Big Echo

'Talking Through Tin Cans', the morning benders' debut was probably the most underrated album of 2008. I have been hooked to this young Berkeley indie pop quartet since the days of their amazing EPs 'Loose Change' and 'Boarded Doors'. The band is back with their sophomore 'Big Echo' out on March 9th, and with Grizzly Bear's Chris Taylor as the producer, I believe the morning benders will finally get the attention they truly deserve.
'Big Echo' is as apt as it can get for the band's latest effort, it is made to be played loud and linger in your ears even after the audio goes off. Grizzly Bear-ish vocal harmonies are heard in the album but the band did not stray too much fron their brand of youthful rock that channels classic sound like The Beatles with endearing melodies. Boys I am impressed. If you have not heard of these boys, 'Big Echo' is definitely a great point to start with.

the morning benders - Excuses
the morning benders - Wet Cement
the morning benders - Crying (Roy Orbison cover)

Grizzly Bear covers Hot Chip

Grizzly Bear dropped by Triple J Like A Version recently to drop a haunting cover of Hot Chip's "Boy From School". The track is transformed into the band's trademark folky approach, with melodramic vocals and beautiful harmonies, which is awesome in its own way. Why didn't they play this in Southbound!?

Grizzly Bear - Boy From School (Hot Chip Cover)

Sondre Lerche Covers Animal Collective

I should have seen this coming after Sondre Lerche tweeted 'Bluish' is the best song of 2009. His cover of Animal Collective further evidenced that after stripping down the layers of synths and distortions, they are simply good and fun pop music.

Sondre Lerche - Bluish (Animal Collective cover)

Metronomy's 'Like A Version'

Triple J's 'Like A Version' is probably the Australian version of Live Lounge. Metronomy was touring down under for Parklife Festival not long ago. A cover song choice? Nothing is more apt than the Australia's most hyped band of the year - Empire Of The Sun which just did their first live show in Parklife as well. And so Metronomy did their own version of We Are The People, grab it below.

Metronomy - We Are The People (Empire Of The Sun cover)

Time To Pretend

I stumbled across two covers of MGMT's Time To Pretend lately. It has been awhile since this summer anthem hit the dancefloor in 2008, so it was a bit of an odd song choice to cover at this moment. Kaiser Chiefs covered the song on Radio 1 Live Lounge, and Ricky Wilson changed some of the lyrics, it was pretty hilarious. Whereas Paul Dempsey's version is an acoustic one, nice and simple.

Kaiser Chiefs - Time To Pretend (MGMT cover)
Paul Dempsey - Time To Pretend (MGMT cover)

Affair with The Strokes

Anything The Strokes-related, we need to lay our hands on it. This Metric's cover of The End Has No End heard on Triple J makes no exception. I need Julian Casablancas' debut album like now!

Metric - The End Has No End (The Strokes cover)

We Love Covers

Remixes or covers? I would pick covers anytime. Remixes are seriously getting out of hands nowadays, most popular tracks on Hype Machine have been remixes. They are literally everwhere that I really need to put on some ear plugs.

I came across some interesting covers lately. You know how a band with some indie credentials cover a pop song, and the guilty pleasure instantly becomes non-guilty? That's the case with the three covers below.

The Maccabees - Boom Boom Pow (Black Eyed Peas cover)
This one is nothing short of brilliance. Add on their signature buzzy guitars and Orlando Weeks' unique vocal, I got that boom boom pow, I like The Maccabees' style.

Maxïmo Park - Just Dance (Lady Gaga cover)
I have never been a fan of Lady Gaga, in fact I am repelled by her self-claimed originality whereas everything about her has been done before , she just put them all together like a patchwork, somehow it works for her, well at least the masses buy it. Now I can listen to this version complete with Paul Smith's alluring voice, I would be more put off when I hear the original on radio again.

Franz Ferdinand - Womanizer (Britney Spears)
Well I prefer the All American Rejects cover of this song, but everyone has probably heard that version already. Alex Kapranos did the song justice, but it seemed like he was struggling to be on keys. To begin with it was a well-written pop song, this is a pretty decent cover.

The Boy Least Likely To Cover Grease

The Boy Least Likely To decided to cover the classic Grease song “The One That I Want" as b-side to the band's upcoming single "When Life Gives Me Lemons, I Make Lemonade" from their sophomore album "The Law of the Playground". It stays pretty close to the orginal version. Nothing particularly groundbreaking but it is about as warm and adorable as you’d imagine.

