It's time again for Jeff to be one day late with his monthly mix, but it's okay because I'm really proud of this one! This month's theme is covers. These songs would have never come to be if not for the someone else writing the song, but in a lot of cases they exceed the original.
Track 1 - "This Charming Man" by Death Cab for Cutie
The first time I heard Death Cab's take on this classic Smiths song I was completely smitten. I like the original plenty, but it never really stood out to me until I heard this energetic remake of it.
Track 2 - "Come On Eileen" by Save Ferris
I think the first time I heard this song was in the credits of "Ten Things I Hate About You". Save Ferris are amazing (one of the few ska bands I will say that about) and this is a classic.
Track 3 - "I Will Survive" by Cake
While they can be redundant it's songs like this Gloria Gaynor cover that keep me coming back to Cake. Each line is delivered so carefully; John McCrea just totally owns this song.
Track 4 - "Close to Me" by The Get Up Kids
This cover of The Cure's original works so well with TGUK's flair. It was pretty hard to choose between this and their cover of "Suffragette City" but since there's already a Bowie cover on this mix I chose this song.
Track 5 - "Beat It" by Fall Out Boy
Not many people have the vocal range to successfully cover MJ, but Patrick Stump is one of the few. This cover was done at a time when Fall Out Boy was experimenting with a hip-hop sound and it only fits that they chose to make a cover of a great 80's Michael Jackson song.
Track 6 - "Hot In Herre" by Jenny Owen Youngs
Jenny Owen Youngs does such an amazing job of making Nelly's hip-hop single into a folky, pared-down, indie rock cover. It's also really hilarious to hear such a mysogonistic song sung by a woman.
Track 7 - "Telephone" by Pomplamoose
Pomplamoose are a couple(are they married? i dunno...) that have been making a ton of youtube music videos. They are usually covers of popular music done in a completely different style than the original. This Lady Gaga cover is one of their best.
Track 8 - "Complicated" by Ben Gibbard
The version I have of this song starts with Ben talking to the crowd saying that his bandmates never let him perform this song though he legitimately likes it so he is taking the opportunity (since he is playing a solo gig) to play it. I just love how despite the laughs from the crowd he delivers a really sincere version of this Avril Lavigne song (for the most part. i think there's a part where he can't contain his laughter). He also follows the song with the observation that he doesn't think that the situation is very complicated, that it sounds to him like a guy that just doesn't like this girl very much.
Track 9 - "No One's Gonna Love You" by Cee-Lo Green
I was overjoyed while listening to "The Ladykiller", Cee-Lo's new album, upon hearing this Band of Horses cover. I just put this on the November mix! Cee-Lo's version is really great.
Track 10 - "Mad World/High and Dry" by yOya
So you might remember me mentioning yOya in the first mix. They are so fantastic and they have been making cover/mash-ups where they choose two songs that they feel work really well together and cover them simultaneously. In this case it is High and Dry by Radiohead and Mad World by Tears for Fears(also covered by Gary Jules for the Donnie Darko soundtrack). You should go visit their youtube page!
Track 11 - "Bitches 'Ain't Shit" by Ben Folds
When I bought "Songs for Silverman" by Ben Folds I received a 7" single of "Landed" and was pretty confused by the "Explicit Content" sticker on it until I checked out the B-Side. I kept that 7" playing over and over again at my tiny apartment in Fresno until my girlfriend at the time got completely sick of it. The original version of this song by Dr. Dre is almost an afterthought. It is the last track on "The Chronic" and it seems like a joke song but Ben turned into so much more.
Track 12 - "Real Love" by Regina Spektor
This cover of a John Lennon song almost brings me to tears every time I hear it. Regina makes it sound so tragic.
Track 13 - "Crazy" by The Kooks
At some point after "Inside In/Inside Out" came out The Kooks started doing acoustic covers of popular songs in radio performances. There's a great cover they do of MGMT's "Kids". It was this cover of Gnarls Barkley that really stood out to me though.
Track 14 - "I Want You Back" by Discovery
Easily the best Jackson 5 song, this cover is a very different sound than little Mike could have ever imagined.
Track 15 - "Love Will Tear Us Apart" by Fall Out Boy
A great cover of Joy Division's classic. I know, I know... Two Fall Out Boy covers on this mix, but it's okay because they are so different and good in their own ways.
Track 16 - "Major Tom:Rocket Man" by yOya
Another fantastic mash-up from yOya. This one works for so many reasons beyond the songs working well together musically. David Bowie's "Space Oddity" and Elton John's "Rocket Man" have suspiciously similiar subject matter.
Track 17 - "Hey Ya" by Mat Weddle
Weddle is the singer for a folk band named "Obadiah Parker" and while playing an open mic night he performed this cover of the Outkast song. Luckily a bandmate videotaped the whole thing and the recording made its way online and onto the radio.
Track 18 - "Landslide" by The Smashing Pumpkins
I went through a serious Smashing Pumpkins phase in high school (don't get me wrong, I still think they're great, I just don't listen to them as much as I used to) and this song was always important to me. It's such a heartfelt rendition of the Fleetwood Mac song.
Track 19 - "Wonderwall" by Ryan Adams
Of all the covers of Wonderwall I've heard Ryan Adams's is my favorite. He makes the song his own and gives it a haunting tone. The original Oasis version is fantastic but I think if I had to choose one it would be this version.
Track 20 - "Hallelujah" by Jeff Buckley
Jeff Buckley's brief time on this earth left us with but one album and this incredible cover of Leonard Cohen's masterpiece.
This month there were a TON of tracks that didn't make the cut so if you would like a copy of this month's mix and/or the B-Sides let me know and I'd be happy to make you one! Have a great holiday season everyone!
