Who's loving you? CLLCT is.

Still toying with if/how to restart the blog, but I needed to check in with a link to yet another fun Collective Family (CLLCT) tribute project: Our Bad: A Michael Jackson Tribute Compilation, which you can download at that page. It features the work of few of my favorite songwriting/songsharing-obsessed Internet (and somewhat beyond) friends, James Eric, Tinyfolk, iron like nylon and more. If you hear anything you like, you might want to spend a little time (mintues, hours, days, weeks, months?) checking out the work of those featuring their music on CLLCT. I know I have and consider it a great resource for good free music by people who love to write and share music. Long live bedroom rock. Or folk. Or whatever. All of it.

Also: James Eric and Erin Vogel cover Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

There was nothing in the world that I ever wanted more.

Still working out the details of the new blog in the midst of my job hunt, etc. Until then, I just couldn't wait to share this:

Yeah, I'm alive.

Sarah Gregg Millman (of the Girl Guides) "Oooh This Love is So" (Al B. Sure cover)
Words cannot express how excited I was to see this covered. Sigh. Al B.

The Chipmunks "Good Girls Don't" (The Knack cover)
I still can't believe that such a dirty song was reworked (and barely, at that) for a kids album.

The Gwen Stacys "Alive" (Oasis cover)

Tiffany "Panic (Hang the DJ)" (The Smiths cover)
Yes, THAT Tiffany. And, yes, THOSE Smiths.

Julie C "Breathe" (Pink Floyd cover)

The Vibrators "Liza" (NOFX cover)
If I meet someone and he or she hears my name and makes an immediate NOFX reference, I never know whether to smile politely or run the other way. In retrospect of the times it's happened and the people who've done it, I'm wishing I'd have chosen the latter more frequently.

Watch the Men Fall "Venus in Furs" (The Velvet Underground cover)

The Dollyrots "Be My Baby" (The Ronettes cover)

Los Chicros "Changes" (David Bowie cover)

The Bam Bams "Kids in America"(Kim Wilde cover)

Olive "My Sharona" (The Knack cover)

Numbers "Cry" (The Birthday Party cover)
 

Like the sun, chasing all of the rain away.

I've been posting lots of YouTube videos lately, but it's become my insomnia-fueled, late-night pastime to randomly browse for covers by everyday people. This one was a pleasant surprise:



And remember adorable Anthony Hill, whose videos I posted about a year ago? Well, he's covered my favorite Syd Barrett song (I'm in a weird Pink Floyd et. al. phase lately), and he's charming as ever. Someone sign this guy already!

There will be feasting and dancing in Jerusalem (or Hinsdale) next year.

I just learned via a MySpace bulletin that Heathers, a Dublin folk-punk-pop duo releasing an album on Plan-it-X Records sometime soon, will be touring the States with other Plan-it-Xer folk-punk-pop favorites (whose covers have been featured here in the past) Ghost Mice. Sadly, they do not have a show planned in Chicago proper (as of yet, anyhow), so I won't be able to catch them, but I still thought some of you might be interested in learning about them because they're pretty damned good and you might want to check them out if they're playing near you. Here are two videos of them performing The Mountain Goats' "This Year" and Tegan and Sara's "Nineteen," respectively. The quality of the videos might not be that great, but the talent shines through.





Update: I have to add their live version of this Spice Girls cover too because it's my jam!

Let's admit I made a mistake, but can we still be friends?

Welcome to my late-night/early-morning post inspired by the purchases I made earlier today (technically yesterday) for $1 or less at the used record store:

Paul Young "Love Will Tear Us Apart" (Joy Division cover)
I feel over the years I've divulged a lot of personal information about my past with music of a somewhat embarrassing nature. I believe what I'm about to admit far surpasses all previous embarrassment. You ready? Okay, here goes: This is the first version of this song that I ever heard. Oh, god. And I didn't much care for it—or didn't much pay any real attention to it, anyhow—as you might imagine. I don't judge myself too harshly because I was only 8 when the original track was released. I was 10 or 11 when this version rolled around and pretty much didn't realize that the album this was on was nearly, if not completely, all covers. By the time I was 12 or 13, I'd heard the original and made the connection and most likely played it all cool like I was always in the know. But really? No one else around me knew either version, so I think I won that round.

Tim Curry "I Will" (The Beatles cover)
Let's just say the last thing I expected upon purchasing two Tim Curry records was a reggae version of anything, let alone a Beatles ballad.

