Archive for the ‘Covers’ Category
CONTEST: Listen To Robotanists’ The King of Limbs, Win “Current” Vinyl
By now you have probably heard how Robotanists have collectively gathered the courage to cover Radiohead’s The King of Limbs just 24 hours after it was released. It’s a daring move, but it takes some spontaneity and talent to rearrange an album that has only been out for a day. Just over the weekend, Robotanists managed to post their covers of each Radiohead song off of the 8-track album one by one on YouTube. After a few final touches through mastering, they now have their entire version of The King of Limbs available as a free download on their bandcamp page.
I also have the album available just after the jump for you to stream… Take a listen to it because it’s involved with this week’s contest! Remember today is Monday, so Robotanists will be continuing their residency at Silverlake Lounge tonight with Light FM, Hands and The Secret Language! Another residency night means another chance for you to win some Robotanist goodies!
[UPDATE: This contest is now closed.]
What you will win:
Wild Tonic’s Top 20 Covers Of 2010
Music’s all about interpretation of the world we live in. Covers are reinterpretations and some of it sounds pretty rad. Here are my twenty favorite covers from 2010!
Tame Impala Music Video: Lucidity
This summer, I was one of the many people obsessed with Tame Impala‘s album, Innerspeaker. These baby-faced Australian boys definitely put out one of the best albums of 2010 and then a couple of months ago they put out a music video like this for their song, “Lucidity.” The camera they let loose into the stratosphere perfectly match the exponential wilderness in the track and that’s all I have to say.
Just watch the video for yourself. There are also behind the scenes provided afterward. Also, if you haven’t heard their cover of Midnight Juggernauts’ “Vital Signs” yet, you can grab that below.
White Arrows: I’m On Fire (Bruce Springsteen cover)
One of the most played songs in my iTunes library for 2010 is definitely White Arrows‘ “Coming Or Going” – especially the RAC remix (you can find it on July’s Wild Tonic Mixtape). Their EP, available on bandcamp, is also a gem as it’s short but packed with 7 fierce tracks.
Mickey Church and his gang really know how to combine rock with dance music just enough so there is always a possibility of getting sloppy with your beer but not quite so much you’ll have to pull out your glow sticks. (Sorry, I’m not really the raving type.) Even “The Voyeur” (which isn’t remixed on the EP) is a standout dance track.
Besides having the time of their life as their fan base in Los Angeles steadily grows show by show, they’ve also knocked out some great covers. They’ve managed to do two I really enjoy: The first one is their cover of “Save Me A Place” (by Fleetwood Mac) and the second is a cover of “I’m On Fire” by none other than the boss himself! This was available on Springsteen’s birthday which just happened to be a couple of months ago but you know what? I still enjoy listening to it so you might, too.
Grab the two covers below along with their track, “The Voyeur” after the jump!
Robotanists Music Video: Exiled State of Mind
I could be talking about the hilarious video and cover of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” Robotanists recently did for Gorillacoustic.com since it’s Halloween and all, but I really have to pay tribute to one of their clips I’ve been meaning to share with every one for quite some time.
Right around the time I started Wild Tonic (almost a year ago, actually!), I posted a cover of Robotanists’ cover of Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ “Empire State of Mind.” It’s not what you think and if you don’t already know that by now, then I just got sad about all the gorgeousness you’ve been missing out on. The hip hop anthem for NYC had been beautifully turned around into an ode to the City of Angels – something softer and more intimate just by keeping the melody but changing the words.
It’s gorgeous listen; lead vocalist Sarah does such a wonderful job of putting an elegant veil over the melody with her velvet-smooth voice and the mixing for the track is amazing. It’s a perfect translation for a place that is less hectic than The Big Apple. When you’re watching the waves crash on the beach or just walking down the streets of Silverlake, there’s a lot of time to relax and think about some things – because you can in such an environment.
The official video for their take on the song portrays exactly what I’m talking about. Watch it after the jump and grab my one of my favorite Robotanists songs, “Wait A Minute Here” below!
My Gold Mask: I Don’t Need The Reason
If you’re part of a musical duo, you’ve got to impress me fast. That may be quick judgment on my part but, hey, if you think the partnership you’ve got going on with your other band member is worth my time or anyone else’s, please make the effort to blow me away. I like a ton of duos. Unfortunately, there are also too many that lose the ability to stay in that good spot for me – where they prove that they are stronger than a solo musician and not weaker than a full band.
My Gold Mask, the team-up of Gretta Rochelle and Jack Armondo pulled on my heart strings back in August when I chose them for a BeatCrave Fav and they’re still tugging me along with each new track they put out. The greatest thing about this connection is that it hasn’t been painful at all. I’m happy to be slave to their raw and beautiful rock that is both grunge and romance. Sometimes love has a rough, naughty side and My Gold Mask has the talent to electrify everyone into thinking that with their songs.
