Miley Gets Doo-Wop Treatment

A few months back, the Gregory Brothers turned Miley Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball" into a lovely bluegrass tune. My latest finding in the effort to de-trash Cyrus' music comes from Scott Bradlee & Postmodern Jukebox, an outfit that puts interesting and retro spins on current pop songs. Give it a listen.

'XO' : Haim [Cover]

Beyoncé overwhelms me sometimes. If this is the case for you too, you might dig this version of "XO" that sister-trio du jour Haim did for BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge. The cover is fairly faithful, but Haim keeps it a bit more simple. Check it out.

Billie Joe Armstrong and Norah Jones Cover the Everly Brothers

I never would have pegged Billie Joe Armstrong for an Everly Brothers fan. Apparently he is. And so is Norah Jones. The pair are teaming up for an Everly Brothers cover album called Foreverly, out November 25th. Instead of Billie Joe chewing up the words like you might be used to, he sings them straight and blends very well with Jones. The combo is unexpectedly sweet. Check out their cover of "Long Time Gone" below.

'Kids' : The Deep Red Sky [Cover]

Covers are a bit of a fascination for me. This one hit my inbox yesterday– it's a cover of "Kids" by MGMT by a Scottish band called The Deep Red Sky. For one, MGMT is one of those bands that I never think about as lending itself to covers because they have such a distinctive sound, but that's partly why I enjoyed this version so much. It's unexpected. The Deep Red Sky gives the song a much softer treatment in the beginning and eventually revs up by the end. The slowed pace, the gentler instrumentation, the sweeter harmonies, the fact you really have the chance to listen to the words– these qualities make for an interesting cover. The single will be available for download Oct. 7. Check it out.

Cover Up: Kings of Leon and The Gregory Brothers

You like a good cover song, right? Thought so. Here are two that are worth your time. First up, Kings of Leon, d-bags or not, performed "Dancing on My Own" by Robyn for BBC1's Live Lounge. Their version is less dance floor, more slow flowing mascara and clutched flask. Unrelated: Caleb Followill looks increasingly like my 4th grade gym teacher.



The second cover comes from The Gregory Brothers who turned "Wrecking Ball" by [She Who Must Not Be Named] into an infectious bluegrass tune. Points to them for keeping their clothes on, too.

'The District Sleeps Alone Tonight' : Frank Turner, Ben Marwood and Franz Nicolay

Here's something cool the Internet spit up today. Back in 2011, Frank Turner, Ben Marwood, and Franz Nicolay (The Hold Steady) performed a cover of "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight" by Postal Service. I never knew how much I wanted that song to be sung with an English accent until hearing this. The video comes from the last night of a tour they did together in Winchester, England. Check it out.

Ellie Goulding Covers Alt-J + A New Look

First thing's first– if you've visited The Musically Inclined before, you'll notice a bit of a revamp. I'd been wanting to draw a cartoon for the banner for sometime but hadn't lighted upon what that would be. Then yesterday I was in the backyard with my sketchbook and it came to me. I also switched over to a (hopefully) easier to read typeface (give it up for Verdana!) and a page navigation at the top which will be conducive to organizing future additions. Anyhoodle. That's that. Hope you like it.



Now to the good stuff. Ellie Goulding released a cover of Alt-J's "Tessellate" off last year's An Awesome Wave. It is silky. And great. And maybe better than the original. She worked with producer Xaphoon Jones, also known as the dude responsible for the greatest mashup of all time: The Jackson Pit. 

Gaslight Anthem Covers Bon Iver

And since I'm up blogging tonight, I might as well post this Gaslight Anthem cover of Bon Iver's "Skinny Love" that I've had pulled up on a tab in my browser for a month. The band recorded it for an EP called Hold You Up. The EP was a Black Friday exclusive. Anyhoodle. It's a little grittier than the original. Take it for a spin.

Bloodbuzz Ohio : Theme Park Cover

I recently lighted on a great Tumblr called Copy Cats, which is devoted to posting cover versions of songs, like the Punch Brothers singing "The Weight" or the Avett Brothers performing Neutral Milk Hotel's "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea." Today I went through some unread posts in my Google Reader and found a Theme Park cover of "Bloodbuzz Ohio" by The National. It's definitely worth a listen, but even beyond that, its greatest value might be that it made me reconsider the song. And in my mind, that's the best outcome for a cover. A few months back I heard Julia Stone sing "Bloodbuzz Ohio," and my reaction remains the same today: I would have never considered "Bloodbuzz Ohio" a coverable song, and yet, it is apparently so. The National has such a densely layered and distinctive sound, I would have filed away almost any of their songs in the Do Not Touch bin. But what a loss that would be not to hear Julia Stone's old-woman-trapped-in-a-young-body voice focusing attention on the lyrics or Theme Park's shimmery instrumentation. Both bring the song new life. Similarly, there's the version by Oh Land which features very sweet sounding vocals against a blip-y, electronic arraignment. Now I kind of want to hear a really rip-roaring version with a big crowd of people coming in on the chorus. So what is it about any song that lends itself to multiple new and interesting forms? I have no idea, but I like that at least a few people out there have that radar. Check out the Soundclouds below. Hopefully I didn't break Blogger by trying to put three on a page.

"Something Good" : Alt-J

A few weeks back I ran across a grim yet gorgeous music video for a song called "Something Good" by British indie band Alt-J. Much like the video itself, the song and the rest of the album, An Awesome Wave, is a lot to process. Beyond deciding if you love or hate singer Joe Newman's old man Marcus Mumford voice, you've got to accept the marriage of electronic and folk music, occasionally structured by 14th century monks. In any case, it's weird and addictive and I'm thinking Alt-J is about to be one of those bands people will not be able to shut up about this year. "Something Good" is true to its name. It's got some really lovely shifts and rhythms, and it's the best gateway into the rest of the album. Check it out.