Robert Palmer "Can We Still Be Friends?" (Todd Rundgren cover)
I'd totally forgotten about the Robert Palmer version of this song, which (again) might have been the first version I heard. It's difficult to say. Regardless, it's not really different enough a version to warrant a cover only a year after the release of the original. Whatever.

Leif Garrett "Bad to Me" (The Beatles cover)
I already have a digital copy of this mildly horrifying (yet strangely soothing) album, but how could I turn down the prospect of owning a 12x12 photograph that includes a cameltoe in the clouds? Again, I'm only human, you know?

Randy Crawford "I've Never Been to Me" (Charlene cover)
Oh, the freaky things you can learn about songs on Wikipedia. For instance, the Japanese version of this song is used in weddings—despite the fact that it's a song about loneliness, despair and (some would say, depending on which version you hear) abortion—possibly as a warning to those who choose not to marry. Yikes! conversely, I plan to reclaim my spinster power via irony by singing a rousing and prideful version of this the next time I'm at a karaoke bar.
 

Catching sparks.

Ben Sollee "A Change is Gonna Come" (Sam Cooke cover)
Usually when a record label sends me a track to promote, I download it and forget about it for a while. Especially if the word "jazz" is anywhere in the press release. But even jaded ol' jazz-fearing Liza has a heart that will melt via R&B-influenced; bluegrass and a smooth-voiced cellist with glasses, So I'm posting this nearly immediately. I'm a human being here, people!

Brand New "Oh, Comely" (Neutral Milk Hotel cover)
This is a live radio recording whose post-song banter references sports or something toward the end. Just so you know.

Candy Planet "You Just Haven't Earned it Yet, Baby" (The Smiths cover)
Unrelated to this song at all: I went to Rory Lake's Karaoke Dreams at the American Legion in Bucktown last weekend and saw a guy do a rendition of Kirsty MacColl's "In These Shoes." Talk about songs you never thought you'd A) see on a karaoke list and B) see anyone actually perform.

Guitar ft. Ayako Akashiba "Just Like Honey" (The Jesus and Mary Chain cover)
I'm a sucker for vocals by Japanese gals, what can I say?

Ida "For Shame of Doing Wrong" (Richard & Linda Thompson cover)
I forgot how much I love Ida. Then I listen to nearly every track they've ever done and I'm instantly reminded.

Ledaswan "Head On" (The Jesus and Mary Chain cover)
JAMC was big with my shuffle play today.

MarthaV "To Sir with Love" (Lulu cover)
I like to sing this at karaoke because it's creepy. Okay, it's sentimental. But in the creepiest of ways.

Mirror Ball Associates "Promise of a New Day" (Paula Abdul cover)
There are some songs that get covered that make me think "even if I don't wind up liking this, I'm ecstatic someone covered it." The existence of a cover of this makes me happy, but mostly because I always pretended she was saying "evil's calling and it's calling your name" instead of "eagle's calling...".

Star 61 "Polegada Irada (Angry Inch)" (Portuguese cover, song from the soundtrack of Hedwig and the Angry Inch)
I think I've been meaning to post this every time I blog, yet I always forgot. That trend ends today.

The Guts "Different Drum" (Stone Poneys cover, comp. Mike Nesmith)
This is another song that I like to belt out at karaoke. It's right in my range and I love the "you're great and all, but let's not commit" message of it, which was pretty rare in the form of poppy hits sung by women in the '60s.
 

When the rain washes you clean, you'll know.

I'm working on a new post for later today or tomorrow. Until then, you can download Dirty Power's live tribute to Fleetwood Mac's Rumours here, should you so desire.

More than merely surviving.

Posting American Idol performances is not something I'd normally do, but I fear that many of you have written it off, which I understand. But every now and then, a phenomenally talented star will be a guest and take the stage and remind you how awesome he or she truly is. Annie Lennox singing Jimmy Cliff's "Many Rivers to Cross" (from the "Idol Gives Back" spiel) simply blew me away. And to think I almost chose not to set the DVR!

The biology of purpose keeps my nose above the surface.

