Kevin tagged, well, y'know, whoever, over at his blog:
Bettye Lavette: "Sleep To Dream" -- So, I honestly never heard the original of this song until after I heard this version. So to me, this is completely the definitive version. The arrangement if very much in keeping with the Fiona Apple original, albeit slightly more organic, but the difference is in the delivery. That voice -- that voice! -- gives it a hard edge of scorn mixed with pain.
Cristina: "When U Were Mine" -- Yeah, so I am a complete sucker for cover songs, this time a version of the Prince classic. His version of the song was always one of my favorites of his, and to have a woman singing it just makes it that much more subversive:
Heaven 17: "Hands Up To Heaven" -- A dance floor stomper that makes me want to roll down my windows when I'm driving and hoot and hollar like an idiot. It's post-Daft Punk disco, just great House music from a group who knows how to make really good dance music.
Los Campesinos!: "You! Me! Dancing!" -- Los Campesinos! are like if Belle & Sebastian decided to concentrate on punky dance music. The lyrics are just as minutely observed as Belle & Sebastian, but the songs themselves are pumped up and joyous, as it is with this song, an homage to the gleeful spunkiness of the late band, Bis. This is from one of my favorite albums of the year.
The Polyphonic Spree: "Section 23: Get Up and Go" -- Who knew The Polyphonic Spree could rock? Who knew that they could also write songs that consisted of more than choruses? It still traffics in the grandiosity that their sheer size makes so easy for them, but that doesn't get into the way of the velocity of the song, as it has tended to in the past. I downloaded this album a while ago, and have only started to really get into it fairly recently.
Santogold: "Lights Out" -- This song has a slinky 80s vibe to it that I like a lot; it doesn't traffic in the sort of obvious nods to New Wave that you would expect. It has a spacious funkiness that evokes something that I can't quite get a handle on. There's a little The Cars in there, the breathiness and the occasional hiccup evoke Missing Persons. Pixies is even there, somewhere in the harmonies. It's a pretty, slightly melancholy song. There's been a lot of decrying of Santogold as a M.I.A. clone, but songs like this put the lie to that.
Taana Gardner: "Work That Body" -- An almost 8 minute disco workout, mixed by seminal DJ Larry Levan. Funky and sexy and interminable. The percussion skitters about nervously as the bass sets the priorities and the keys accent and evaporate. I have no idea what that means, but I like the song, and I will not apologize for that! Sorry.
I don't know that seven people even read this blog, but if you do, feel free to post this meme.
By the way, by coinciedence, all of these songs (sans one! Guess which!) are available through eMusic. eMusic rules!
PS: I have uploaded all of the songs to my Muxtape, so go and listen to them yourself, if so inclined!
I'm a sucker for a meme."List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they're not any good, but they must be songs you're really enjoying now, shaping your spring. Post these instructions in your blog along with your 7 songs. Then tag 7 other people to see what they're listening to."
Bettye Lavette: "Sleep To Dream" -- So, I honestly never heard the original of this song until after I heard this version. So to me, this is completely the definitive version. The arrangement if very much in keeping with the Fiona Apple original, albeit slightly more organic, but the difference is in the delivery. That voice -- that voice! -- gives it a hard edge of scorn mixed with pain.
Cristina: "When U Were Mine" -- Yeah, so I am a complete sucker for cover songs, this time a version of the Prince classic. His version of the song was always one of my favorites of his, and to have a woman singing it just makes it that much more subversive:
When u were mine, I even let you wear my clothesAw! Hags in love!
I must have been blind
Maybe that's the reason why it hurt me so
I know that you're going with another guy
I don't care 'cuz I love you, baby, that's no lie.
Heaven 17: "Hands Up To Heaven" -- A dance floor stomper that makes me want to roll down my windows when I'm driving and hoot and hollar like an idiot. It's post-Daft Punk disco, just great House music from a group who knows how to make really good dance music.
Los Campesinos!: "You! Me! Dancing!" -- Los Campesinos! are like if Belle & Sebastian decided to concentrate on punky dance music. The lyrics are just as minutely observed as Belle & Sebastian, but the songs themselves are pumped up and joyous, as it is with this song, an homage to the gleeful spunkiness of the late band, Bis. This is from one of my favorite albums of the year.
The Polyphonic Spree: "Section 23: Get Up and Go" -- Who knew The Polyphonic Spree could rock? Who knew that they could also write songs that consisted of more than choruses? It still traffics in the grandiosity that their sheer size makes so easy for them, but that doesn't get into the way of the velocity of the song, as it has tended to in the past. I downloaded this album a while ago, and have only started to really get into it fairly recently.
Santogold: "Lights Out" -- This song has a slinky 80s vibe to it that I like a lot; it doesn't traffic in the sort of obvious nods to New Wave that you would expect. It has a spacious funkiness that evokes something that I can't quite get a handle on. There's a little The Cars in there, the breathiness and the occasional hiccup evoke Missing Persons. Pixies is even there, somewhere in the harmonies. It's a pretty, slightly melancholy song. There's been a lot of decrying of Santogold as a M.I.A. clone, but songs like this put the lie to that.
Taana Gardner: "Work That Body" -- An almost 8 minute disco workout, mixed by seminal DJ Larry Levan. Funky and sexy and interminable. The percussion skitters about nervously as the bass sets the priorities and the keys accent and evaporate. I have no idea what that means, but I like the song, and I will not apologize for that! Sorry.
I don't know that seven people even read this blog, but if you do, feel free to post this meme.
By the way, by coinciedence, all of these songs (sans one! Guess which!) are available through eMusic. eMusic rules!
PS: I have uploaded all of the songs to my Muxtape, so go and listen to them yourself, if so inclined!
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