The Decemberists- Bridges and Balloons (Joanna Newsom cover)

Oh the loveeee for Joanna Newsom. Due to the universal critical accalaim for her last record Ys, Joanna has won herself many new fans over the past few months. For one the number of listeners she has clocked in on last.fm has increased by a million since December of last year. Fellow musicians are approving as well, with covers being recorded by Final Fantasy, M.Ward and as featured in this entry, The Decemberists. Their cover of "Bridges and Balloons" was originally a b-side to their 2005 album Picaresque (which shows that Colin Meloy certainly wasn't a bandwagon fan) and was available on the vinyl edition of the album. Colin doesn't suddenly attempt to try his luck on the harp however...he transcribes the song over to acoustic guitar. While it in my opinion doesn't come close to the original, it's about as good as you're going to get for a cover on guitar.

Joanna's version is a fantastic colorful journey of a song. Pitchfork even gave it a coveted 5-star track review where they portray the song as piece of legitimate poetry. I couldn't agree more. The images Joanna uses in her lyrics bring you to this wonderful world in your mind where you may not always be able to get a coherent view of the songs' meaning yet just the same they seem to enter your heart and amazing feelings that you otherwise rarely feel emerge. However there's also the rewarding process of analying lyrics which when you do and work up your own interpretation the song succeeds on a new level. On that note on songmeanings the user "Annelise" has posted what could be an essay about the song's lyrics that's really a great read. She brings up themes of whimsical adventure and exploration which can be hinted at easily enough yet the examples she brings in involving childhood imagination and the need in our busy lives to occasionally stop and observe the world around us (and especially paying mind to the thimble-sized aspects) really bring her points home. Always look at the world like it's the first time you're seeing it. I especially like her line "Birds have wings, and should be flying in worlds much larger than themselves."

The Decemberists - Bridges and Balloons

Joanna Newsom - Bridges and Balloons

"We sailed away on a winter's day
With fate as malleable as clay
But ships are fallible, I say
And the nautical, like all things, fades
And I can recall our caravel
A little wicker beetle shell
With four fine maste and lateen sails
Its bearings on Cair Paravel

Oh my love
Oh it was a funny little thing
To be
The ones
To've seen

The sight of bridges and balloons
Makes calm canaries irritable
And they caw and claw all afternoon
Catenaries and dirigibles
Brace and bouoy the living room
A loom of metals warp woof wimble
And a thimblesworth of milky moon
Can touch hearts larger than a thimble"

"Bridges and Balloons" Live:



The Decemberists @ Kill Rock Stars
Joanna Newsom @ Drag City

Pixies - In Heaven (Lady in the Radiator cover)

This cover rather than being from another artist instead originates from a character in a movie. One of Black Francis' biggest influences for his lyrics is from surrealist film with Un Chien Andalou (for Debaser) and this particular song from David Lynch's Eraserhead being the two most apparent examples. Supposedly in the early days of the band they all caught a screening of the film when it was playing in a town they happened to be in for a show. According to Charles (Black) himself he finds David Lynch films "Highly entertaining in the area of entertainment- a bit surreal, a bit humorous, a bit squirmy, kind of designed to entertain but also make the audience feel just slightly uncomfortable." I'd say that's an accurate depiction. I'm a big fan of David Lynch and while Mulholland Drive in my opinion comes close, Ereaserhead is my favorite film of his. I love the abstract nature and how without a coherent plot, its up to the viewer to make sense of what they're seeing, if they wish to that is. "In Heaven" during the film is sung by what is portrayed to us as a tiny woman with protruding puffy cheeks who lives inside of a radiator. The Pixies have four different versions of the song: the earliest from The Purple Tapes which has the roughest mix of them all, the second a live take that was included on the Complete B-sides compilation, the third (which I'm including here) from their BBC session and lastly the version from their reunion tour with Kim Deal taking the vocals. While the last version is a nice touch and is most similiar to the original, you can't help to feel that the reason they changed up the vocalists was that Charles' larynx couldn't quite handle it anymore. I don't blame him...the intensity of his screams on this track are at times frightening. Frighteningly awesome of course. After the mp3s I'll post videos of the original Ereaserhead scene as well as the Pixies 2004 live version.