Trembling Blue Stars "Coming Up for Air" (The Go-Betweens cover)

The Dirtbombs "King's Lead Hat" (Brian Eno cover)

Girls Aloud "With Every Heartbeat" (Robyn cover)
Guess who's going to the Robyn show in May? ME! Guess who's glad it isn't a Girls Aloud show instead? Me again! I'm also the one who wishes she could coax any of her singer-type guy friends to videotape themselves covering Robyn songs and add them to YouTube. Like this:

Girls Under Glass "Frozen" (Madonna cover)
Ah, gothy, industrial techno! Dammit if you still don't hold a place in my (16-year-old) heart!

Joey Yung "Crush" (Jennifer Paige cover)

Kentucky Prophet "Making the Nature Scene" (Sonic Youth cover)
Dear dorky, chubby white guys who make crazy homemade jams like this: Keep on keepin' on, my brothers.

Nemesis "The Shape of Things to Come" (from Wild in the Streets, comp. Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil)
My favorite '60s cult movie, Wild in the Streets, has been on cable a lot recently and I watch it each time. This prompted me to grab the first cover of this track I had at the ready. Sadly, this is not by the gay Mormon brothers from the reality TV show and is, instead, by a Virginian prog metal outfit. Or maybe that's for the best, really.

New Buffalo "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" (Nina Simone cover, comp. Bennie Benjamin, Gloria Caldwell and Sol Marcus)
This is the chick who wrote Fesit's hit, "1234."

The Sisters Euclid "Cinnamon Girl" (Neil Young cover)
Admittedly, the prospect of listening to a bluesy, experimental, instrumental all-Neil-Young covers album from Canada didn't excite me. But I have to admit it's pretty interesting. It wouldn't be my cup of tea most days, but it suited me just fine tonight.

Sondre Lerche "Night and Day" (comp. Cole Porter)

The Vitamin String Quartet "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" (Arcade Fire cover)
I have to admit that, as much as I mock them and their seemingly endless permeation into my consciousness, string quartet tributes sometimes aren't all that bad. Or maybe they are but I just get in the mood for bad stuff more frequently than most. All things are possible.

Subway Knife "Please Freeze Me" (Guided by Voices cover)

Tinyfolk "Five Years" (David Bowie cover)
I'm kind of in a Tinyfolk phase. All of their covers delight me.

Yngwie Malmsteen "Magical Mystery Tour" (Beatles cover)
This comes from an album called Butchering the Beatles, but honestly? It gets a lot worse than this.
 

She could go for miles, if you know what I mean.

My Internet friend Lauren just posted about this video of old-school diva extraordinaire Dame Shirley Bassey singing Pink's "Get the Party Started," and I am in camp heaven. The drag queen inside me is already plotting her lip-synch routine...

I've been away for so long, so long.

I planned on talking about every track here, but then it would take me another week or two to finally make a post. And who wants that?

James Combs "See Emily Play" (Pink Floyd cover)
Once upon a time, I worked at a place called The Uptown Café in Bloomington, Indiana. James Combs worked there as well at the time, and I remember being a tad "starstruck" when I met him because I was 19 and he was in one of the best and most popular bands in town, Arson Garden. (I've posted a cover or two by AG in the past, remember?)

I always liked Arson Garden, but my love was nothing compared with that of a slew of my likewise young and dorky music-loving guy friends who were seriously obsessed with Arson Garden. Working with James increased my indie cred a lot. Gotta love when that happens.

Arson Garden is long defunct, of course, but James's solo career continues and, I'm happy to say, appears to be doing well. (Hell, his songs have been used in both Six Feet Under and Dexter, both of which are in my Top 5 TV shows.) Likewise, his new album to Know You is To Save You is really nice and recently hit No. 25 on KCRW's airplay charts. His stuff reminds me of Elliott Smith and Big Star and other awesomeness so if you're into that type of awesomeness, check it out. In fact, if you're in LA, you can see him tonight at 8 at Tangier. (Check his MySpace for other upcoming dates.)

Sorry of this is all a bit press release-y, but it makes me happy to see friendly talented people I know making good music. And I'd be remiss not to use whatever influence I have to promote it. You know?

The Impossible Shapes "Rider" (Will Oldham cover)
Hell, while I'm talking (yet again) about Bloomington-based bands, please enjoy and become obsessed with the Impossible Shapes, which features members of lots of other great bands like Magnolia Electric Co., Normanoak, The Horns of Happiness, and more. I'm personally not friends with any of them, but I've mentioned before that my best pal Ryan knows Jason Groth of the Alien Lanes tribute fame, remember? So I feel connected. And even if I didn't, I'd still listen to the music 'cause it rules.

