unpiano: music

Got up this morning to find another beautiful sun-drenched winter morning. This happens to be the perfect song for this moment in time and there is not much that I can add to make this post any better. Nina Simone took an amazing Leonard Cohen song and brought it somewhere else (which is what a good cover should do). I’m partial to the studio version, but check out the live recording for a completely different take on it.

Nina Simone - Suzanne

Bonus:
Nina Simone - Suzanne (live at NY Philharmonic Hall, 1969)
Leonard Cohen - Suzanne

The Teenagers wrote a song called ‘No Love’ a little bit ago and it was just okay (that guy’s accent is really starting to annoy me). Luckily French singer Stéphanie Sokolinski (aka SoKo) came along and covered it while also adding a little bit of response (i.e. flipping the point of view). The result kills the original and while I’m sure that I’ll be sick of it next week, today it’s on repeat. It’s also very mature sentiment for a pop song no? Thanks to Suckapants for the tip.

Soko - No Love (for Teenagers)
The Teenagers - Love No

Bonus:
Soko - I’ll Kill Her

Here are a trio of covers that have been sounding good to me lately. Calexico does an amazing job of breaking down ‘Guns Of Brixton’ and making it appropriately creepy. Yeah Yeah Yeahs create a version of ‘Diamond Sea’ that is even sleepier and more floaty. The Bloc Party cover is cheesy, I know, but have you ever heard that Nelly Furtado song before? I had totally forgotten about it until I heard this cover. Two pop songs colliding together always make me happy (for like the first 10 times). Don’t worry, I’ll hate that one in a week or so.

Calexico - The Guns Of Brixton
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Diamond Sea
Bloc Party - Say It Right

Formerly of San Francisco and now of New York, Namesake’s Adam Cimino continues to create some of the best 4-track recordings I have ever heard. Seriously, I don’t know how he can make drums sound like that with one mic and a cassette tape. More important, is the fact that the songs he creates have a signature sound that sort of creates their own genre. I tried to think of what I would label this posting as in the blog, but came up empty handed. I only added the label indie rock because I’m not creative enough to think of anything else (I added ‘Namesake’ as a category). The cd that these songs were pulled off contains a cross section of his work, plus a wood-block print, a zine and a screen printed cd and sleeve.. all handmade. The music he makes reflects this same attitude and I have yet to meet anyone who wasn’t blown away. Anyways, even though we will miss him dearly, I wish Adam the very best of luck in New York and you should also check out his other band The Mall, who I’m sure you will hear about very soon.

Namesake - An Astonishing Portrait of the Natural World
Namesake - S.I.O (M. Carey Cover)
Namesake - Bully! Bully! Bully! (Pigeon Fight - 24th St. Bart)
Namesake - Like Long Lost Leviathon

I really like reggae. Let’s just get that out of the way. While I can feel a lot of dancehall stuff, I mostly get down with some lovers. Sort of on a chill out scenario. Like, put on some lovers or some other mellow stuff and just hang out in the sun. Anyways, when I was in Portland recently I came across this box set from Trojan records who puts out consistent compilations and kind of dominates that market (kind of like Soul Jazz - you can close your eyes, point at one of their albums and you are guaranteed a good one). This compilation is all early Detroit R&B covers with some soul and rock mixed in there too. Three discs of summertime goodness that will be sure to piss off my friends. How did reggae get such a bad rap anyway? It doesn’t even matter because this compilation will change people’s mind.

Desi Young - I Don’t Know (Why I love You)
Alton Ellis - What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)
Derrick Harriott - You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me
Alton Ellis - It’s A Shame

//Photo by Tod Seelie

I heard two great covers recently both courtesy of Tod Seelie’s blog Suckapants which is a constant source of great music. Tod is pretty much the king of covers, so I knew they would be great before I heard them. This version of Young Folks might not be your cup of tea if you’re fresh off the original, but if you have had some time apart you might be a fan. As for the Michael Idov song, I think it’s the best (and worst) thing I have ever heard.

Dawn Landes - Young Folks
Michael Idov - I Kill Everything I Fuck

Yep, another Arcade Fire post. Anyway, here are some b-sides and demos that I find very nice indeed. Some of the sound quality is not so hot, but what can you do. Also, on first listen the Talking Heads cover is sort of boring but it grew on me and now I like it a bunch. They just played a bunch of shows on the west coast with Electrelane (whom I’ll be posting about soon) that I heard were a great time but of course had forgotten to get tickets for. I think I’m better at blowin’ it then I am and makin’ it. I’m okay with that because blowin’ it is more fun sometimes.

Arcade Fire - Burning Bridges Breaking Hearts
Arcade Fire - Cars and Telephones
Arcade Fire - Naive Melody

It took me a minute to really start liking American Sneakers. I had heard the song Try Something a while back and liked it a lot, but the rest of the tracks on the newly released album seemed really sing-songy and kind of stale. Lately though, I have been really feeling the album which may or not be a good thing considering the songs are all about cocaine and women. Anyways, the point is now I think the album is decent and deserves a listen. Also, if you buy the picture disc 7″, it has some amazing artwork from Jim Houser, you also get the full length Darts & Daggers AND you get a zine made by Jayson that is maybe one of the funniest things I have ever read. I wish I could find it online to link to, but I guess you have to buy it. The zine alone might be worth the $15.

American Sneakers - Try Something
American Sneakers - C.I.A.
American Sneakers - Finito

Bonus:
American Sneakers - Drunk Phonecall

I can’t hang with noise/art rock too much. Sometimes they make for great live shows, but listening to them at home doesn’t ever seem that appealing to me. There is always that one song though, hidden in the album somewhere, that you can listen to a million times and even bring out when you dj the bar. For Japanese band Kiiiiiii, that song would be ‘4 Little Joeys’. I hear Kiiiiiii’s shows are really fun and I just barley missed them playing recently at The Rickshaw in San Francisco.. Go see them if they are playing in your town.

Kiiiiiii - 4 Little Joeys

Watch the video

Smiths covers are sort of tricky. There are so many bad ones out there that when a good one comes along, sometimes you can’t be sure. To be fair, both of these songs will never hold a candle to their originals.. but that’s what makes them good. They can be appreciated as a totally different song. Pretend that you never heard the Smiths versions and give them a shot. Also, Mark Ronson’s track segways to one of my favorite Supremes songs.. so that gets extra credit.

Mark Ronson - Stop Me

Burnto Bertolucci - Bake Me Dome Tonight