The Boxer : Mumford and Sons, Jerry Douglas, Paul Simon

Lest you think Pinterest is merely a website for planning a wedding you don't have a finance for or bookmarking DIY projects you'll never try, let me introduce you to this afternoon's big find. It's a cover of the Simon and Garfunkle song "The Boxer" by dobro player Jerry Douglas, featuring Mumford and Sons and Paul Simon. According to an article I found in Relix, the track comes from Douglas's June album, Traveler. 

In related news, I started a Pinterest board for The Musically Inclined. It's got a whopping 3 pins so far, but if you're into all that, you can (as the Beach Boys would say) come go with me.

Pentatonix Covers Gotye

It's only a matter of time before Glee gets their angsty little hands on this, but until then, you can add another entry to growing list of Gotye covers. Pentatonix, an a capela group from NBC's the Sing Off, release their take on the Aussie's infectious "Somebody That I Used to Know."

Better than the original? That'll probably never happen, but it is worth a quick listen. If you were curious how five voices and one guitar could tackle a song with so many strange sounds, subtract the guitar. The kids do alright.

The only way I can explain this rash of covers is that the song itself has a certain quality that makes you want to dive inside it– and what better way to drench yourself in a song you love than by learning to play/sing it–  and it covers a sentiment that's familiar to many.

Whatever the case, I hope you like Gotye, because this guy's nowhere near peaking in the U.S.

Avett Brothers Cover Dylan

The Avett Bros made an appearance on Jimmy Fallon the other night in promotion of an Amnesty International charity record of Bob Dylan songs. No surprise, they performed a Dylan song. And you know what? Their cover of "One Too Many Mornings" was lovely.

Band Covers Gotye with One Guitar

I'm going to go ahead and say that Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know" is going to be the most covered song of the year.

Evidence: Besides Ingrid Michaelson's recent version, check out this crazy cover involving the five members of Canadian band Walk Off the Earth, and one guitar. Props to these guys for figuring out and coordinating all the different parts, including percussion, and trading off vocals so smoothly. It reminds me of ancient indigenous people using every part of the animals they killed. No part of that guitar goes to waste. Maybe that's just me.

Ingrid Michaelson Covers Gotye

Here's something to tide you over until I post The Musically Inclined's Top 10 Finds of 2011. Whilst traversing the interwebs, I found this funky cover of Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know" by Ingrid Michaelson.

Nothing can really match the original song, or the video for that matter, but Michaelson's rendition is worth the four minutes. She plays all the parts and you actually get to see it. The video's either like California Youtube dalrings Pomplamoose or that guy who creates entire song arrangements with his mouth. I know. You're welcome.

You're the One That I Want : The Lennings (Yes, from Parenthood)

Man, have I got one for you this evening. Whilst watching Parenthood on NBC, I heard a song that was sort of familiar.

"'Cause the power you're supplying, it's electrifying."

I'm sitting there thinking, "what is that?" And then BOOM. John Travolta is dancing across my brain in tight black clothing and inexplicably white socks.

Grease! "You're the One That I Want!" But it sounds like Bon Iver. Or Iron and Wine. Or some whispery indie band that's decidedly not broadway.

Let me introduce you to The Lennings, a band from Austin, TX (respect) who "blur the line between the Americana and indie pop scenes," according to their Facebook. It looks like they've got their third album slated for the winter of 2012, and if you want to read about how stoked they were to get their song on Parenthood, you can check out their blog.

This maybe the most exciting acoustic cover I've heard since discovering Obadiah Parker's soulful take on "Hey Ya" (life-changing) or Travis's version of "Hit Me Baby One More Time" (very moving).

That last one was (sort of) a joke. In all seriousness, give The Lennings a listen. Ooo ooo ooo. Honey.

*I am inspired to put together a set list of bizarre acoustic covers and take it on the road.
**I have no idea why the video features boiling water. 

Nobody Said it Was Easy: Willie Nelson Covers Coldplay

I live in a world where Willie Nelson has no awareness of Coldplay, which is why this post is somewhat confounding.

Adweek posted a story not long ago about an animated Chipoltle ad where Willie Nelson lends his signature warble to "The Scientist" by Coldplay. It's definitely worth hearing, and the ad's message of sustainable farming is a worthy one.

Of course, if there's one thing I love, it's a burrito with a cause.

Jeff Tweedy's Gotta Feeling

If I had to make a list of things that I thought would never happen, Jeff Tweedy singing "I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas might be in the top 10.

Props to Pitchfork for posting this hilarious cover. The Wilco frontman deadpans most of the way though, breaks in to explain "tricky" aspects of the song and ultimately kills the audience because they can't stop laughing. A rare moment, indeed. I doubt we will ever hear Tweedy sing "draaank" again.

This Exists: Bluegrass Cover of "New Slang"

A quick hit. Every now and then I have one of those "This exists??" moments. I present to you a bluegrass version of The Shins's "New Slang" by some sort of bluegrass tribute group called Iron Horse.

It's pretty cool. And the best part is that I did not go looking for this sucker. You can thank the weird realm that is Turntable.fm for this little discovery.

Brian Covers Buddy

Buddy Holly covers seem to be in season. Check out Brian Wilson's new rendition of "Listen to Me," courtesy of Rolling Stone. Right now you can stream or download it, but in the future it will live on another Buddy Holly tribute album called, you guessed it, Listen to Me (out Sept. 6). Of course, the Buddy Holly tribute album Rave on Buddy Holly just came out as well.

Someone needs to tell me what's going on.