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| Posted: 25 Feb 2009 02:35 PM PST
So apparently, I have a bit of a reputation of being a Killers lover. This label was only reinforced by last week’s Under Cover: The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside”. In my defense, I would like to say that I’m not one of those fan girls who has scribbled Mrs. Brandon Flowers all over my notebook (it wouldn’t matter; he’s married) and my love for the Killers is a lot more practical than how “hott” I rate him. No, I honestly can admit that what I appreciate about this band is a lot deeper than that. I actually love them for…their music! These guys are good musicians, so instead of doing another Under Cover where I look at other artists covering this band, I wanted to let them shine. Besides, with the rumors of a Killers cover album looking more and more like a reality, the public had better start getting used to this band doing covers. Now they’ve done plenty more than what I listed here including covers of The Beatles, Frankie Valli, Morrissey, Kenny Rogers, David Bowie and the Nebraska State Song. I’ve even heard that singer Brandon Flowers likes to cover Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” when doing karaoke (links, anybody? I need footage!), but here I’ve listed some of my favorite Killers covers. - The Dire Straits’ “Romeo and Juliet” / 2007 - Abbey Road Acoustic Sessions In 1981, The Dire Straits released “Romeo and Juliet” as a single from their album Making Movies. It quickly became one of their most successful and well-known singles and, like most good singles, spurred the creation of several covers. The Killers first covered this song live as part of their Abbey Road Sessions before later releasing it on their B-side album Sawdust. Front man Brandon Flowers described this song as “one of the best songs I’ve ever heard” and I couldn’t agree more. This was my favorite Dire Straits song and I loved the version the guys put together of this song. The Killers have a reputation for being over the top with glitz and glam, probably a result of growing up in Vegas, but this cover stays true to the simplicity of the Dire Straits instrumentation and guitarist Dave Keuning is the perfect man to play those classic arpeggiated guitar notes that so define the song. It is all abetted by the rawness of Flowers voice. It’s kind of fun because he has a bit of a twang that you wouldn’t expect from him considering he usually has a reputation of sounding too British. Flowers was actually sick during the recording of the Abbey Road Sessions, but I think it added a vulnerability to his voice that was perfect for the rendition of this song. For me the highlight of this is when he belts the line, “Juliet, when we made love, you used to cry I said, ‘I love you like the stars above, I love you till I die.’ The rest of the song after that is almost sung in a whisper. - Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” / 2008 - Live @ Little Noise Sessions, Union Chapel Some bands just wanna have fun. And that’s exactly what the Killers did for their cover of Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”. I like this because bassist Mark Stoermer switches out his bass for a guitar and gets really into it (as in never looks up into it). This cover surprises me because they went acoustic instead of for their trademark Hot Fuss synth heavy, which the song loans itself toward. So though it is a simple cover, it is complex in the idea that the band didn’t go the obvious route with how to cover it. - Joy Division’s “Shadowplay” / 2007 - Control Soundtrack Now what would this cover section be if I didn’t include perhaps the band’s most famous cover: Joy Division’s “Shadowplay”? “Shadowplay” was originally recorded by Joy Division for the 1979 album Unknown Pleasures. In 2007, a biopic, Control, about Joy Division’s lead singer Ian Curtis was set to be released. The remaining members of Joy Division, aka New Order, actually picked the Killers to do the cover for the film, which played during the credits. This was a huge honor for the Killers considering the band is heavily influenced by both Joy Division and New Order. In fact, the band’s name comes from New Order’s video for “Crystal”, in which New Order is under the guise of a fictional band called the Killers in the video. As further tribute to New Order, the Killers often play as fictional bands in their own videos (The Genius Sex Poets