Coveted Covers – Set 1

Welcome to the first installation of the new irregular regular, Coveted Covers! A post dedicated exclusively to the promotion of excellent covers and the artists who created them, and the originals too of course. The basic premise has already been established, see Recent Remixes. Basically too little time to post about each individual song yet their merit is so great that together they rationalise this segment. And you get your hands on some excellent tracks at the same time.

First up on the inaugural Coveted Covers is Batyar by The Ukranians (they are from Ukraine). Batyar, I presume, means Bigmouth Strikes Again in Ukranian, a very efficient language. Their cover of the most excellent Smiths‘ track is full of cultural vibrance and genuinely makes you feel like you’re watching them in a cramped underground Ukranian bar. Great stuff.

Batyar (Big Mouth Strikes Again, The Smiths Cover) – The Ukranians

Next is Nightwaves‘ cover of Phil Collins‘ classic track In The Air Tonight. Does anything really need to be said about this concept? It is too good! The cover has all the tacky goodness of the original but with a modern dreamwave touch. The guys from Binary nailed it.

In The Air Tonight (Phil Collins) – Nightwaves

Third on the list is probably my favorite in the lot. NZ duo Little Pictures cover of Weezer‘s breakthrough hit Buddy Holly is pure magic. The heartfelt rework captures the charm of the original but ditches the distorted power-chords for precise bedroom-pop embellishment. Getting all your mates into the studio to sing along and make up their own melodies is sheer Indie genius, even if that sounds a little contrived. I have loved this song for a while now and I often used it as my “happy song” to channel my “happy place” when in need. All class.

Buddy Holly (Weezer) – Little Pictures

4th is Hidden Cat‘s cover of Bag Raiders‘ massive hit Shooting Star. Why is a DJ doing a “cover” of another dance Act’s song? I don’t know, but it is quality. My friend lent me his ipod and suggested the track as I was about to go for a run on a beach in Koh Phangan, Thailand. This epic 7 minute interpretation was the perfect tune to keep my motivation high as the sun set behind me. Chilled electro bliss.

Shooting Stars (Bag Raiders) – Hidden Cat

Last on the list is a track from The Golden Filter who were featured here a little while ago. Their cover of The White Stripes‘ track The Hardest Button To Button is a grand transformation from the original. I chose this track because the Filter have this innate ability in their remixes, and indeed this cover, to infuse so much of their own sound into the track. Few Artists can reveal so much about their own style when borrowing someone else’s idea like these two can. Each track becomes an original once again. I think you’ll see what I mean.

The Hardest Button To Button (The White Stripes) – The Golden Filter

Flashback – Weezer (The Blue Album)

Remember when Weezer were good? I do. They were good, they were damn good. They personified 90’s nerd rock perfectly and produced the kind of music that you could only fully comprehend if you were an introverted, acne-laden adolescent male with a mutual appreciation for rocking guitar riffs and pining for unattainable girls and summer holidays. Which I most definitely was.

The Blue Album was Weezer’s 1994 debut release and the record stands as a fine example of many bands producing their best work on their debut. I don’t know where to begin with this album, I love every track on it. The opening track “My Name Is Jonas” is fantastically eccentric. The next two tracks “No One Else” and “The World Has Turned and left me here” demonstrate Rivers Cuomo‘s knack for writing pessimistic yet endlessly charming love songs. The lead single “Buddy Holly” is perhaps the best example of this.

My favorite track on the record is “Say it Ain’t So” which features Cuomo’s raw and honest description of his relationship with his step-father accompanied by chunky power-chords and a ripper guitar solo. It is everything a teenage rock enthusiast needs. “In The Garage” and “Holiday” perfectly summarise teen angst and desperate holiday yearnings respectively and the final track “Only In Dreams” just has a kick ass guitar wank crescendo in it that I am still not over.

If you have youth and hair on your chest then I strongly urge you to get this album. Pick up your guitar and jam along in your bedroom. Even now as a young adult I still can’t get enough.

Say it Ain’t So – Weezer

Holiday – Weezer

Only in Dreams – Weezer