Cover Song
10-Year-Old Nandi Bushell Rocks Audioslave’s “Cochise” with Guitar Tom Morello Gifted Her: Watch
Ten-year-old musician Nandi Bushell has made great use out of a guitar that was just gifted to her by Tom Morello, performing the Audioslave hit “Cochise” in her latest YouTube video. Not to mention, she also rocks the drums and bass in the impressive clip. Nandi previously wowed Morello with a performance of Rage Against the Machine’s “Guerrilla Radio”, in which she also played all three instruments. The RATM guitarist was so impressed that he shipped her one of his new Fender Soul Power Stratocaster signature guitars, along with delivering her a personal video message. Instead of putting the guitar in a display case, Nandi did what every good young rocker should do, and jammed Audioslave’s “Cochise” with the Stratocaster. A fitting choice considering that the Soul Power is modeled a...
Brie Larson Covers Ariana Grande’s “Be Alright” in Stripped-Down Performance: Watch
Captain Marvel just might be the biggest Ariana Grande stan in Hollywood. Last year, Brie Larson covered “My Everything” and “God Is a Woman”. Now, she’s back with a new spin on another Grande classic: “Be Alright”. The breakout single from Grande’s 2016 album Dangerous Woman is light and catchy, and Larson upholds those qualities while giving it a stripped-down sheen. Armed with her own guitar and the quiet background of her peaceful home, the actress nails each note and vocal scale, proving once again that she’s just as good at singing as she is at acting. Watch her cover below. It’s not just a coincidence that Larson semi-regularly shares cover songs on social media and totally nails them. Back in 2005, before she was an A-list movie star, she dropped an album called Finally Out of...
Failure Share New Cover of Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence”: Stream
Failure have released a newly recorded version of the Depeche Mode classic “Enjoy the Silence” more than 20 years after originally covering the song for a tribute album. Back in 1998, Failure contributed a cover of the song to the Depeche Mode tribute compilation For the Masses. However, with the LP long out of print, the Los Angeles rockers decided to record an updated version of the track, which originally appeared on Depeche Mode’s landmark album Violator. As Failure frontman Ken Andrews explained, “We originally recorded a cover of ‘Enjoy the Silence’ for the 1998 Depeche Mode tribute, For the Masses. That album has all but disappeared, no longer in print and not available via streaming platforms but we as a band are proud of our take on that song and had wanted to re-record it for som...
Phoebe Bridgers Releases Proper Studio Recording of John Prine’s “Summer’s End”: Stream
Back in April, legendary songwriter John Prine passed away after a battle with COVID-19. Dozens of artists covered his songs to pay tribute to his life and long-lasting influence. One of those musicians was Phoebe Bridgers, who performed his late single “Summer’s End” on Instagram earlier this spring. Now, months later, she’s unveiled a more polished up version for SiriusXM. Listen below (via Stereogum). In her original cover of “Summer’s End”, Bridgers could be seen in her house playing the song live to a computer camera while dressed in pajamas. The setting may have been extremely casual, but her vocals — however poorly mic’d they were, if at all — sounded gorgeous and empathetic. It seems like she was quite moved by Prine’s track, because this new touched-up take sounds much fuller and ...
James Blake Covers Nirvana Classic “Come As You Are” from Quarantine: Watch
James Blake fans have been treated to a number of special covers during this quarantine season. Over the course of just the last few months, the UK crooner has tackled originals by Radiohead, Billie Eilish, Frank Ocean, and Joni Mitchell. For his newest reimagining, Blake ambitiously rolled out his take on the Nirvana classic “Come As You Are”. The performance was part of an hour-long “piano improv concert” streamed on Instagram Live on Saturday. As requested by a fan, Blake’s rendition of the Nevermind single was “soft” in tone. However, though it was without the angst and volume of the 1992 original, Blake’s cover was still urgent in its own fragile, ivory-tinged way. Watch video of the Nirvana cover below, followed by the full concert (come for the tunes, stay for a glimpse of Blake’s a...
Miley Cyrus Covers The Beatles’ “Help!” in Empty Rose Bowl Stadium: Watch
On Saturday, a number of big-name musicians, actors, and other celebrities teamed up for the “Global Goal: Unite for Our Future”, a benefit concert raising money for the coordination and development of COVID-19 tests, treatments and vaccines, and to ensure equitable access to citizens across the globe. Among the participating musicians was Miley Cyrus, who performed a cover of The Beatles’ “Help!” from an empty Rose Bowl Stadium in Los Angeles. Cyrus dedicated her performance to “those who are tirelessly working on testing, treatment, and vaccines so all of us can come together in places like empty stadiums again.” Watch Cyrus’ full performance below. Cyrus, who recently celebrated her sixth month of sobriety, has delivered a number of compelling covers as of late. She sang Pink Floyd...
