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| Under Cover - WTF!? Edition, Part II Posted: 04 Feb 2009 04:58 PM CST Special thanks to editrix extraordinaire Jessica McGinley for last week’s Britney Spears-ified Under Cover! My last few months of writing ‘Under Cover’ have been one big lovefest. But sometimes I feel like balancing things out by tossing in a little sour with the sweet. Never one to shy away from the dissenting opinion, this isn’t just about my need to hate on things every now and then (especially since some rockers make it so hard not to). I’m just trying to keep it real. And fun. And mix it up. For you guys, the readers. And since last time was such a blast, I present Under Cover: WTF!? Edition, Part II. Music crimes perpetrated by musicians who surely should know better may not be punishable by death or even law, but that doesn’t mean we give up our constitutional right to make fun of them. Why, you ask? More like why the fuck not!? A great song can be a great thing. But a bad cover song is indefensible and may quite possibly be what Led Zeppelin meant when they sang “What Is And Should Never Be”. Like last time, these nonsensical acts generally lead to any, if not all, of the following questions: Are you kidding me? Are you serious? Who the hell allowed this one to happen? Why God, why? As well as: How could you do this to your fans? and How can you show your face in this town ever again? The reactions of listeners vary greatly, but some have been reported as: loss of appetite, loss of will to love music, wanting to burn their iPods, and willingness to move to Amish country. This week I salute Cheap Trick, Pink Floyd, and Björk, and throw e-darts at photos of Velvet Revolver, Scissor Sisters, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs at my dart board. Sigh, did it really have to come to this? – "Surrender" by Cheap Trick (original: 1978)  “Mother told me, yes, she told me I’d meet girls like you / She also told me, “Stay away, you’ll never know what you’ll catch.’ “ Can a song’s opener get any better than that? Cheap Trick’s “Surrender” is one of the most incredible classic rock songs I’ve ever heard; in fact, it’s so un-fucking-believably awesome that it achieves the rare “So good, I want to blast this song as I drive my car off a cliff in one last blaze of glory” level of brilliance I’ve touched upon in previous posts (see: Guns N’ Roses). In the movie of my life, this is the song I’d play during the highest point of emotional intensity, preferably during some dramatic courtroom scene where I emerge victoriously and everyone cheers. I can’t even name another song in the history of rock n’ roll that touches upon sex, drugs, coming of age, venereal disease, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, the WACs, the threat of communism, and parents rolling joints and fooling around on the couch to KISS records, all in one four-minute song. This track can mean many things to so many different people at once and that’s precisely what makes it universally relatable and genius. Surrender to a war that will never be won? Surrender to the ideologies of your parents? Surrender to the fact that you know less than you think you do? Surrender to the benefit of experience? Surrender to love and sex? “Surrender” is about surrendering to all the aforementioned and more… but, “don’t give yourself away!” As in, it’s possible to buy in without selling out, as long as you don’t relinquish who you really are in the end. This song was to my childhood what The Who’s “My Generation” probably was to children of the 60’s, except this one turns the “Parents Just Don’t Understand“-type songs around. In fact, it becomes an anthem that sets out to prove that our mothers and fathers were hip, non-parental type individuals before we were around and they just may be way more happening than we care to realize. Or they care to let on. But let’s not forget the killer music. See, if Tom Cruise had just claimed he was jumping on Oprah’s coach because this song was on his iPod (and not because of Katie Holmes), I’m fairly certain his reputation wouldn’t have suffered and people would forgive that whole Scientology thing. The forceful yet fun drumming and wailing guitars in the beginning instantly draw you into an unforgettably chaotic rock song that was meant for turning up loud and jumping around the room. And then there’s lead singer Robin Zander’s voice that would sound odd and whiny if heard elsewhere. It may come off stringy and annoying, but in a listenable way that works well with the shrill guitar riffage. But the beauty of the song lies in the lyrics that are laden with historical imagery, life lessons, and rhetorical questions you can’t help but ponder answers to. And the best way to achieve rock n’ roll immortality is to create an unforgettable chorus that will always stay relevant: “Mommy’s alright, Daddy’s alright, they just seem a little weird / Surrender, surrender, but don’t give yourself away, ay, ay, ay.” Ahh, so timeless. I hope future generations still rock out to “Surrender”. Velvet Revolver (cover: 2004) Velvet Revolver - “Surrender” (Cheap Trick) – "Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd (original: 1979) Pink Floyd - “Comfortably Numb” Scissor Sisters (cover: 2004) Scissor Sisters - “Comfortably Numb” (Pink Floyd) – "Hyper-Ballad" by Björk (original: 1995) Yeah Yeah Yeahs (live cover) Yeah Yeah Yeahs - “Hyper-Ballad” (Bjork) Related Posts |
