I remembered to bring my computer home from work this week, so I can actually post the mix tape I intended to post last week. It’s always fun looking through my record collection and hard drive for weird covers, so hopefully you won’t be disappointed by the selection this week. One or two of these might have been posted before (I know for a fact Seaweed covering Jonathan Richman was shared on the Sub Pop Peel Sessions post), but most of these should be baby-spankin’ new.
Calexico covers Nick Drake, then Nick Drake turns around and covers…ugh…Bob Dylan. So too does PJ Harvey. Japancakes cover Cocteau Twins (?), The Birthday Party and Nebula cover The Stooges, Mark Lanegan performing “In The Pines” (aka “Where Did You Sleep Last Night”) is what inspired Kurt Cobain to do the same for Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged. Pere Ubu covers a Brian Wilson tune! Oasis covers…Quiet Riot? Ok…Oh, and a fucking awesome cover of Suicide’s “Rocket USA” by Loop. If you’ll remember, another cool Loop cover (their version of Can’s “Vitamin C”) has already been posted here in the past, and that one sure was impressive.
Overall, I think 99% of cover songs are stupid. Especially on proper studio albums. If you want to bury one on a b-side compilation or pick one to re-arrange and play live throughout your career that’s fine, otherwise they’re mostly pointless. But what do I know about music? Nothin’.
RULES for uninitiated noobs: With roughly 100MB of webspace, I give birth to a weekly Mix Tape to be deposited on your iPods or Zunes or Kingklangs or whatever the industry is currently pushing on you. Sometimes there will be themes that link all the songs together, other times I’ll just throw songs at a wall (not literally) and see what sticks. I’ve already explained this week’s mix. The goal of this endeavor, as always, is to pique your interest in these artists so you’ll support the artists and buy their albums.
Sunday Mix Tape – Number 134
“Covers! Covers! Covers” ^3
Tracklist:
01. Nebula – I Need Somebody [Stooges] – (buy this album)
02. Grails – 11th Hour [Ventures] – (buy this album)
03. Entrance – I’m So Glad [Skip James] – (buy this album)
04. Seedweed – She’s Cracked [Jonathan Richman] – (buy this album)
05. Elliott Smith – Trouble [Cat Stevens] – (Unreleased Demo)
06. Low – Jack Smith [Supreme Dicks] – (buy this album)
07. Scout Niblett – Comfort You [Van Morrison] – (buy this album)
08. Calexico – Clothes Of Sand [Nick Drake] – (buy this album)
09. Nick Drake – Tomorrow Is A Long Time [Bob Dylan] – (buy this album)
10. PJ Harvey – Highway 61 Revisited [Bob Dylan] – (buy this album)
11. Big Black – He’s A Whore [Cheap Trick] – (buy this album)
12. Japancakes – Heaven Or Las Vegas [Cocteau Twins] – (buy this album)
13. Snakefinger – Magic and Ecstasy [Ennio Morricone] – (buy this album)
14. Pere Ubu – Surfer Girl [Brian Wilson] – (buy this album)
15. Townes Van Zandt – Hello Central [Lightnin’ Hopkins] – (buy this album)
16. Muse – Feeling Good [Nina Simone] – (buy this album)
17. Oasis – Cum On Feel The Noize [Slade] – (buy this album)
18. Mark Lanegan – Where Did You Sleep Last Night [Leadbelly] – (buy this album)
19. Loop – Rocket USA [Suicide] – (buy this album)
20. Birthday Party – Loose [Stooges] – (buy this album)
