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Dave Grohl Covers The Clash’s “Train in Vain” with Greg Kurstin on Night Seven of Hanukkah: Watch
Dave Grohl and producer Greg Kurstin have spent the past six nights celebrating Hanukkah by covering beloved songs made famous by Jewish artists. For the seventh night of the Festival of Lights, the Foo Fighters frontman and his longtime collaborator performed The Clash classic, “Train in Vain.” “Michael Geoffrey Jones, born to Russian Jewish mother Renee Zagansky, would come to be known as punk rock legend Mick Jones, co-founder of The Clash. It’s London Calling Jerusalem as we take a ‘Train In Vain,’” the duo write to introduce their latest cover. Watch the video below. The third and final song on The Clash’s London Calling, “Train in Vain” notably features Jones on lead vocals, with frontman Joe Strummer accompanying him on piano. Advertisement Related Video Previously, Grohl and ...
HAIM Revamp Adam Sandler’s “The Chanukah Song”: Watch
We’re not here to pick favorites, but very few holiday songs have stood the test of time as well as Adam Sandler’s unforgettable classic “The Chanukah Song,” in which the canonically Jewish actor rattles off a few of his celebrity friends who also celebrate the Festival of Lights. But considering that song is 27 years old now, it’s time to update the name-drops: Cue canonically Jewish indie rock band HAIM, who revamped the Sandman’s tune as part of their annual “Haimukkah” festivities. Sandler debuted “The Chanukah Song” on this day in 1994 for an appearance on Saturday Night Live‘s Weekend Update. HAIM’s version respectfully swaps out Sandler’s pals in favor of the sister trio’s friends in music and beyond. “Maya Rudolph lights the menorah /So does Japanese Breakfast, and the Dessners do ...
Dave Grohl Joined by Daughter Violet Grohl for Cover of Amy Winehouse’s “Take the Box”: Watch
And on the fifth night of Hanukkah, Dave Grohl enlisted his 15-year-old daughter, Violet, for a poignant cover of Amy Winehouse’s “Take the Box.” “Despite this song’s mention of a ‘Moschino bra you bought me last Christmas,’ it’s common knowledge that the amazing woman behind the song was actually Jewish. Gone far too soon…” Grohl wrote in a social media post linking to the cover. The Winehouse cover serves as the fifth installment in Grohl and producer Greg Kurstin’s ongoing Hanukkah covers song series. For the second year in a row, the duo are covering songs by notable Jewish artists and releasing one at a time each night of Hanukkah. Previously, they gifted us a metal rendition of Lisa Loeb’s “Stay (I Missed You),” a faithful take on the Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop,” a disco video for Barr...
Sufjan Stevens Releasing Cover of Nick Drake’s “Pink Moon”
Sufjan Stevens may be taking an indefinite break from releasing new music, but we haven’t heard the last of him quite yet. The singer-songwriter’s label Asthmatic Kitty has announced Stevens recorded a cover of Nick Drake’s “Pink Moon” for an upcoming book of the same name by artist Marcel Dzama. The cover will be included with the special edition of Pink Moon as part of a 7-inch picture disc that also features Hannah Peel’s own take on Drake’s 1972 track. Pre-orders for the book are ongoing. Here’s the official description: “In Pink Moon, artist Marcel Dzama presents a raft of new works inspired by travelling through Mexico and Morocco which touch on the wonder that travel and the strange immersion in cultures aside from one’s own can so often engender. Taking visual cues from the evocati...
Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan and Soulsavers Cover Soul Classic “The Dark End of the Street”: Stream
Depeche Mode singer Dave Gahan has teamed up with longtime musical partner Soulsavers (aka Rich Machin) to take on the 1967 soul classic “The Dark End of the Street.” The duo’s version of the track appears on their upcoming covers album Imposter. For their take, Gahan stays faithful to the original and is joined by a group of background singers on the last verse, which features lyrics like “When the daylight hour rolls around/ And by chance we’re both downtown/ If we should meet, just walk on by/ Oh darling, please don’t cry.” Written by Chips Moman and Dan Penn in 1966, “The Dark End Of The Street” was initially recorded by James Carr. The track became Carr’s signature single, peaking at No. 10 on the Billboard Black Singles Chart and No. 77 on the Hot 100. Since then, it’s been covered b...
Andrew Bird and Lucius Share Live Performance of The Velvet Underground’s “Venus in Furs”: Watch
Andrew Bird and Lucius were among a slew of high-profile acts who contributed to the recently released track-by-track covers album I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico, and now they have shared an intimate live recording of their take on “Venus in Furs.” Of course, “Venus in Furs” wouldn’t be complete without John Cale’s iconic viola solo. It makes sense that Bird — who’s a bit of a violin legend in his own right — would put his own spin on the track, using loop pedals to fill out the live performance as he then plucks the four-stringed instrument like a banjo alongside Lucius’ flawless vocal harmonies. Though nobody could compete with Lou Reed and company, this is one cover that rivals its original. Check out their living room performance of “Venus In ...
TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s Yeonjun and Taehyun Cover Justin Bieber and The Kid LAROI’s “Stay”: Stream
Yeonjun and Taehyun of TOMORROW X TOGETHER have dropped their cover of “Stay” by Justin Bieber and The Kid LAROI. Stream it below. On their take, the K-pop idols hew fairly close to the spirit of the original track, bouncing vocal lines off one another and letting their falsetto loose on the song’s floating melody. “When I’m away from you, I miss your touch/ You’re the reason I believe in love,” they croon over slamming pop production. “It’s been difficult for me to trust/ And I’m afraid that I’mma fuck it up/ Ain’t no way that I can leave you stranded/ ‘Cause you ain’t ever left me empty-handed.” Advertisement The TOMORROW X TOGETHER members also released a performance video to coincide with the “Stay” cover, in which they play the reigning No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 from a mattre...
Anya Taylor-Joy Goes “Downtown” in Eerie Last Night in Soho Music Video: Watch
Anya Taylor-Joy is going “Downtown.” Today, the star unveiled her eerie take on the ’60s classic by Petula Clark in a new music video promoting the Edgar Wright-directed film Last Night in Soho. Watch it below. “When you’re alone and life is making you lonely, you can always go/ Downtown,” Taylor-Joy warbles on the downtempo track over a full string section as scenes from the time-shifting thriller play across the screen. “When you’ve got worries, all the noise and the hurry seems to help, I know/ Downtown/ Just listen to the music of the traffic in the city/ Linger on the sidewalks where the neon signs are pretty/ How can you lose?” In the upcoming psychological horror flick, the Emmy nominee portrays Sandie, an aspiring singer in 1960s London whom modern-day fashion student Eloise (Thoma...
Real Estate Cover Television’s “Days”: Stream
Real Estate are celebrating the 10th anniversary of their breakout album, Days, with a cover of the song that inspired it: Television’s striking 1978 track “Days.” With this cover, Real Estate are rattling the unbroken chain connecting melodic indie rock of the past and present. It’s a fittingly faithful cover, and would slot in nicely amongst the tuneful guitars of Days. In a statement, bassist Alex Bleeker explained how Television’s song, their own album, and the new cover are related. He wrote, “The shrewd, completist bootlegger will always remember 6/30/2011 as the day that we debuted the album Days live in its entirety at 285 Kent in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Back then Domino Park, across the street, was still a dilapidated sugar warehouse, and our unreleased sophomore al...
Jeff Tweedy Announces New Album, Covers Neil Young’s “The Old Country Waltz”: Stream
Jeff Tweedy has announced a deluxe edition of his 2020 album Love Is the King, featuring a new collection of live versions of its songs titled Live Is the King. Due out December 10th via dBpm Records, it comes with a new cover of Neil Young’s “The Old Country Waltz,” which is out today. Live is the King sees the Wilco frontman accompanied by a band consisting of his sons Sammy and Spencer Tweedy, as well as Liam Kazar, James Elkington, and Ohmme’s Sima Cunningham. The live versions were recorded at Wilco’s Chicago studio the Loft, as well as the Chicago venues Constellation and The Hideout. You can pre-order Love Is the King/Live Is the King now. Watch Jeff Tweedy and the aforementioned band’s performance of Neil Young’s “The Old Country Waltz” below, followed by the deluxe editi...
Johnny Cash’s 1968 Cover of Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice It’s All Right” Released: Stream
Throughout his career, Johnny Cash was a noted fan of Bob Dylan, often incorporating a cover of one of the latter’s songs into his live performances. In anticipation for the Man in Black’s forthcoming live album, Bear’s Sonic Journals: Johnny Cash, At The Carousel Ballroom April 24, 1968, his cover of Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice It’s All Right” from that special evening is being released for the first time. “Don’t Think Twice It’s All Right” originally appeared on 1963’s The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan as a spare acoustic number with just Dylan’s voice, guitar, and harmonica. Cash’s version beefs it up with a chugging rhythm section that gives the song an outlaw country flair — not to mention the stark differences between Dylan’s mellow tenor and Cash’s unmistakably booming baritone. Notabl...
Bartees Strange, Eric Slick, and OHMME Cover TV on the Radio’s “Province”: Stream
The only thing better than finding a new indie rock artist you love is discovering that they look up to an old indie rock artist you also love. It’s a warm feeling, and a handful of our favorite musicians are rekindling that today by way of a cover song; Bartees Strange, Eric Slick, and OHMME joined forces to record their own version of “Province” by TV on the Radio. Stream it below. For their group rendition of “Province,” all three artists play into their unique strengths. The Dr. Dog drummer steers the track with his effortless fills and driving rhythms, Bartees Strange adds an emotional depth with his pitch-perfect vocals, and OHMME’s Sima Cunningham and Macie Stewart add synth swells to the mix like celestial glitter. It’s a low-key yet riveting cover of a TV on the Radio classic, and...