Single "When Life Gives Me Lemons, I Make Lemonade" is all about catchiness and jangling banjo. With all the playful snippets of childhood combined with sunshine and optimism, it never fails to put a smile on my face.


The Boy Least Likely To - The One That I Want (Grease Cover)
The Boy Least Likely To - When Life Gives Me Lemons, I Make Lemonade

Bat For Lashes Cover Kings Of Leon

Bat For Lashes' cover of Kings of Leon's arena anthem 'Use Somebody' at BBC Radio One Live Lounge is a work of beautiful darkness. Every note of Natashe Khan is stripped to its foundation and her voice suits the emotion and vibe that were likely meant to be felt with the original track. With the sheer simplicity of an organ and tambourine playing at the background, this stripped-down version of the song is filled with sadness and raw emotion. Excellent cover.

Bat for Lashes has just released her sophomore album, "Two Suns," on April 6th. Grab it here.


Bat For Lashes - Use Somebody (Kings of Leon Cover)

Franztastic Covers

"It's been the best song out in the last few months." said Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos. The band has joined in the fun in playing the most covered track of the year, Britney Spears' "Womanizer". The performance, together with their latest single "No You Girls", was recorded for BBC's Live Lounge.

Franz Ferdinand created a version with a sound of their own - Brit-pop synths, funky vibe and Kapranos’ trademark vocal. And they actually bridge into one of their earlier track "Shopping for Blood" after the midpoint of the song, which is surprisingly fitting. A rather enjoyable cover.


Franz Ferdinand - Womanizer (Britney Spears Cover)

In addition, Franz Ferdinand also injects some sexy brilliance into Blondie's "Call Me”. The track, featured off Warchild: Heroes, a charity album devoted to the War Child charity's aid efforts in war-stricken areas, showcases a job well done of covering one of Blondie’s signature tune. It’s easily a major highlight of this album, which consists of 15 exclusive and breath-taking cover versions of many classic tracks. So, go buy them here.

Franz Ferdinand - Call Me (Blondie Cover)

the morning benders

After two lovely EPs 'Loose Change' and 'Boarded Doors', the morning benders (it's always small caps) is finally getting down to the business of releasing debut full-length 'Talking Through Tin Cans'. This young Berkeley indie pop quartet is set to go places with their catchy rock that channels classic sound like The Beatles with melodies that linger in one's mind for an indefinite period.

The debut will be mixture of re-recorded EP songs and new ones for which so far we have heard the breezy Crosseyed and the jangly Waiting For A War. Currently touring with The Kooks, it is not hard to suspect the morning benders will grab the ears of those who appreciate some catchy youthful pop. I can imagine the teenage girls going to see The Kooks tapping their feet to the morning benders. No doubt we will hear more about Chris Chu and boys, and see the love for the band spread in the near future.

the morning benders - Waiting for a War
the morning benders - Crying (Roy Orbison cover)

-Sim-

Teddy Picker

Already a fan favourite, ‘Teddy Picker’ is set to be released as the third single from Arctic Monkeys' sophomore album, 'Favourite Worst Nightmare' on December 3. As for B-sides, the Sheffield lads have teamed up with Richard Hawley for a duet and recorded a version of 'Bad Woman', a cover of Pat Farrell And The Believers' 1969 track. Also we can hear an instrumental track titled 'The Death Ramps' as well as 'Nettles, a short and upbeat trademark song of them. These two songs are too released by Artic Monkeys on a limited edition vinyl under a pseudonym called The Death Ramps.

Arctic Monkeys - Bad Woman
Arctic Monkeys - The Death Ramps
Arctic Monkeys - Nettles

The track comes with a Strokes-ish video directed by Roman Coppola, which features the band in a recording studio performing the song. Coppola is literally only able to make the same type of video but having said that, he has perfected it. The Strokes should definitely take him back.

Kate Nash covers Monkeys

Kate Nash appeared on the Jo Whiley Show and performed a cover of Arctic Monkeys' 'Flourescent Adolescent' in the Live Lounge. It is definitely fresh to hear a piano rendition of this already brilliant track, and Kate has done a pretty good job on it.

Kate Nash - Flourescent Adolescent (Arctic Monkeys Cover - Live Lounge)

Radio 1 Established 1967

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of BBC Radio 1, a new compilation album entitled Radio 1. Established 1967, gathers together a collection of 40 cover versions of the classic tracks from the last five decades, each one taken from one of the forty years Radio 1 has been on air. It is always interesting to hear cover version of a track, and now we have 40!