and Los Dientes del Perro). This cover even had a music video made with clips from the movie mixed in. However, for me, it isn’t the studio recording that sticks in my head, but the live version. It became a tour staple for the Sam’s Town run and is still performed by the band on their current Day and Age tour. With the Killers’ addition of “Ooh ooh oohs” and fist pumping, this cover kept the mood set by Joy Division, but took it to anthem levels. - Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters Theme” / 1998 - Another EP? So, this might be cheating, but this is too good of a cover to not share. In 1998, the Killers obviously were not around, but the individual members were still quite busy making music in other bands. Drummer Ronnie Vannucci was a member of of some groups that met with some moderate success. Personally, I was a big fan of his ska punk group Attaboy Skip, which fans of NOFX would actually enjoy a lot. In fact, the band is actually confused with NOFX a lot and this particular cover can be found wrongly attributed to NOFX on YouTube. This aforementioned cover is none other than “Ghostbusters Theme”. I seriously couldn’t think of a better song that a punk group with brass could cover than this theme. Hilarious. Vannucci drives the band into double time at the end giving the theme their own personal spin. - The Killers: website | myspace | Sawdust review | under cover: “Mr. Brightside” | @ magness arena | Day and Age review Related Posts |
| Posted: 25 Feb 2009 12:36 PM PST Shortly following 2007’s As Much Light As It Will Take, Brooklyn Trio The Break Mission is back with four more piano laden indie-rock tunes on the Prospect EP. The EP begins with quiet piano music, while singer Jeff Knowlton’s deep, husky voice speaks over the notes and a nice and easy jangle from the Matt Hershey’s drumming leads to a nice big build-up. Continuing the epic sound on the next track, “French Defense”, the guitar-line shakes things up a bit. Hershey’s drumming also has a harder clack sound in place of the jangle. “French Defense” really lets Knowlton show of his vocals, but it is sadly hidden from poor mixing that buries the voice behind the other instruments. “Happy Now” turns out to be a rather sad number with the sarcastic lyrics and dark tone. At moments this song seems to channel Coldplay, but lacks the British rockstars’ hook capability. It isn’t until the final, title track that The Break Mission seems to lock down their style. The first half reminds me a lot of Blue October, but it is the second latter half, that I really got into. The instrumentation gets Explosions in the Sky big before the vocals return, repeating: “Lock it all away and leave tomorrow.” Prospect is an apt name for this EP. There are some definite prospects on this EP, but the Break Mission falls just short of hitting real gold. Tracklisting: Break Mission: website | myspace Related Posts |
| Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction to air on Fuse Posted: 25 Feb 2009 10:56 AM PST Fuse TV will air the 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, which will premiere on April 4 at 8PM ET/PT. This year's inductees are Jeff Beck, Little Anthony & the Imperials, Wanda Jackson, Bobby Womack, Bill Black, DJ Fontana, Spooner Oldham, Metallica and Run-D.M.C. Presenters include Justin Timberlake, Jay Z, Madonna, Black Sabbath, and more.
In November of 2008, Fuse signed a three year deal to become the new television and online partner of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Fuse's exclusive deal also includes the live telecast of the 2010 and 2011 ceremonies from the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Press Conference Fuse: website | Fuse’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame website Most Commented Posts |
