Has it really been a month?

Well, actually, no. Several weeks though...not good. Let's see - what to write, what to write, what...

I know! Covers! About 95% of them are crap. There's only one reason for a band to do a cover: if they can bring a fresh, different interpretation of their own to the song. I'm bringing this up because I just today heard two covers; one of "Stand By Me" performed by John Lennon, and another of "That's When I Reach For My Revolver", performed by Moby. I like John, and I like Moby, but these are song that were done right the first time. No need to mess about with these songs. These guys have more than enough talent and creativity to either come up with a song that needs to be redone ("Voices Carry", for example), or just to come up with an original of their own.

One notable exception to this rule of covers applies to live performances - if you can perform a true and faithful reproduction live, then fine, go ahead. One performance that comes to mind is 10,000 Maniacs doing "Because the Night" on MTV Unplugged (pulled from YouTube...grrrrr!!!).

Once again, just to make it clear...

Good:

Transcendant:

Bad. Really, really, really bad:


Effing Olsen twins...



----------------
Listening to: Dinosaur Jr. - Start Choppin (LP Version)
via FoxyTunes

FRE - Bold New Adventures In Obsolescence and Futilty

I would be remiss, as I bloviate across the empty vacuum of this far-flung arm of the blogosphere, if I did not, among other things, such as, in the interest of full disclosure, admitting that I've just absolutely lost control of this sentence, point out the little music player on my sidebar over there. Give it a listen, won't you?

Great...now let's get on with the FRE while it's still Friday, shall we?

1) Shiver - Coldplay.
I really can't abide what's become of Coldplay since this album.

2) Somewhere Only We Know - Keane.
I like this song, but it just needs a big "gong" at the very end. That'd be sweet!

3) Victory - PJ Harvey.
Love me some Peej! She's a real artist, growing through her medium. Great stuff.

4) Question! - System of a Down.
If a song has an exclaimation point in it, it's good. That's just the way it is.

5) Satchel Mouth - Balloon Guy.
Ooo...look at me! I'm supporting local music!
This is pretty good, actually.

6) Fake Pastic Trees - Radiohead.
You could really tell they were about to do something big when The Bends came out after Pablo Honey.

7) Been A Son - Nirvana.
Old school Nirvana is the best-school Nirvana.

8) Ghost Song - Best Friends Forever.
The one time I saw BFF in concert, we only got like two and a half songs out of them before the equipment crapped out, but it was awesome. This was the one of the two songs I heard all the way through, and it echoed surrealistically off of the brick facade of the Bell Museum.

It was fucking awesome.

This video doesn't do it justice, but check out their stuff.

9) Cannon Ball - The Breeders.
Who doesn't like this song? Show me one person - I will personally spit upon them!

10) Would? - Alice in Chains.
OK, we're going a little early 90's here. Let's see if we can turn it around on #11.

11) Fuck and Run - Liz Phair.
Nope, I we couldn't turn it around. That's OK though - I like this song...except the part where she goes, "Fuck and run, even when I was seventeen, fuck and run, even when I was twelve."

Twelve?!? WTF!


----------------
Listening to: PJ Harvey - Rid Of Me
via FoxyTunes