“Violet Eyes” is a must-listen and probably their most-well known song but their track, “I Don’t Need The Reason” from their latest EP, A Million Miles (From Where We Last Were), digs a bit deeper with Gretta’s vocals dominating the heavy drums. Check both tracks out below and if you haven’t seen their cover of Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own,” you can peep that here.
Blackbird Blackbird: Modern Disbelief
Mikey Sanders aka Blackbird Blackbird (and formerly Bye Bye Blackbird) is constantly churning out new songs for us nerdy bloggers to obsess over. A few weeks back I had selected Sanders for a feature in the BeatCrave Fav series because I knew his sound was unusually slick. Yet, even after that, I was able to dive into new material – almost on a daily basis for a while.
If you go over to Blackbird Blackbird’s bandcamp site, you’ll find a wealth of tunes fresh from this music making machine’s mind. Forget about skimming through because once you arrive at the site, there’s just so much to dig into. Lately, the psychedelic/pop/chillwave artist has just been sharing new tunes via his Twitter. As a follower, I can’t help but wonder when the boy sleeps.
If you want a little taste, I’ve already got a ton of Blackbird Blackbird jams for you after the jump. His track, “Modern Disbelief,” a heavy wave of shimmering electronica, will help you jump in. His remixes for tracks from Local Natives and Twin Sister along with his cover of a Modest Mouse song aren’t bad either. Grab your goodies below!
The Morning Benders: Ram On (Paul McCartney Cover)
I try to avoid talking about the looks of band members but sometimes it’s just so annoying how musicians (especially male musicians) can be so good looking. It’s such a distraction when I’m trying to solely focus on the music! In this case, I just can’t refrain from gushing about how adorable the band members of The Morning Benders are. I honestly want to pinch all of their cheeks like the aunt who sends every kid running away.
Now that I got that shameless confession over with, I also want to point out that I’m still loving their latest album, Big Echo. I find it funny to hear that some think that this sophomore effort slumps because it does nothing but put a spotlight on their strengths when I am listening to it. This, folks, is one of the may ways indie pop rock is supposed to sound: Smart, charming and beyond enjoyable.
They’ve just released a video for their single, “All Day All Light,” and it suits the song pretty well: Hand claps in all the right places, close ups on their adorable little faces (okay, now I’m really done), and some seasonal changes on set. You can check it out below.
However, before you check the video out, make sure you take a listen to their cover of Paul McCartney’s “Ram On.” Covering a Macca song is always a scary thing if you can’t do it right but, The Morning Benders nail it on their rendition. You can find it on Chris Chu’s Echomix2. It’s also a gorgeous listen and something you can’t afford to miss out on.
Antony and The Johnsons Music Video: Thank You For Your Love
This latest video from Antony and The Johnsons has been out a few weeks but I wanted to share it anyway because it’s one of their videos that I actually really enjoy. For the most part, frontman and Antony Hegarty and his band offer haunting and beautiful clips to accompany their singles. It’s always appropriate since much of the band’s music is somber and places them in a general Chamber Pop genre – or what some would even call Dark Cabaret.
Hegarty has a very unique voice that is both delicate and strong. It’s the way this man sings that is most striking. You can see it when he performs and you can hear every breath and passionate second of vibrato in those legato melodies. However, as gorgeous as the music from Antony and The Johnsons is, their albums aren’t really ones to spin during a party.
So when they released the video “Thank You For Your Love,” the first single off of their upcoming fourth studio album, Swanlights, I took a lot of pleasure in both the visuals and the tempo. The song is definitely one of their more upbeat ones and the video is comprised of old black and white footage Antony shot when he first came to New York City as a teenager in the 90s. It’s simple and very endearing. Seeing what musicians were like before they became the artist they are today never seems to get old.
Check it out below. I also included their cover of Beyonce’s “Crazy In Love.”
The Soft Pack: Fences (Phoenix cover)
This one is an oldie but a damn goodie. The Soft Pack (formerly The Muslims) released their self-titled album earlier this summer and to celebrate, the San Diego-based band performed ten times throughout the city of Los Angeles on a Saturday. I was able to catch one of the sets in Long Beach with Avi Buffalo as their opener. It was definitely a fun show to see as it matched up with their catchy post-punk garage sounds with a hint of surf rock – and when I say surf rock, I don’t completely imply surfers and stoners. The Soft Pack is one of the bands who have firmly based their sound in indie rock without the frills.
Even when they do take on a band whose sound is a bit fancier than theirs, they are able to turn it into an extremely lo-fi but listenable psychedelic tune. For example: Their cover of Phoenix‘s “Fences.” I’m not sure why they called it a remix when it was clearly a cover but thanks to Rollo & Grady for reminding me of this gem. The Soft Pack will be back from tour to play FYF Fest this Labor Day weekend, so take a listen to their cover of “Fences” below and get pumped!
