Cover Song
Steve Earle Shares New Justin Townes Earle Covers Album J.T.: Stream
Back in August, the world mourned the death of Americana songwriter Justin Townes Earle. Now, father and country legend Steve Earle has paid tribute to his late son with a new covers album called J.T., and it’s streaming below via Bandcamp. J.T. comes today (January 4th), on what would have been Justin’s 39th birthday. It consists of 11 covers, all pulled from throughout Justin’s discography. There are favorites such as “Harlem River Blues” (2010) “Champagne Corolla” (2017), and “The Saint of Lost Causes”, taken from Justin’s 2019 album of the same name, which proved to be his last. Other songs that appear on J.T. include “I Don’t Care”, “Turn Out My Lights”, and “Last Words”. In a statement, father Steve said the “record is called J.T. because Justin was never called anything else u...
Nandi Bushell Goes Britpop with Cover of Blur’s “Song 2”: Watch
Nandi Bushell, the self-declared “total metalhead” and vanquisher of Dave Grohl, has opened 2021 by expanding her rock horizons. The musical prodigy has started exploring the ’90s Britpop era, leading her to deliver a new cover of Blur’s classic “Song 2”. “This week I have been learning about #Britpop, the 90’s and about this awesome battle between 2 bands called @blurofficial and @oasis,” Bushell wrote in the YouTube video’s description. “The 90 seemed like a fun time for music. This is Song 2 by Blur its really fun to jam to! Wahoo!!! Loving this song.” Wearing a self-made Union Jack dress and a custom guitar strap from LK Straps, the young virtuoso jammed out the iconic riff while backing herself up on… well, on everything, because she’s incredible. She even layers her vocals four times...
Kevin Bacon Covers Radiohead’s “Creep” for His Baby Goats: Watch
Kevin Bacon has baby goats, and apparently the kids are big Radiohead fans. In a video posted to his Instagram, the 62-year-old actor busted out an acoustic cover of “Creep” while an adorable little goat chewed on his shirt. “The goats wanted me to play this, I don’t really think it’s appropriate,” the Footloose star said at the beginning of the clip. Still, “the goats were insisting,” so Bacon went ahead and played the first verse and hook until one of the babies got too curious about what was in his pocket and he had to stop. Thom Yorke probably can’t relate. Watch the impromptu barnyard jam session below. Maybe next time Bacon can serenade some pigs? As it turns out, this isn’t the first video that Bacon has posted with the hashtag “#GoatSongs”. Back in November he covered Fra...
10-Year-Old Nandi Bushell Declares She’s a “Total Metalhead”, Rocks Slipknot’s “Unsainted”: Watch
Nandi Bushell was already our favorite kid musician of 2020, but she just gave us one more “wow” moment before the year ends. The 10-year-old prodigy rocked an impressive drum cover of Slipknot’s “Unsainted”, declaring herself a “total metal head.” It’s been an amazing year for Nandi, who found herself in the midst of a viral multi-round drum battle with the one and only Dave Grohl for several weeks. The drum-off culminated in each musician writing a theme song for one another, as well as a face-to-face video chat. Grohl eventually conceded defeat, but they even made plans to write a song together. While Nandi has proven herself to be a strong guitarist and bassist in recent months, her cover of Slipknot’s “Unsainted” shows off her mastery of the drums, the instrument that first made her a...
Chino Moreno’s ✞✞✞ (Crosses) Cover “The Beginning of the End”, First New Track in Six Years: Stream
Deftones singer Chino Moreno has resurrected ✞✞✞ (Crosses) and released the first new track from the project in six years. It comes in the form of a cover of Cause & Effect’s “The Beginning of the End”. Crosses unleashed their self-titled debut album in 2014, but hasn’t released any new music or performed any shows since that year. The band’s lineup is comprised of Moreno, guitarist Shaun Lopez, and bassist Chuck Doom, although a press release for the new single only mentions Moreno and Lopez. For Crosses’ return, Moreno turned to a song by fellow Sacramento act Cause & Effect, an electropop band who released their self-titled debut album in 1990. “The Beginning of the End” is a track from that first LP, and it gives off some very strong Depeche Mode vibes. Crosses’ version do...
Eddie Vedder Announces Matter of Time EP, Due Out on Christmas
Eddie Vedder released the two-song single “Matter of Time” b/w “Say Hi” back in November. Now, the Pearl Jam frontman has expanded the bundle into what’s essentially a brand new EP, featuring a quartet of acoustic at-home performances, all of which were recorded throughout 2020. Highlighting the collection is a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. classic “Growin’ Up”. Also present is Vedder’s rendition of “Future Days” recorded for the 2020 Game Awards. (The Lightning Bolt cut soundtracks a particularly powerful moment in The Last of Us Part II.) Rounding out the tracklist are solo versions of “Porch” and “Just Breathe”, both captured for an online Amazon corporate event back in October. Vedder debuted “Matter of Time” and “Say Hi” during the Ventur...
