The Trojans’ Hallelujah? Yup, cover songs rule
by It takes a potent strain on self-belief to attempt a cover of a great song. In the history of cover songs there have been some great attempts, and some absolute howlers. Hendrix succeeded on All Along The Watchtower; Nirvana did it with Man Who Sold The World; Aretha Frankin with Respect. But maybe the crown (at least for the last ten years) goes to Jeff Buckley’s take on Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. It turned a good, but not memorable, song into surely one of the most spine-tinglingly beautiful and lasting pieces of songwriting in modern music. So, if someone told me Hallelujah had been reworked again, and this time as a bouncy ska piece, I’d probably have turned and walked away for fear of it tainting the above incarnation. But in a club on Friday night, an ageing London ska group called the Trojans had a go and it was simply awesome. The crowd’s bemused faces quickly turned into all-out smiles and the place erupted. Unfortunately we were left crushed with the final words that they were yet to record it. And judging by the gurn on the Bez-like frontman and chief whip of the group (who was replaced by a female vocalist for the song), that may take a while. So, until then, we’ll leave you with another completely different take on another great song: Schneider TM does The Smiths’, There Is A Light That Will Never Go Out.
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Tagged: cover songs, ska
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Babylon Circus’ Secret Playlist
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Little Girls cover Beach House’s 10 Mile Stereo
Josh McIntyre, aka Little Girls, recently released a cover of Beach House’s epic 10 Mile Stereo. Little Girls will also be releasing a 7-inch split, Volume 2 of Best of Both Records, a Toronto and Oslo based label that does splits with bands from both cities. We have a free download of 10 Mile Stereo in our Music Download section.
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Setting Sun cover Tom Petty’s You Got Lucky
Setting Sun’s cover of Tom Petty’s You Got Lucky was recently released as part of Buffet Libre DJ’s compilation CD, Rewind 2. Says frontman, Gary Levitt, of their version on the song: ‘We got back from our European tour on Christmas Eve with a December 27th deadline for the track looming. It was finally started on December 26th and then sent off completed the next day. It was a great exercise in having to let some things go. That’s twenty-four hours out the door complete, old school style. That’s how records used to be made. Motown, baby, MOTOWN!’ We have the song for free download in our Music Download section [psst, it's in the third column of the site]
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Also by FRANCIS ANDREWS
Irina Werning’s Back to the Future photo series
Argentine photographer Irina Werning has complied this beautiful and poignant collection of portraits of adults re-enacting images of themselves as kids. From what I gather, she has asked people to submit photographs of themselves and then returned with them to these same spots at the same times in their lives. She’ll take this project round the world, from Baghdad to Eurodisney, and is looking for willing participants. Read more
Bug fighting in South East Asia
Of all the little idiosyncratic activities I’ve come across since living in Southeast Asia, this nears the favourite. The bug fights are held in a cemetery about half an hour outside of Chiang Mai late in the year when the stags are at their randiest. It pulls an impressive crowd who bet some hefty dollars on the winner, claimed by the beetle who throws its opponent off the revolving log and struts (or crawls) to victory. Read more
What The Fuck Should I Make For Dinner
All hail the magic 8-ball of cooking; the answer to those painful moments of indecision that plague every shopper at around 6pm on a hectic Monday evening. It’s not the nagging voice that questions every decision you make, but the blunt, obnoxious hollering of an online Gordon Ramsay. The kitchen abides.
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The Candy Christmas Card Set by Jamie M. Dwyer and Justin Ulloa of Electric Wonder features campy dolls, fun friends and sweet holiday treats. These eight unique cards are sure to bring giggles!
Our online store has been kicking along nicely for a while now, featuring prints by Andy Smith [pictured], tees by Das Monk and jewellery by This Charming Man to name a few. We have visitors from all across the globe and some of our pieces have been racing out the virtual door faster than we imagined possible. Aw, shucks! Now it’s your turn. If you design, create, or distribute products and artwork that fits with our style, and you’d like to see your goodies stocked on our shelves in time for Christmas, drop us a note introducing yourself and we’ll take it from there. Psst … we’re planning some Christmas gift ideas and subscriber offers too. We reckon you’ll like them.
There was a time, many moons ago, when I would only listen to bands off New Zealand’s Flying Nun label. Yup, I would strap myself into a comfy chair, put my headphones on and, armed with a chunk of chocolate coated Peanut Slab and a can of L&P, soak up album after album of wonderfully self-indulgent low-fi melancholy. Read more
The Highline railway track is a 30 foot high, 1.45 mile long disused piece of infrastructure threading its way through 22 blocks of downtown Manhattan. Read more
If you ever wondered how the fine people from DC dressed, Curator of DC Style has the answer for you. One of my favorites, this blog features pictures of DC citizens in creative and fashionable attire.
Last week when the 2008 ARIA nominations were released, I was so happy to see the recognition of Melbourne’s Eddy Current Suppression Ring. Their album Primary Colours is pure, unadulterated Aussie rock, standing out from the numerous electro releases we’ve had this year. The band manages to capture that wonderful pub-vibe without any pretension or tragic nostalgia. Primary Colours speaks to people who still seek an existence that is all about wearing ripped jeans, loitering and punching people in the face … not in a violent way, but because your fist flailed in that direction while you were thrashing around front of stage.
Too sweet for words, these beautiful hoop earrings by Sydney-based designer Carmel Taylor are a real touch of origami for your ears.
WE'RE POSTING / SOME OF THE BEST
Communication prosthesis by Sascha Nordmeyer
This ‘communication prosthesis’ by designer Sascha Nordmeyer is hilarious and awesome. I want to wear one to a job interview.
Matthew Dear’s Black City album totem
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Baltimore Mural by Josh Van Horne
My friend Josh Van Horne, a local Baltimore artist, did this amazing mural in our neighborhood that depicts the history of this warehouse-laden area.
Christoph Niemann illustrates a nightmare flight
New York Times illustrator Christoph Niemann has created a brilliant visual diary outlining the peril and pitfalls that beset the everyday passenger based on his recent experience flying from New York to his home town of Berlin. Read more
Michelle Blade’s psychedelic artwork
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Danot has created a stunning line of new illustrated tanks and tees, featuring our latest obsession, the Forlorn tanktop. Is it a bird? Or a face? Or all of the above? Dive into this graphic and decide for yourself. While you’re there, check out the other great new Danot pieces in the Lost At E Minor store
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