| Titus Andronicus - The Airing of Grievances Posted: 04 Feb 2009 02:57 PM CST Rarely can I describe an album as “aggravating,” but in the case of the new Titus Andronicus album I’ll make a notable exception. The Airing of Grievances, the band’s second full-length release is a one trick pony. Layer on lots of reverb with the vocals, distort everything, shout loudly and you have an album. The CD opens with the wittily titled “Fear and Loathing In Mahwah, NJ”. The first 1:14 seem to give you a feeling of hope. A calm, airy reverb laden guitar strumming and vocals, obviously building up to something. But instead of hope you’re left with absolute horror once the rest of the band kicks in. There actually are good lyrics hidden in there, but they are butchered in the delivery. To call this album formulaic would be an understatement. Lead vocals are loud and shrieky, however they lack passion. Attempts at gut wrenching accents in between the verses just come off as contrived. This is an album that even witty song titles like “Upon Viewing Brueghel’s Landscape With the Fall of Icarus” can’t save. Listen to the record on iTunes in shuffle mode and you would never be able to tell that they were necessarily out of order. My biggest gripe with this album is it seems like the band just doesn’t even try. They found a “sound,” if you can even call it that, and just phoned it in. They may think they found their musical voice all their own, but it’s their own because it just isn’t good. The Airing of Grievances is available now on Beggars/XL. Tracklisting: Titus Andronicus: website | myspace  Written by: Ed Roper Related Posts |
| Free Manchester Orchestra, Anni Rossi MP3s Posted: 04 Feb 2009 01:43 PM CST Download a track from the forthcoming Manchester Orchestra album Mean Everything to Nothing, out April 10th. Also, be sure to check out the interview we conducted with Chris Freeman regarding the release and sound of that new release Manchester Orchestra - “I’ve Got Friends” You can also grab “Ecology” from Anni Rossi’s forthcoming LP Rockwell, set to street on March 10th. Related Posts |
| Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings @ The Crystal Ballroom, Portland Posted: 04 Feb 2009 11:20 AM CST If you haven’t seen Sharon Jones live, you should. Not only are you missing out on her powerful soul shout vocals and the Dap-Kings‘ ultra tight funk, but Jones is a fantastic performer. Even with seven other musicians on stage, Jones dominates the spotlight. She struts and shimmies across the stage - dress tassels flying - with almost manic energy. It’s almost as if James Brown had been reincarnated as a middle-aged woman. It’s hard to believe she’s not 25 and this is actually her second, third or fourth career. But as much kinetic energy as she has, it is her presence and charisma that captivates the audience. She banters back and forth, stops, poses, and then whirls around with more high-spirited attitude. This level of playful sass just isn’t adequately captured on her albums. While her albums are good, they sometimes seem a bit too retro, too polished, and trying too hard for a certain sound. However, with the horns blasting and the bass thumping along, it doesn’t feel dated at all. Ms. Jones obviously feeds off of and reacts to the crowd, singing and preaching to them. If they don’t give her what she wants, she lets them know. With a packed house and a sold-out show, the Crystal Ballroom’s bouncy dance floor was shaking and it didn’t take long before she was pulling the young and enthusiastic crowd on stage with her. Sometimes it worked, with the fans being the perfect foil for her attention. Other instances just made it clear that Ms. Jones had better moves and could shake her ass faster then any of the pretty young things that tried. As someone who grew up listening to 60’s southern soul decades after Stax Records had declared bankruptcy and its biggest stars died, broke up, or faded to relative obscurity, it’s a pleasure to see live funk and soul all gritty and sweaty. Sure, some of those artists made comeback albums, but it’s not the same as catching someone at the peak of their popularity, when they’re playing hits just released last year, and when the crowd is made up of fans but also people just out to have a good time. Go for the music or go for the show, it’s worth the cover either way. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings: website | myspace | @ virgin mobile 2008 | @ monolith 2008  Written by: Jesse Gelwicks Related Posts |
