Everlasting, This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours 1998
You Stole The Sun From My Heart, This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours 1998
Tsunami, This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours 1998
The Masses Against The Classes 2000
So Why So Sad, Know Your Enemy 2001
Found That Soul, Know Your Enemy 2001
Ocean Spray, Know Your Enemy 2001
Let Robeson Sing, Know Your Enemy 2001
There By The Grace Of God, Forever Delayed 2002
The Love Of Richard Nixon, Lifeblood 2004
Empty Souls, Lifeblood 2004
Your Love Alone Is Not Enough, Send Away The Tigers 2007
Autumnsong, Send Away The Tigers 2007
Indian Summer, Send Away The Tigers 2007
(It’s Not War) Just The End Of Love, Postcards From A Young Man 2010
Some Kind Of Nothingness, Postcards From A Young Man 2010
Postcards From A Young Man, Postcards From A Young Man 2010
This is the Day, National Treasures 2011
Here is the video
Will a North America tour folow? let’s hope so.