The Pixies - In Heaven (Lady in the Radiator Song)

The Lady in the Radiator - In Heaven

"In heaven, everything is fine
In heaven, everything is fine
In heaven, everything is fine
You've got your good thing, and I've got mine"





Pixies at the BBC @ Amazon.com
Ereaserhead @ Amazon.com

Iron Horse - Trailer Trash (Modest Mouse)

Today's cover is a real bizarre one, a bluegrass cover of Modest Mouse. The band is Iron Horse who hail from Alabama. As so far they've released cover albums for Modest Mouse, Metallica, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Van Halen, and the Shins. It sounds gimmicky at first, and frankly that'd be the best way to describe Metallica being played via a mandolin and banjo, yet the results are really great. I find it especially intersting as bluegrass is a genre of music that I'm almost completely unfamiliar with, so to hear a song I love played with that style is fascinating.

The original Modest Mouse song is amazing and definitely one of the best tracks off of The Lonesome Crowded West. Last night I actually had a disappointment involving that album. I've been trying to track down a vinyl copy for the longest time yet it's so difficult as it's been out of print after 1997's initial run. Many copies go for around $200 on ebay. I saw one up, 30 minutes left for just $40. As I began to bid I then noticed that it was only the second LP up for sale, not the 2xLP full album. Arg. I'd pay up to $75...that's it. Well "Trailer Trash" is an autobiographical narrative about Isaac's poor upbringing and relationship with his mother. Specifically the house he lived in with his mother (after a divorce) was flooded and his mother abandoned him to live in her new husband's trailor. Isaac remained in the flooded house on the second floor (as the water level was too high below) until he was forced out by the police. He then began to stay at various friends' houses until eventually taking residence in a small shed right next to his mother's trailer. It was then in that shed where Modest Mouse in its earliest incarnation (with Eric Judy and Jeremiah Green) was formed. They then hooked up with Beat Happening's Calvin Johnson to release an EP on K Records in 1994 and then the rest is history.

Iron Horse - Trailer Trash

Modest Mouse - Trailer Trash

"Eating snow flakes with plastic forks
And a paper plate of course, you think of everything
Short love with a long divorce
And a couple of kids of course
They don't mean anything
Live in trailers with no class
goddamn I hope I can pass high school means nothing
Taking heartache with hard work
Goddamn I am such a jerk, I can't do anything
And I shout that you're all fakes
And you should have seen the look on your face
And I guess that's what it takes
When comparing your bellyaches
And it's been a long time
Which agrees with this watch of mine
And I guess that I miss you, and I'm sorry
if I dissed you"

Iron Horse Official Website
Modest Mouse - The Lonesome Crowded West @ Amazon.com

The Velvet Underground & Nico - Covers

Today's entry isn't just one cover...yet an entire album of covers. After quite a bit of searching I managed to find covers of every track from the Velvet Underground & Nico. I then assembled them in the same order as the orignal album and thus voila, a full album tribute. Plus it doesn't suck. You may have noticed my use of the peeled version of the cover art. You could say that the deconstruction of the banana can symbolize the deconstruction process there is when covering a song, yet you'd be looking to much into it. I'm just deviating from the norm. All the mp3s are grouped together below or in the picture via megaupload.

The Velvet Underground & Nico Covers

1. Belle & Sebastian - Sunday Morning
You wouldn't believe how difficult it is to find covers of this song. As the single from the album, I suspected cover versions would be everywhere, yet I was wrong. All I could find were this live Belle & Sebastian take and one by James, that band whose song "Laid" is in practically every movie trailer ever. I couldn't find their version so this bootleg quality version had to do.

2. David Bowie - I'm Waiting for the Man
Talk about a fantastic cover. It comes from 1972 and is also a live take, a BBC session to be specific. Many say that this is better than the original. I say...yeah, yeah it kinda is.