Sevendust Return with Cover of Soundgarden’s “The Day I Tried to Live”: Stream
Sevendust are back with a cover of Soundgarden’s “The Day I Tried to Live”, their first new recording since their acclaimed 2018 album, All I See Is War. Singer Lajon Witherspoon pointed to the song’s timeless lyrics as one of the main reasons the band decided to cover the Soundgarden track, which originally appeared on the 1994 album Superunknown. “Soundgarden is such an important band to all of us in Sevendust and this love for them goes all the way back to when we were starting,” said Witherspoon in a press release. “We discussed trying to do one of their songs and our producer Elvis [Baskette] suggested ‘The Day I Tried To Live’.” The frontman continued, “When I first heard it, I thought the lyrics were timeless. The lyrics are about trying to experience new things and c...
Kesha Delivers Roaring Cover of T. Rex’s “Children of the Revolution”: Stream
T. Rex’s Marc Bolan (photo via Ian Dickson/Wikipedia) and Kesha Later this summer, Marc Bolan and T. Rex will be celebrated with a massive tribute album called AngelHeaded Hipster. Produced by the beloved Hal Willner prior to his death, it features Bolan classics covered by prominent acts like U2, Father John Misty, Elton John, and Joan Jett, among others. Following Nick Cave’s rendition of “Cosmc Dancer” comes a second preview of the release, 1972’s “Children of the Revolution” as reimagined by Kesha. While known for her catchy pop hits, the High Road star also possesses incredibly powerful pipes, which she showcases on today’s cover. Whether the note’s high or low, the singer punches each one with fierce passion — the kind that would make Bolan proud. Check out the c...
Cat Power Pays Tribute to Cassius’ Philippe Zdar with Cover of “Toop Toop”: Stream
Cat Power (photo by Inez & Vinoodh) and Cassius’ Philippe Zdar (photo via Dyane de Serigny) Today marks the one-year anniversary of the tragic death of Cassius’ Philippe Zdar. To honor the late French producer, his friend and collaborator Cat Power has shared a cover of Cassius’ 2006 hit “Toop Toop”. Cat Power (aka Chan Marshall) and Zdar worked together numerous times over the years, with the former appearing on a handful of tracks on Cassius’ 2016 LP Ibifornia. Zdar even worked pro-bono on Cat Power’s classic 2012 album Sun. Their close relationship led Marshall to pay homage to Zdar at his funeral, where she teamed with -M- (French rocker Matthieu Chedid) for a performance of “Toop Toop”. Zdar’s widow, Dyane de Serigny, recalled in a press release how she joined the duo at Cas...
Dead Cross (Mike Patton, Dave Lombardo) Cover Black Flag’s “Rise Above” in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter: Stream
The hardcore supergroup Dead Cross, featuring living legends Mike Patton on vocals and Dave Lombardo on drums, have covered the Black Flag classic “Rise Above” in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Patton (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle) and Lombardo (Misfits, ex-Slayer) are joined by Dead Cross bandmates Michael Crain (guitar) and Justin Pearson (bass) on the socially distant performance. The song is preceded by an audio recording of a resident’s profanity-laced tirade against the LAPD as he called in to an actual police commission meeting on Zoom. In posting the video on Facebook and YouTube, the band stated that the performance was “created in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and staunchly opposing police brutality and systemic racism.” Dead Cross hit the studio ...
Inter Arma Unveil Cover of Nine Inch Nails’ “March of the Pigs”: Stream
Inter Arma recently announced a covers EP titled Garbers Days Revisited, and now they’ve unveiled the second single from the forthcoming release: a metallic version of the Nine Inch Nails classic “March of the Pigs”. In a press release, Inter Arma acknowledged that it could be construed that the timing of the single is tied to the current unrest across the nation, where protests have broken out following the death of George Floyd in police custody. In fact, the band actually quietly released the song last week, but didn’t announce it until today. “We released our cover of Nine Inch Nails’ ‘March of the Pigs’ this past Tuesday, but felt it would have been inappropriate to latch onto the outrage we’re all experiencing to promote a cover album, even if by happenstance,” stated the band. ...
Mr. Bungle Unveil Cover of The Exploited’s “USA”, First New Recording Since 1999: Stream
Mr. Bungle have just released their first new recording in more than 20 years. It comes in the form of a cover of The Exploited’s “USA”, with all proceeds going to COVID-19 relief efforts. Mike Patton joined fellow original members Trevor Dunn (bass) and Trey Spruance (guitar) for a series of reunion shows in February of this year, with Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian and former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo rounding out the touring lineup. The shows focused on the group’s hardcore roots, as they performed their early 1986 demo, The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny, along with a number of cover songs. Then in March, news came that the very same touring lineup had convened in a studio shortly after those shows to re-record the 1986 demo, and lay down studio versions of the cover songs ...