| The Pretenders @ The Akron Civic Theatre, Akron Ohio Posted: 25 Feb 2009 09:54 AM PST Nothing is better than a hometown show. Seeing the Pretenders in Akron is like seeing the Stones in London, The Beatles in Liverpool, The Ramones or Iggy in New York or Boyz ll Men in Philly. Well, maybe not the last one, but you get the point. On top of that it was Valentine’s Day and Chrissie Hynde (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) was my valentine even though she might not have been aware of it. Though not all original members were present these 2005 rock hall inductees know how to play a show and get a crowd riled up. Hynde is a very particular women and she knows what she wants (and doesn't want). One thing she is not a fan of is everybody taking pictures. The stage was riddled with hand written signs that say "no cell phone cameras." Some workers on her tour told me about her show in Cleveland where she stopped in mid-song to ask a cell phone photographer if they had anything better to do with their lives. There were no incidents like that at this show, just magic and everyone was in a good mood. Everyone seemed to wear an Akron shirt of some kind and it was interesting to hear the commentary between songs. The commentary was on the lines of "I wrote this down the block from here," "anybody ride the buses around here lately?" and she even told us a story about when she was about 14 she was kissed in the same venue on Valentines Day and pointed out where she was sitting for it. The Pretenders played a good mixture of new and old songs. If you were not familiar with their music, you could always tell when they played an older song because their very talented theatrical drummer, Martin Chambers, would seem bored behind the set. Their older songs tended to have very simple beats, but when it came time to shine he would pound out his set like some Neal Pert on ’shrooms and spit water in the air as if he were a fountain at the Bellagio in Vegas. Though it seemed to be made up of an older crowd, there was a good deal of younger folks there and the crowd was alive. You know it is a good show when the venue is a seated theater but nobody sits down. Everybody was up and dancing and having a good time. Once it seemed like people were started to sit down they played "The Chain Gang" and "Brass in Pocket" which instantly renewed everyone's energy through the end of the show, the three encores and then some when they played an after party at Chrissie's local vegan restaurant VegiTerranean. All in all it was a great show, an amazing night and an awesome Valentines Day.        Set List: The Pretenders: website | myspace  Related Posts |
| The Appleseed Cast - Sagamartha and @ the Knitting Factory, LA Posted: 25 Feb 2009 08:04 AM PST It is possible that you, the reader, have never heard of this band that I’m reviewing and might I add that it is truly a shame. Although The Appleseed Cast isn’t a widely circulated band (at the moment), they have been pumping out albums since ‘97 and have undergone quite a genre-based metamorphosis. The original Appleseed Cast was, in fact, an emo band formed in Southern California by the name of December’s Tragic Drive (does sound pretty emo doesn’t it?). December’s Tragic Drive derived their sound from early forms of emo similar to bands such as Jawbreaker and Sunny Day Real Estate. A year later, the band would bill themselves under the name The Appleseed Cast after signing with Deep Elm Records. After five studio albums and a frequent change in labels, the band has finally released their 6th album with The Militia Group. Sagamartha marks The Appleseed Cast’s ultimate stylistic change in genre and sound. Their new album is profoundly instrumental, focusing on the atmosphere they provide through sound rather than lyrics and message (somewhat similar to Ratatat, especially in “Like a Locus (Shake Hands With the Dead)”). Sagamartha deals more in guitar-based post rock, enunciated by mellow instrumentation along the lines of bells and shakers,and eclectic drumming for flavor. The tracks are distinct and unique in nature, and the album is definitely one that should be listened to all the way through (despite the average track time of 5-7 minutes). Characterized by mellow instrumentation, the band’s tracks are punctuated with spontaneous adrenaline, only noticeable to the patient and willing. Tracklisting: Their show at the Knitting Factory was also quite riveting. Their music captures you and encourages your mind to meander with the arpeggios and melodic intricacies, and it leaves the crowd silently nodding their heads in admiration.               The Appleseed Cast: website | myspace  Related Posts |
| Celebrate Black History Month with Free Music Posted: 25 Feb 2009 06:45 AM PST Red Urban Music has decided to honor Black History Month by giving away free music by some of the great Black musicians of our time including Grandmaster Flash, Sail Williams, and more. By heading to Red Urban Music’s website, you can download the free tracks and enter to win contest with prizes such as a USB turntable, a digital camera and an iPod!