3. Owen - Femme Fatale
Everybody covers Femme Fatale. Teenage Fanclub, Tom Tom Club, Big Star, Duran Duran, R.E.M....yet I went for Owen. First off I knew I wanted a male vocalist for this cover to switch things up. This cover (released last year) is the most recent version of the song I could find, so I thought that was something to take note of. I really like the instrumentation in this one, as it keeps the same melodies yet adds many new touches to it. Good Stuff.

4. Smashing Pumpkins - Venus in Furs
This one is excellent and really hard to find. It's source is a radio show from 1988, their first year as a band. The vocal mixing may be up a little too high yet it shows just how tight this band was even in their earliest days. Say what you will about Billy Corgan nowadays...when he was on in the past, he was superb.

5. Echo and the Bunnymen - Run, Run, Run
This seems to be everyone's least favorite song on the album. Honestly this was the only version of the song I could find. It's live and pretty faithful to the original.

6. Calexico + Iron & Wine - All Tommorow's Parties
This one is exceptional. I've lost a little interest in Iron & Wine over the past year or so and Calexico never clicked with me, but this makes we want to whip out their albums again. The horn section on this is a great addition.

7. The String Quartet - Heroin
Okay, here's a bit of a cop off on my behalf. The String Quartet has covered everything. However between the horrible Billy Idol cover and the Echo and the Bunnymen one (who already were on the list) I really had no choice.

8. R.E.M - There She Goes Again
This is an early R.E.M b-side from Murmur. It's like the original but with an acoustic guitar. I don't pay much attention to R.E.M, sorry. I just have Murmur and that IRC compilation. Don't shun me.

9. Clem Snide - I'll Be Your Mirror
I have no idea who Clem Snide is. They pull off a great cover with this one though. It's a bit alt-country you could say, and they show down the tempo a little. Solid.

10. Bettie Serveert - The Black Angel's Death Song
I think I'll wikipedia this Bettie... Oh so Bettie Serveert is not a person, yet a band. I am also told that they formed in 1986, have had an entire Velvet Underground covers album and their most successful moment was a cover of Bright Eyes' "Lover I Don't Have to Love" that appeared on the OC. Hmm. Well, the cover is impressively loyal to the original which I guess is for better or worse. It's like a guy who paints amazingly accurature replications of the Mona Lisa...you have to appreciate their talents but it'd be more interesting if they put their own touches on it. She even does the "Psshhhhhhhh" thing that John Cale does.

11. The Olivia Tremor Control - European Son
I'm still surprised that this song was covered. However The Olivia Tremor Control is one of the few bands ambitious enought to take it on. Apart from that String Quartet that is. But with a Linkin Park tribute released, what won't they cover? This cover is just off the wall good. When you think European Son... covered? it doesn't make any sense. But they when you hear this version you'll hate yourself for questioning. Wowza

Of Montreal - Friends of Mine (Zombies cover)

Of Montreal certainly loves the 60's pop. A few entires back I showcased their cover of the Velvet Underground's "She's My Best Friend," yet this time they do a cover of the Zombies' "Friends of Mine." Coincidence? Maybe. The original version comes from the Zombies unbelievable 1967 masterpiece Odessey & Oracle. I cannot stress enough how good of an album this is. Better than anything the Beatles ever put out. There, I've said it. The thing with "Friends of Mine," as great of a pop song as it is, it's probably the weakest track on the entire record. Of Montreal's cover is faithful to the original not really deviating from it at all. That version is from their iffy 2003 tour only release Then Who Will Protect Big Oil which is currently out of print.