Jenny Lewis and Bill Murray Share Cover of Drake’s “Laugh Now Cry Later”: Watch
Well, here’s the strangest gift to ever pop out of an advent calendar. Jenny Lewis and Bill Murray have shared a live-from-home cover of Drake’s “Laugh Now Cry Later”. Seemingly delivered to capture the quarantine vibes of Christmas 2020, Lewis and Murray’s rendition of the Lil Durk-featuring track is downtempo dirge. The former sings as she plucks a heavy bass line, while the On the Rocks actor shuffles out a sloppy drum phrase. “It’s almost christmas!” Lewis wrote in the Instagram post sharing the video. “laugh now cry later.” Check out the duo’s Drake cover below. The Xmas treat is something of a reunion for the pair, who last got in the holiday spirit together for 2015’s A Very Murray Christmas special. Editors’ Picks Lewis also recently reunited with The Postal Service for a fun...
Mac DeMarco Shares Mellow Cover of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”: Stream
Christmas is just four days away, which means Mac DeMarco is back to fulfill his annual tradition of covering holiday songs. This year, the Canadian jizz jazzer has shared his take on Judy Garland’s classic “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, which you can stream below. The original version of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” is a wistful, tender track about holding on to hope despite being stuck in a tragic place. It always hits home, but this year it feels especially relevant during the pandemic. In DeMarco’s hands, though, the song takes a more laid-back approach, stretching Garland’s original words into a hazy, mellow rumination over a stringy trip-hop-like trance. DeMarco shared his cover alongside a lo-fi music video. In the clip, the Here Comes the Cowboy singer c...
U2’s Bono and The Edge Perform “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” On Irish TV: Watch
During a normal Christmas season, Glen Hansard and a gaggle of other Irish musicians would busk in the street to raise money for Ireland’s homeless population. This year, in order to abide by social distancing guidelines, the fundraiser was turned into an indoor livestream affair, and U2‘s Bono and The Edge showed up to keep the Christmas spirit intact. The duo performed a beautiful acoustic rendition of the Darlene Love staple “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” on Ireland’s Late Late Show. The U2 bandmates were joined on stage by Hansard, Philip Powell, violinist Vivienne Long and the Heyday Choir (via the IIrish Times). U2 released a recorded version of the cover way back in 1987, but seeing it performed in front of shimmering lights and ornate Christmas trees gives it a...
Dean & Britta and Sonic Boom Cover John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas (War is Over)”: Stream
Earlier this week, Alanis Morissette festively covered the timeless John Lennon single “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Now, Dean & Britta, the musical duo comprised of Galaxie 500’s Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips, have put their own spin on the holiday classic in collaboration with English producer Sonic Boom. Additionally, Sonic Boom has released his own song dedicated to the season. Jingling bells rattle throughout the warm and faithful rendition of “Happy Xmas”. But there’s also an echoing effect draped over the entire cover, giving it an almost trippy wall-of-sound sensation. According to a statement, Sonic Boom, a.k.a. Pete Kemper of Spacemen 3, came up with the idea for this version and mixed it himself at New Atlantis Studios in Portugal. As for Sonic Boo...
Caroline Polachek Shares Studio Cover of The Corrs’ “Breathless”: Stream
Chances are, if you caught Caroline Polachek live during her Pang tour, then you saw the alternative pop artist bust out a cover of The Corrs hit “Breathless”. In the event you missed out on that electric performance, however, Polachek has dropped an official studio cover version of the 2000 bop today. As is to be expected from the former Chairlift singer, Polachek’s rendition is a little weirder and a little bit less blown-out than the bombastic original, which featured triple harmonies from the three Corr sisters. Polachek handles all of the singing on this one, pitching up her voice to accentuate its sticky hook and add more angular dimensions to this Grammy-nominated number. Take a listen to both Polachek’s cover and the original version of the song below. Editors’ Picks Luckily ...
Dave Grohl and Greg Kurstin Cover The Velvet Underground’s “Rock and Roll”: Watch
It’s the eighth and final night of Hanukkah, and Dave Grohl and Greg Kurstin are going out with a bang. The Foo Fighters frontman and Grammy-winning producer have celebrated the holiday by covering a song by a different Jewish artist each night, and for their final act they’ve busted out a rendition of The Velvet Underground’s “Rock and Roll”. “As 2020 comes to a close and another Hanukkah ends (my first!) I am reminded of the two things that have gotten me through this year: music and hope,” wrote Grohl in a note posted to Foo Fighters’ Twitter account. “The project, which initially began as a silly idea, grew to represent something much more important to me,” Grohl added. “It showed that the simple gesture of spreading joy and happiness goes a long way, and as a we look forward...
