Old Wine In New Bottles

To make a cover version was always an possibility to promote a band to a greater audience or to give tribute to the original. During the early times they played the song one-to-one to the originals. In the days of punk/new wave they band changed the originals into their very own and often unique sound. So I want to present some great cover versions during the next weeks. I could show hundreds of songs and I still haven't showed enough and I decided to present songs that was covered totally different to the originals, versions that mean a lot to me and covers that went into a classic. I also won't chain myself in a musical genre - that is why the first artist appear.

A few years ago I found the video of AC/DC's Thunderstruck, performed by a Finish band called Steve 'n' Seagulls. I love this bluegrass version of those guys played live.

This evening I will be off to Stuttgart to watch my team starting  into league two. It will be a great event to watch them play against FC St. Pauli a team that got a lot of respect and sympathy for their fan credebility.

All I Want Is To Be Your Girl

If you want to have a relaxed sound to start into a sunny Sunday morning then try this. Holly Miranda is a Detroit based musician playing her songs in the tradition of the good old singer/songwriter style. What makes her different is that she adds folk, country and some kind of punk attitude into her sound. And ready is snotty love song with great lines like The days are shorter and the nights are long / We could fuck in the sun and dance till dawn.



I can recommend her new EP if you're into this kind of music.

https://hollymiranda.bandcamp.com/album/party-trick-ep

The Last Internationale

It was a few days ago I discovered The Last Internationale, an alternative rock band from NYC. They play and awesome mix of rock, alternative, post-grunge and blues in a very unique style. Seems like I am addicted to female voices right now but I am close to this kind of music during the last weeks. What they do is nothing more than their own way of Rock 'n' Roll. What I found was a couple of good rock songs in the www but I love them for their versions of songs that I would name classics during the last decades. So give them a listen and decide if they were worth for further investigations. For me it is an old sound played with great enthusiasm.

Who's Afraid Of The 80's? Pt 5

When I bought this record in the late 70's I knew a few songs by the original and was surprised why so called punk bands cover theses classics. During the next years most every new band covered a well known song from the past (thinking about a new short series about covers, done by punk/new wave artists). First I was confused about what they done to these songs - but not for long. Very soon I recognized that they breathed new life into these songs. And most of them were better than the originals. I remember when I played these new versions to some friends and was sad that they didn't open their ears to new sounds. And it is the same until now. You can read in many panels people posting that they closed their ears in the early 80's and are not willing to listen to something new. Even if it is hot or not.

Devo were one of this artists that shocked with their first LP. They reduced their songs to a minimum. From Satisfaction as known by Rolling Stones it reduced to a rattling rhythm and a nervous chorus.

Devo - Satisfaction

Another band that killed the originals were The Flying Lizards. They made the best version of Money I have ever heard. And they did the same with Eddie Cochran's Summertime Blues. Going away from the Rockabilly sound they used a simple keyboard and almost spoken words to make a very new and unique version of this classic song.

Praise the lord that they put a song by The Skids on this record. It might be on of the first punk rock bands from Scotland and they grabbed me with Masquerade. a classic 2:45 minutes masterpiece. It is simple, exciting, dulcet and on heavy rotation almost 40 years ago. A few years later Stuart Adamson formed Big Country and wrote a lot of great songs. But this is a story I told already.

Teenage Stories

A few weeks ago I owned myself Teens Of Denial the first regular record by Will Toledo aka Car Seat Headrest. I listened to it while I was doing other stuff while playing the record. Last weekend I grabbed out this record again and listened to it in a row also having an ear to the lyrics. And I have to say that I was surprised how good this record is. This 23-years-old dude made his 13th record during the last years and he is able to make songs I never heard in years. He presents us mostly stories about his younger days in school in perfect arrangements. Deep-rooted in American style of music like Steve Malkmus and Guided By Voices he gave us songs in the best tradition  of power-pop. Often you hear guitars and bass you knew from the early 80's. It rumbles and clatters, it is a crash and tugs, and, nevertheless, a melodically stamped, almost quite hymnal atmosphere shines through these rough pieces of this American guy.

Car Seat Headrest - Fill In The Blank
Car Seat Headrest - Connecting The Dots
Car Seat Headrest - Drugs With Friends
Car Seat Headrest - Connect The Dots

They Don't Make Clips Like This Any More Pt. 4

Back then in the early 80's The Cure appeared on my radar as an interesting band that was worth to investigate more. The Cure made a sound like I have never heard before. All songs are ruled by a dominant bass and are carried by a sentimental sad voice. The Cure accompanied me after their first songs until now. Also their videos had a somber and dark attitude. I liked to watch them again.

Enjoy.

Marked For Death

I found Emma Ruth Rundle's little masterpiece by surfing new sounds. I can remember that she released an album a few years ago but I have to admit that I can't remember any song from it yet. Anyway, this song makes me looking forward to her new album that will be released in September. Marked For Death is one of those songs to me that gives you the premonition that this song will follow you the next days. What ever else you might hear. It is a powerful blues based journey to the darks side. The song starts slow and tender but when she's shouting the chorus who else is going to love someone like you that’s marked for death / who else is going to be with you when you breathe your last / who else is going to take my place and hold and keep you safe/sane / who else is going to stay she replaces the tenderness with spiky guitars and thundering drums. Certainly a good way to start into the week.