20/20 "Day After Day" (Badfinger cover)

Eliza Lumley "How to Disappear Completely" (Radiohead cover)
This comes from Lumley's Radiohead interpretations album She Talks in Maths. I have to admit, when I got the e-mail telling me about it that included this MP3, I was feeling bitter and angry about the proliferation of awful jazz interpretations and ignored it awhile. But a week or so later the sun came out and I felt more optimistic and now I can say, though jazz is really not my thing, I do like it a lot. I wish more of the coffee shops I stumble into would play stuff like this rather than anything by Diana Krall.

Emerson Nogueira "Forever Young" (Alphaville cover)

Ethel Merman "I Got Rhythm (Disco)" (comp. Gershwin/s)
Man, the Ethel Merman "disco" album is one of the biggest mistakes ever made. Yet I wouldn't want to live in a world without it.

The Vindictives "How Much More" (The Go-Go's cover)
Mad props to the Vindictives for not switching the gender. I love cover that doesn't.

Fiona Lehn "On Your Radio" (Joe Jackson cover)

The Last Town Chorus "Modern Love" (David Bowie cover)
This is one of my favorite Bowie covers ever. There, I said it. So pretty.

Lax Alex Con Trax "Smalltown Boy" (Bronski Beat cover)

Mom's Favorite Vase "London" (The Smiths cover)

Neither/Neither World "Psychocandy" (Jesus and Mary Chain cover)

PC Muñoz "I Go Crazy" (Flesh for Lulu cover)

Silver Sun "You Made Me Realise" (My Bloody Valentine cover)
Dear MBV: I love that you're touring. Please consider coming to the States. ASAP!!!

Tahiti 80 "Desirée" (Left Banke cover)

Tindersticks "Here" (Pavement cover)

Twinball "Don't Pay the Ferryman" (Chris DeBurgh cover)

Whip "White Wedding" (Billy Idol cover)
When I saw that a band I didn't know was covering this, I assumed it was a terrible band and that it would suck. Luckily, I never let my assumptions keep me from giving things a shot. This is a pleasant (inasmuch as dirge-like tracks can be) alt-country/chamber-folk revelation.

Western Electric "When You Find Out" (The Nerves cover)
Speaking of depressing-but-pretty Americana tracks, this languid take on one of my favorite power-pop songs totally took me by surprise. Weird.

Yuppie Flu "Plainsong" (The Cure cover)
 

Remember: I'm awful in love with you.

Sorry about the post delay, but I got bogged down with business and general crappy life stuff. You know how it rolls. Until the random megapost I make later today or tomorrow, please entertain yourself with this very fun James Eric-produced free downloadable tribute to the Magnetic Fields. Seriously, grab it now. It's pretty great.

Related: If you're a musician and you and/or your band is interested, you have until the 30th to record and submit a '90s hit for another upcoming comp. Sadly (or not), I lack music and recording skills so you'll all be spared my rendition of "2 Become 1."
 

Feet on ground, heart in hand.

As many others did, I fell in love with Jay Brannan and his music after seeing Shortbus. Here he covers Jann Arden's "Good Mother," and it's pretty beautiful.



Longer post with MP3s coming in the next day or so.
 

My mind is definitely made up.

If a tad embarrassing at times, my love for covers often creates a love for new artists. Many is the time that a cover I've hunted out introduces me to talents with which I'd been theretofore unaware. Such was the case with Glen Hansard and the Frames. Had it not been for the tracks below (the second of which I posted about 3 years back and I would rank somewhere in my personal Top 20 of favorite covers), I wouldn't have been lucky enough to become familiar with his work before the Academy Award nomination. What a well-deserved accolade! His and Marketa Irglova's performances there and at the Independent Spirit Awards were two of the best, most heartfelt and passionate award-show performances I've ever seen.

I'm keeping it old school here with the first covers I'd heard him do, but you can still hear a couple of more recent Bob Dylan and Van Morrison covers he's performed with Marketa Irglova via Hype Machine.

Glen Hansard "Cry Me a River" (Justin Timberlake cover)

Glen Hansard & Colm MacConlomaire of The Frames "Every Time" (Britney Spears cover)
 

Better, better, better, BETTER!

If you've seen this elsewhere, my apologies, but frankly? It's far better than a lot of "Hey, Jude" covers.

Didn't even know I needed it.