Disc 1: 1967 - 1986

01. 1967 Kaiser Chiefs - Flowers In The Rain (The Move)
02. 1968 The Fratellis - All Along The Watchtower (The Jimi Hendrix Experience)
03. 1969 Amy Winehouse - Cupid (Johnny Nash)
04. 1970 Robbie Williams - Lola (The Kinks)
05. 1971 The Streets - Your Song (Elton John)
06. 1972 Sugababes - Betcha By Golly, Wow (The Stylistics)
07. 1973 The Feeling - You're So Vain (Carly Simon)
08. 1974 Foo Fighters - Band On The Run (Paul McCartney & Wings)
09. 1975 Kylie Minogue - Love Is The Drug (Roxy Music)
10. 1976 KT Tunstall - Let's Stick Together (Bryan Ferry)
11. 1977 Franz Ferdinand - Sound & Vision (David Bowie)
12. 1978 The Raconteurs - Teenage Kicks (The Undertones)
13. 1979 Mika vs Armand Van Helden - Can't Stand Losing You (The Police)
14. 1980 Kasabian - Too Much Too Young (The Specials)
15. 1981 Keane - Under Pressure (Queen & David Bowie)
16. 1982 McFly - A Town Called Malice (The Jam)
17. 1983 James Morrison - Come Back & Stay (Paul Young)
18. 1984 Gossip - Careless Whisper (George Michael)
19. 1985 The Pigeon Detectives - The Power Of Love (Huey Lewis & The News)
20. 1986 Lily Allen - Don't Get Me Wrong (The Pretenders)

Disc 2: 1987 - 2006

01. 1987 Stereophonics - You Sexy Thing (Hot Chocolate)
02. 1988 Mutya Buena - Fast Car (Tracy Chapman)
03. 1989 Editors - Lullaby (The Cure)
04. 1990 Razorlight - Englishman In New York (Sting)
05. 1991 Groove Armada - Crazy For You (Madonna)
06. 1992 Paolo Nutini - It Must Be Love (Madness)
07. 1993 The Kooks - All That She Wants (Ace Of Bass)
08. 1994 Mark Ronson - You're All I Need To Get By (Mary J Blige)
09. 1995 Calvin Harris - Stillness In Time (Jamiroquai)
10. 1996 Klaxons - No Diggity (Blackstreet)
11. 1997 Just Jack - Lovefool (The Cardigans)
12. 1998 Natasha Bedingfield - Ray Of Light (Madonna)
13. 1999 The Twang - Drinking In LA (Bran Van 3000)
14. 2000 The Fray - The Great Beyond (REM)
15. 2001 Girls Aloud - Teenage Dirtbag (Wheatus)
16. 2002 Maximo Park - Like I Love You (Justin Timberlake)
17. 2003 The View - Don't Look Back Into The Sun (The Libertines)
18. 2004 Hard-Fi - Toxic (Britney Spears)
19. 2005 The Enemy - Father & Son (Yusef & Ronan Keating)
20. 2006 Corine Bailey Rae - Steady As She Goes (The Raconteurs)

I Can Be You Boyfriend

The Pigeon Detectives recently appeared on the Jo Whiley Show and performed a cover of Avril Lavgine's 'Girlfriend' in the Live Lounge. The cover was rather brilliant and amusing as they changed last line of the lyrics to 'Jo Jo Whiley, I can be your boyfriend.'

The Pigeon Detectives - Girlfriend (Avril Lavigne Cover)

The Occasional Writer Strikes!

I have been a regular contributor and helping Yoong Bing to write few pieces for this blog, but I never have my name mentioned here and take any credit. This time I came out off the shadow because I am so thrilled that I need to share this exciting news. Getting out off the good-live-music-deprived nation is great, well Perth is not exactly the perfect place, at least I get to see Kaiser Chiefs and Klaxons instead of Gwen Stefani or not-yet-confirmed My Chemical Romance.

Klaxons' latest single 'It's Not Over Yet' was already a cover of a song by rave band Grace, it includes another cover as B-side which is "The Night", a song by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.

Klaxons - The Night (Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons cover)

The Occasional Writer,
Sim

Kaiser Chiefs cover Klaxons

Ooooooo ahhhh, ooooooo ahhhh....I love the song. And Kaiser Chiefs seemed to dig it too.

Kaiser Chiefs - Golden Skans (Klaxons Cover - Live Lounge)

Take It, Don't Leave It

I thought it was a joke, but it actually exists!
My favourite band covers my another favourite band. Audioscrobbler never lie.

Arctic Monkeys - Take It Or Leave It (The Strokes Cover)