Red Urban Music: website Most Commented Posts |
| Posted: 24 Feb 2009 12:28 PM PST Black Lips 200 Million Thousand Green River Ordinance Out Of My Hands :: stream "Come On" Here We Go Magic Here We Go Magic :: stream "Tunnelvision" Illinois The Adventures of Kid Catastrophe, Chapter 5 (digital) J. Holiday Round 2 :: stream "It's Yours" (Explicit) North Elementary Not For Everyone, Just For You Port O'Brien Winter Solarcade Songs for the Gathering Taxi Doll Here And Now :: review The Catholic Comb Vampire Love :: "Vampire Life" The Morning Benders Grain of Salt EP :: download Tour Single War Child Heroes compilation Most Commented Posts |
| Fujiya & Miyagi @ 9:30 Club, Washington DC Posted: 24 Feb 2009 10:45 AM PST Fujiya & Miyagi is a cool band. Their songs sound halfway between chill out and live dance music. Like Thievery Corporation, they make music that you might hear at a hip lounge. However, Fujiya & Miyagi’s hushed, repetitive chants, big drum beats and electronic flourishes remind me most of the Beta Band. At the 9:30 Club, a huge screen of dancing animation made up completely of dice was behind the four musicians. Combined with the bob-inducing music, it was captivating and was easy to get lost in the sound. It’s clear that they are all expert musicians, as their set was perfectly constructed and executed. If they ever get tired of this band, I imagine they could have great careers as producers. Maybe they already are. In fact, that leads to my only criticism — at times it seemed like they were missing a front man, with all four band members playing a supportive role to the groove. I also wouldn’t mind if they increased the tastefully minimalist guitar work. What riffs they did play made each song more dynamic. Fujiya & Miyagi is much more energetic live than on their album and the drums filled the room with their propulsive beat. During the faster songs, it was hard to figure out why more people weren’t dancing. Songs like “Knickerbocker”, “Collarbone” and “Pussyfooting” sound as though they were designed to get the crowd moving. Then, I remembered I was in D.C. Tour Dates: Fujiya & Miyagi: website | myspace  Related Posts |
| Charles Spearin - The Happiness Project Posted: 24 Feb 2009 09:28 AM PST Charles Spearin, best known as a member of Toronto's sprawling Broken Social Scene collective, examines an inspired concept on his first solo album, The Happiness Project. Spearin recorded a selection of people of different ages and ethnicities talking, then used the natural melody of their speech as the basis for his music. The topic of the conversations, though not always approached directly, was happiness. Judged for what it is - a musical project - The Happiness Project is for the most part a success. Spearin begins the bulk of the songs simply with the interview before identifying the melody (mimicked on horns or strings) and wrapping it in a ethereal soundscape not unlike the ones heard on Broken Social Scene albums. Spearin also derives the tone and feel of most of the songs from that of the interview, with the album's moods ranging from nostalgic ("Mr. Gowrie") to blissful ("Mrs. Morris (Reprise)"). In "Vittoria", however, Spearin contrasts the weightless "like, uh…it's like, uh"s of the young girl interviewed with a dramatic Moricone-style backdrop punctuated by Spaghetti Western horns. The whimsical "Ondine" begins with a lush semi-orchestral ambiance before the small child "interviewed" whines, "but I didn't want butter!" A violin mimics his speech and matches his expression. As an album - let alone one that will likely be filed under "pop/rock" - The Happiness Project often falls short of satisfying. Tracks "Anna" and "Ondine" are wonderful and perfectly exemplify what Spearin set out to accomplish, but at a standard pop song-length of around 3 minutes they feel like snippets of fully fleshed-out compositions. It's as if Spearin were telling his audience, "There, see what I'm getting at? OK, next song." Tracks "Vanessa" and "Mr. Gowrie", on the flip side of the spectrum, are both over seven minutes long but feature far too much speech and not enough music. Rarely do any of the tracks make a strong impression for this very reason and in a way it cripples the album, which could have benefited from stronger focus on the musical side of the project, as opposed to the speech. In addition to being an interesting endeavor, The Happiness Project also manages to feel like a very humanitarian album. Spearin never fails to handle the recordings of those interviewed - many of whom speak in a distinct manner or with an accent - with a straight-faced respect, and in his music, he seeks to connect to them on a person level. The Happiness Project may not be an album with much replay value, but as a social and musical experiment, it's at the very least an enjoyable curiosity. The Happiness Project is out now on Arts and Crafts. Tracklisting: Charles Spearin: website | myspace  Related Posts |
| Hottub to join the Ting Tings on tour Posted: 24 Feb 2009 08:57 AM PST Joining the Ting Tings on their entire upcoming US tour is Oakland-based Hottub. Check out what Ting Tings’ guitarist/vocalist Katie White has to say about Hottub:
Check out the girls’ MySpace page for some kickass tunes. Be sure to make it out to a show — you can bet it will be a great time! Tour Dates: * w/ The Ting Tings Hottub: myspace Related Posts |
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