| A Shoreline Dream - Recollections of Memory Posted: 04 Feb 2009 09:42 AM CST A Shoreline Dream is one of the few homemade bands out there on the music scene. They are a couple of guys living out their dreams of music. Ryan Policky (vocals, guitars, synthesizer), Erik Jeffries (guitar), Enoc Torraca (bass) and Sean Merrell (drums) combine and react in giving us this sound. Not only are these men musically gifted, but they are doing it all on their own. A Shoreline Dream decided to cut out the middle man, the record label, and created their own music and distribute their merch on their own. In today’s music world, this is quite a feat that is hard to accomplish on your own and they’ve done all of that with their new album Recollections of Memory. It hits stores on February10th. The album Recollections of Memory is a piece of work that must be classified in its own genre. The only band in comparison is Explosions in the Sky, but unlike Explosions they have singing in some of their songs. Their heavy use of delay only amplifies the literal dream like sound that wanders the entire album. The song “The Night Before” is a prime example of how their lead guitar just flows along to the acoustic rhythm creating this harmonious song. This is the creation that they have mastered and have in every single song. Because of that, I award this album 7 golden stars. I highly recommend that you go to iTunes on February 10th and purchase this album. And if you’re tight on money during these hard economic times, I recommend that you check their MySpace page out to get a little taste of what they’ve got to offer. Tracklisting: A Shoreline Dream: website | myspace Written by: Kyle Thurin Related Posts |
Security? Security? Can someone please come and take this awful cover away? Out of the ashes of Stone Temple Pilots and Guns N’ Roses came the phoenix that is Velvet Revolver. Or in the parlance of rock journalists, the “supergroup.” I’ll be the first to admit this was much more musically orgasmic in theory than reality. And what do arrogant supergroups do? Aside from aging groupies, they cover rock anthems. And do drugs. Is it really ironic to see lead singer Scott Weiland voluntarily cover a song that mentions the “Indonesian junk” that’s going ’round? As this is rumored to have referenced low grade heroin, perhaps not such a stretch for Weiland after all. A lot of my problem with this rendition, I’ll admit, is with the band itself. Remember 90’s Stone Temple Pilots and their once virile Weiland with that powerful, deep voice and an ability to exude sex on-stage? Well, throw in a heroin problem and now we’re left with an effeminate lead singer with an irritatingly high-pitched voice and a penchant for guyliner. Weiland’s barely audible vocals are strained and to add insult to injury, the back up vocals are higher to match. The music sounds overproduced and the guitars aren’t nearly as raw as the original. And it’s a sad day when not even the great Slash can save the ensuing mess. I want to like this rendition, but it’s atrocious and unforgivable. To perform a live impromptu version at a concert is one thing, but it’s audacious to record this for their album and make millions. I laugh when Weiland sings “Whatever happened to all this season’s losers of the year? / Every time I got to thinking, where’d they disappear?” because he probably doesn’t realize he’s singing about himself here, specifically. Sorry guys, but I’m going to have to go ahead and file this one under “Cover Songs That Should Never Have Made It Backstage.” Don’t even bother flashing boob, it won’t work.
Cut! Cut! Can someone please yell cut!? If ABBA and the Bee Gees had the good sense not to cover this, what’s your excuse? How could you butcher a classic song of your fellow British countrymen? God save the Queen? More like God save me from the horror that is this version. The popularity of Scissor Sisters is something I can’t comprehend and quite frankly, I really don’t even want to. If you actually make it through this entire song, I applaud your patience and high tolerance of all that is unbearable and wrong in the world of music. I also question your hearing, but will refrain from judging. First of all, what’s with the beginning riff that so shamelessly pilfers Stevie Nicks‘ “Edge Of Seventeen”. I was actually waiting for someone to start singing “just like the white-winged dove,” but instead this disco-style song pushed me to the edge of wanting to off myself. The protagonist in Albert Camus‘ classic existential novel The Stranger famously blamed the sun’s glare for provoking his murder of a man on a beach. Too bad the Scissor Sisters weren’t around in the early 20th century since I’m sure he could have blamed their music for his transgression and actually had a better case. And I don’t even know what’s worse… the cheap imitation of ABBA? The Bee Gees-like falsetto vocals? The disco music? The fact that there is not even a hint of a guitar, let alone a solo? Or the fact that Pink Floyd gave permission for this song to even happen, making it the biggest UK hit single covering a Floyd song. What?! Pink Floyd and dance music should never share the same sentence, let alone music chart. The only consolation I find is hearing how David Gilmour invited Scissor Sisters’ lead singer Jake Shears to help sing “Comfortably Numb” during some live shows in 2006, but dropped the idea very last minute (read 
Yeah Yeah Yeah? More like No, No, No! “Hell To The Motherf*#&n No (the remix)”, even. Not many musicians can perform renditions of songs that hit different notes than the original yet can still make it work successfully in their new direction, so unless you’re brilliant at it like José González or Chan Marshall (see: 
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