After reviewing the list of nominees, it’s pretty apparent that our submissions skew heavily towards quasi-ironic indie rock. In the interests of greater inclusion, I encourage all readers with a passion for folk, country, rap, soul or funk (or just about any other under-represented genre) to chime in with a few nominations. I’ll get things started with Cube and Mack 10 covering (sampling?) “Should I Stay or Should I Go?”
Will
Will writes from Washington, D.C. (well, Arlington, Virginia). You can reach him at willblogcorrespondence at gmail dot com.
We had a recent outage due to ongoing problems with the latest WordPress update. We were also forced into some theme changes. Some of these changes are temporary and some are probably not. We apologize for the inconvenience.
on Read It For Yourself: How Trump Admin Defines “Gang Members” For DeportationI am suspecting the lawyer will wake up Monday morning, be at a ‘bring your toothbrush’ to court mom…
on Open Mic for the week of 3/31/25Heh, I'm not entirely sure I get the comment even if I get the gist? Seems any plan by Trump can be… on Open Mic for the week of 3/31/25Yeah; I think you are right that he sees the American Empire as a thing that was being managed to th…
on Saturday Morning Gaming: MetroidvaniasThe "Can a MV be 3D?" debate has resulted in many broken hearts and broken bones, but I think that i…
on Saturday Morning Gaming: MetroidvaniasHollow Knight is great. It was one of the first non-console games I had played in a long time and on… on Saturday Morning Gaming: MetroidvaniasHollow Knight does not hold your hand. I'm not calling it a "soulslike" or anything like that becaus…
on Saturday Morning Gaming: MetroidvaniasI was a massive fan of Castlevania while the vast majority of my friends were into Metroid and Rygar… on Tariffs Making China Great AgainI wonder if the market is pricing in the probability of a suit like this eventually succeeding (and…
on Tariffs Making China Great AgainI believe that you can have standing recognized on the basis of imminent harm. Though even then, I d…
on Open Mic for the week of 3/31/25https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/417e58aa2d61f2e01a40847ad106f08f4d61361cf51ae8658e6ca910ea1dcbb…
Danny Dreamer: It’s a Dog’s Life
April 5, 2025
April 4, 2025
April 3, 2025
A Would-Be Buyer at an Automobile Show
April 2, 2025
on Tariffs Making China Great Again on Tariffs Making China Great Again on Tariffs Making China Great Again
on Tariffs Making China Great Again on When a Maiden Needs a Friend
on Read It For Yourself: How Trump Admin Defines “Gang Members” For Deportation on Tariffs Making China Great Again on Read It For Yourself: How Trump Admin Defines “Gang Members” For Deportation
on Open Mic for the week of 3/31/25 on Open Mic for the week of 3/31/25 on Read It For Yourself: How Trump Admin Defines “Gang Members” For Deportation
on Open Mic for the week of 3/31/25 on Open Mic for the week of 3/31/25
on Open Mic for the week of 3/31/25 on Open Mic for the week of 3/31/25
Honestly, I thought this was an all-white thing. Here’s my nomination:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65WexbsVs40Report
This may or may not be an interesting thing I’ve noticed but rock and roll has a lot of covers. This band covers this song and that band remakes that other song, so on and so forth.
Rap does not seem to do that. Every now and again, of course, there is a line in a song that pays tribute to an earlier song (like throwing a “let me clear my throat” before the bridge or similar) but there aren’t anywhere near the same degree of covers.
I wonder why.Report
What about sampling? The fact that so many great hip hop and rap tracks are based on a small snippet of a hook, a bass line, a lyric, a horn line seems on the same level as your perception of rock n roll. Different genres approach appropriation differently.Report
Like both EPMD and Puff Daddy sampled Average White Band’s “person to person”?
I don’t know. That strikes me as different than a cover, per se…Report
Klein –
Great pick – I’ll put that up as soon as I get the chance.
Jaybird –
I think you’re right; rap is pretty self-referential and has definitely popularized sampling, but you don’t hear too many covers. I have no idea why this is the case. Funk, soul, country and folk, on the other hand . . .Report
If we want to open up enough to allow samples, I’d say that Nice & Smooth’s sampling of Fast Car on “Sometimes I Rhyme Slow, Sometimes I Rhyme Quick” is probably the best use of an unobscure sample out there.
Eric Prydz’s “Call on me” is probably the best use of a borderline sample.
Best use of an obscure sample would probably be EPMD’s sampling of “Person to Person” on Richter Scale. (Which then became significantly less obscure when Puffy used the same sample on “Friend” on his debut (crappy) album).Report
Phish is without question one of the great “cover bands.” Their covers of AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell,” The Beatles “A Day in the Life,” Ween’s “Roses are Free,” and Velvet Underground’s “Rock and Roll” are legendary (at least in jam band circles), as is their range (they’ve also taken stabs at The Beastie Boys, Jay-Z, and TV on the Radio). Their recent cover of the entire Stone’s “Exile on Main Street” album on Halloween was outrageously good. I think their version of “Shine a Light” qualifies for this little contest, but I could only find this snippet online (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3E15PDTkc8). But here’s the full version of “Loving Cup,” which didn’t suck either.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1bsxFqLuMgReport
Here’s another band on another Halloween that could cover a tune too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMan6STpZAEReport
And this might possibly be the best worst holiday song cover of all-time. Thanks, Neil!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOegH4uYe-cReport
I realize, like Nirvana above, these are “indie” bands but they’re pretty incredible covers.
Antony – “If It Be Your Will” by Leonard Cohen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKhGKB6faW0
The Raconteurs – “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjIsub91HAQ
White and company also did a monster “It Ain’t Easy” by David Bowie during this set at Lollapalooza.
I’ll stop now.Report
The Dead Kennedys “California Uber Alles” performed by The Disposable Heroes or Hiphoprisy. This is from their album “Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxury” but there’s a better version from the Virus 100 compilation (Alternative Tentacles 100th release) –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBAkOifDeSw
I’m going to throw in another indie rock cover though, “Freebird” performed by Built to Spill. Why? Because it is *not* ironic – watch the video, they are taking it dead serious. I got to see them perform this live, and it was a jaw dropper.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8whmIaeftQReport
Good call on BTS playing Freebird. A buddy of mine saw that performance live.Report
Well, speaking of Ice Cube and sampling, The Players Association cover of “Footsteps in the Dark” by the Isley Brothers is pretty good. My vote’s with Stars though.Report