If all goes according to plan, in a few hours there will appear here a love-themed post, despite the fact that I'm one of those bitter spinsters with a cat who whines about Hallmark holidays. (Clarification on ambiguous sentence structure: I whine, the cat doesn't.) Until said post surfaces, please enjoy this animated video (as featured on today's episode of Yo Gabba Gabba), which is set to a cover of Free Design's "I Found Love" as performed by the Trembling Blue Stars.
 

They both went down to Berlin, joined the Ice Capades.

Apparently my blogging fingers have been frozen by the never-ending Chicago winter! Still, before I forget, I wanted to let you know that there is a great little downloadable cover of The Ramones' "Judy is a Punk" over at the MySpace page of The Pawners' Society, a band featuring members of The Grackles and Scotland Yard Gospel Choir (among others). And, if you're in Chicago, you can check them out this Friday the 15th at Subterranean.

Oh, and you can download and/or listen to the most recent Drunk Covers show by the Waiting Room here.
 

Random shuffle post. Always a trove of treasures. And, sometimes, haiku.

Chica & the Folder "I'll Come Running"< (Brian Eno cover)
Chilean-German?
Stark, electronic, Eno?
Where do I sign up?

Claude Denjean & Synthesizer "Alone Again (Naturally)" (Gilbert O'Sullivan cover)
French Moog mastery...
One-hit wonder (U.S.-wise)...
Synthy yacht rock rules.

Cursive "Frankly, Mr. Shankly" (Smiths cover)
I sort of feel bad...
I had no idea that
Cursive still lives on.

Emocapella* "Enjoy Your Day" (Alkaline Trio cover)
Welcome, first of two
indie a cappella acts!
I choo-choo-choose you.

The Hot Stewards "Tell it to my Heart" (Taylor Dayne cover)
Glitchy shuffle play
chooses two songs by one act.
See below also.

The Hot Stewards "Touch Me" (Samantha Fox cover)
Circa '89,
Jules and I often sang this
as Ethel Merman.

Indie Rockappella (aka Nathan Smart) "Come On, Feel the Illinoise" (Sufjan Stevens cover)
Remember above?
The two a cappella tracks?
This is the second.

James William Hindle "I Started a Joke" (Bee Gees cover)
Charming Brit folkster
covers the quintessential
sad Bee Gees ballad.

Kompressor "Debra" (Beck cover)
Crazy faux-German
post-industrial madness.
An Ohian ruse.

Leigh Nash "Father and Son" (Cat Stevens cover)
Not a fan of bands
like Sixpence None the Richer.
I enjoy this though.

The Riff Randells "Girls Like Me" (Nikki & the Corvettes cover)
Cult-film characters
make good powerpop band names.
Make a note of it.

Riton "Killing an Arab" (Cure cover)
We live in a world
that treats truth tellers like freaks.
So don't kill strangers.

The Rubinoos "Heroes and Villains" (Beach Boys cover)
D'oh! A cappella!
There are three instead of two!
Though 'tis not emo.

The Rubinoos "Thorn in My Side" (Eurythmics cover)
Blasted shuffle play!
I like Crimes Against Music,
but I'm nuts that way.

Sandro "Podemos Solucionarlo (We Can Work It Out)" (Beatles cover in Spanish)
The Spanish words for
"bee" and "sheep" sound similar.
Could cause confusion.

Serial Skanksters "Denise" (Randy & the Rainbows/Blondie cover)
Blondie covered it,
sans "e" and avec aplomb. And
un peu de français.

Streetwize "Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang" (Dr. Dre./Snoop Doggy Dogg cover)
Not to be confused
with the boy band from Deutschland.
Nay, this is smooth jazz.

The Droyds "Beat on the Brat" (Ramones cover)
I love Droyds covers,
even when they're really slow.
At least I think so...

We Are Telephone "Division Day" (Elliott Smith cover)
Too many young men,
tortured and sad, leave us with
mysteries unsolved.

The Yoshida Brothers "Oh, My Love" (John Lennon cover)
Western music blends
with Tsugaru-jamisen
to bring us solace.


*Emocapella:
Consider adding a "p"
for best portmanteau.
 

Feel the darkness of the black metal bands. (Or not.)

I should be posting a slew of random tracks within the next few hours. Until then, Pitchfork is offering an Of Montreal cover the M.I.A./Parvati Kahn song "Jimmy" available for download here. Get to it, hipsters, et. al.