Of Montreal - Friends of Mine

The Zombies - Friends of Mine

"They are friends of mine
(Joyce and Terry)
They are friends of mine
(Paul and Molly)
And they've got something
(Liz and Brian)
It's so hard to find
(Joy and David)
They are friends of mine
(Kim and Maggie)
They are friends of mine
(June and Daffy)
And they've got something
(Jean and Jim)
You don't often find
(And Jim and Christine)"

Of Montreal @ Polyvinyl Records
The Zombies - Odessey and Oracle @Amazon.com

Feist - The Park + It's Cool to Love Your Family

First off, how beautiful is this picture? Leslie Feist is truly something else. Her new album The Reminder made its way onto the internet yesterday. It had been one of my most awaited releases this year, and after my first listen and the revisiting of a few I'm not disapointed. I found it incredibly difficult to narrow it down to one track to highlight in this post, yet at the moment "The Park" is sticking out for me. If my memory serves correctly, it's the most minimalistic song she's ever recorded with only her heavenly vocals and acoustic guitar throughout the most of it, with the occasional touches of brass low in the mix. Also in the mix is some background noise featuring the prominent chirping of birds, and what sounds like either the ocean or wind blowing. It seems almost as if they were recorded using a handheld device as sometimes you can hear faint tape hiss and clicks, especially within the last few seconds. The effect when combined is reminiscent of Cat Power's Speaking in Trees records, except that you don't need to watch a single camera shot her standing in front of a tree for two hours (Even for the most dedicated Chan worshippers that film can be a snooze.) I need to give the song a listen with headphones soon.

Feist - The Park

The second Feist song of this entry is an old one, "It's Cool to Love Your Family." It's the first track on her impossible to find, long out of print first album Monarch released in 1999. I have no idea why it hasn't been re-released, as it's a very solid album, especially for a debut. Odd how her label would but out a remix album, but no reissue that...

Feist - It's Cool to Love Your Family


Feist @ Amazon.com

Deerhoof - Lose Your Breath (My Bloody Valentine cover)

So Deerhoof... they're pretty cool. Only one of the best bands making music today! They keep putting out great album after great album at such a rate that you'd think they'd eventually run out of gas or have a period of creative exhaustion, but it never happens. For a band that's been around for 13 years and continues to expand on their sound, that's damn impressive.

Last year Deerhoof came out with a free online EP that featured a few covers (MBV, Beatles, Canned Heat, Herman's Hermits) as well as live versions of songs from their then newest album The Runners Four. While nice, it was rather annoyingly released as a long 20 something megabyte song rather than being split into individual mp3s. I'll upload the full 9 track EP that I've split up myself at the end of this entry. The EP was released as a tribute to the former member and guitarist Chris Cohen when he decided to leave the band to form The Curtains. That has to be one of the most pleasant member departure stories I've ever heard.

My favorite cover from the EP was one of My Bloody Valentine's "Lose Your Breath." MBV is a band that takes balls to cover and real talent to cover well. Thankfully Deerhoof have both. Their version while keeping the general structure of the song intact takes it from its inital peaceful shoegaze form and beef it up with a distortion foreign to the original as well as Greg Saunier's aggressive drumming which works suprisingly well with the dreamy cooing chorus. "Oo oo oo oooooooooo oo oo ooooo". Something like that. MBV's version is from their 1988 record Isn't Anything, or the album they had before Loveless that didn't suck (cough This Is Your Bloody Valentine.)

Deerhoof - Lose Your Breath

My Bloody Valentine - Lose Your Breath
"Weigh me down
And when the darkness comes around
Repeating heads
Remember nothing I have said
Where are you
Come back again I want you to
'Not now girl' you say
But I was born to lose my breath"

Deerhoof - Untitled EP
1. The Continuing Sage of Bungalo Bill (Beatles)
2. Desaparence [Live]
3. Wrong Time Capsule [Live]
4. Goin' Up the Country (Canned Heat)
5. Spirit Ditties of No Tone [Live]
6. Lose My Breath [My Bloody Valentine]
7. Dinner for Two [Live]
8. Lightning Rod, Run [Live]
9. There's a Kind of Hush (Herman's Hermits)

Pfork's Review

Deerhoof @ Kill Rock Stars (also features 8 free mp3s)
My Bloody Valentine - Isn't Anything @ Amazon.com