Covercentric: Hear Ren Harvieu Cover Joni Mitchell’s “River”
Yesterday, Dermot O’Leary (pictured above in a turtleneck, naturally) had four lovely singing ladies, dubbed his “Choir of Angels”, to spread the holiday cheers on his last radio show before Christmas. Rumer, Ren Harvieu, Emily Baker and Kristina Train (a Radio 2 super girl group right there) joined the host for a chat, then each offered their take on a holiday classic. Disney-noir songstress Ren Harvieu picked Joni Mitchell’s not-so-cheery “River”, which she pulled it off beautifully.
MP3: Ren Harvieu – River (Joni Mitchell Cover)
Fellow mellow chanteuse Rumer also chimed in with her own interpretation of Ron Sexsmith’s “Maybe This Christmas”, previously covered by Tracey Thorn.
MP3: Rumer – Maybe This Christmas (Ron Sexsmith Cover)
You can listen to the whole session here if you’d like, starting around the 2:17:00 mark.
Covercentric: Anna Calvi’s Dark Take On Beyoncé
Intense, striking, dramatic – those are words often associated with UK songstress Anna Calvi‘s music, and the same applies to her covers. Last week, she paid a visit to Radio 1’s Live Lounge and delivered an impressive take on Beyoncé’s “Naughty Girl”. Through her crimson filter, what was otherwise an innocuously seductive Middle-Eastern-tinged R&B track now drips with dark, menacing undertones. There’s no doubt she can sure rock a mean guitar. Check out her interpretation below, and see the performance in motion here.
MP3: Anna Calvi – Naughty Girl (Beyoncé Cover)
You can download various live sessions and stream all her music for free on her Soundcloud.
Buy her music.
More on Anna.
Covercentric: Emeli Sandé Covers Blur For Live Lounge
British newcomer Emeli Sandé made her debut Live Lounge session last Tuesday on BBC Radio 1 with Fearne Cotton. Instead of choosing to cover a current chart-topping hit like most would do, she picked the old school 1995 Blur single “Country House”, and it was a lovely moment. With some clever chorus swapping, she turned the jaunty original into a brooding affair, beautifully sung and interpreted.
MP3: Emeli Sandé – Country House (Blur Cover)
Her album “Her Version of Events” drops this week in the UK, and is set to be number one come Sunday. If you are hoping a whole album in the style of “Heaven” and “Daddy”, then prepare to be disappointed, for they are red herrings. I guess either “Heaven” was meant to be the buzz “tastemaker’s single” that unexpectedly became her big break, or she and her team decided to go after Adele’s market rather than Katy B’s. It was not the album I expected, but it still is a strong, solid effort. I’ll save the details for a later post, as the album will reach our shores on June 5. For now, watch the video for her latest single “Next To Me” below.
Covercentric: Lana Del Rey Sings Mando Diao’s “Chet Baker”
Back in late 2010, when Lana Del Rey was still relatively unknown and blond, she made what was possibly her first European TV appearance on Mandio Diao‘s MTV Unplugged show. Backed by the Swedish rock band themselves, Lana gave an acoustic rendition of “Chet Baker”, an obscure 2007 b-side named after the jazz legend. The show was later released on CD/DVD, and footage of her segment has been floating around since, but I only managed to discover it a couple days ago. Her voice was a good fit for the jazz-tinged track, and it was certainly fascinating to witness the soon-to-be pop star in progress, just a year before the big break. Not that much has changed, vocally and aethestically. A lovely listen, anyhow.
MP3: Lana Del Rey – Chet Baker (Mando Diao Cover – MTV Unplugged)
Watch the performance here.
Listen to the original.
What I find interesting is that Juliette Lewis, who previously tweet-bashed her SNL performance, was also a guest star on the same show. I wonder if she remembers that they might actually have met before?
“Born To Die” is out now worldwide.
Covercentric: Sky Ferreira Strips Down Lana Del Rey’s “Blue Jeans”
Sky Feirrera might still be spending her sweet time perfecting her debut album, but she’s been appeasing the fans by sporadically posting snippets and demos on her Soundcloud. Her latest gift comes in the form of a raw, angsty acoustic piano cover of Lana Del Rey’s “Blue Jeans”, deliberately renamed as “Berlin Jeans”, referring to where it was recorded. Allegedly done in one take, it’s a far cry away from her fizzy electro-pop stuff. Despite sounding a bit rough during the middle eight, she did an admirable job with the song.
Sky’s album “Wild At Heart” is set to be released later this year, and that she’s been working with producer Jon Brion only fuels more Fiona Apple comparisons. While it’s quite disappointing that her old electro-pop materials get scrapped, I’m certainly intrigued by her new direction. She’s a very promising artist who well deserves a breakthrough. Check out her cover below and let me know what you think.
MP3: Sky Ferreira – Berlin Jeans (Lana Del Rey Cover)
Lana Del Rey – Live on BBC Radio 6
Controversial rising popstar Lana Del Rey did her first ever UK radio session today for BBC Radio 6, joining Huey Morgan for a chat and performing acoustic renditions of “Video Games” and “Born To Die”. And yes, she sounds just fine and at ease with herself – not that this evidence will stop the online vitriol though, unfortunately. You can stream the full session and interview on BBC, but if you’re not UK-based and can’t access it, I have ripped both songs for your convenience. Listen and download the utterly lovely session below.
MP3: Lana Del Rey – Video Games (Live on BBC Radio 6)
MP3: Lana Del Rey – Born To Die (Live on BBC Radio 6)
My modest advice for future live TV performances? Get a stool, honey. Maybe stand up for the last chorus – no one would see it coming. It works for Westlife after all.
Make sure to read Popjustice’s brilliant piece on her.
“Born To Die” is out now in the UK.
The Damon Albarn remix is also out. Beware, it’s disappointing.
Covercentric: Lykke Li Sings The “Unchained Melody”
When Lykke Li was on tour down under, she popped by Triple J HQ for an acoustic live session. For the station’s “Like A Version” segment which is basically an Aussie version of Live Lounge, she delivered a haunting cover of The Righteous Brothers‘ 1965 classic “Unchained Melody”. The perennially brooding Swede’s got that uncanny ability to sing like she’s alone in a cavernous cathedral, even if she’s just sitting comfily in a studio. With this melancholy performance, Lykke has officially joined the Melody cover club, previously inhabited by the likes of Gareth Gates, Clay Aiken and Air Supply. I quite like how she bluntly answered “No” when asked if she likes the movie “Ghost”. Lykke’s got no love for claymaking doomed lovers! Listen to her version below, and grab it for free if you like.
MP3: Lykke Li – Unchained Melody (Righteous Brothers Cover)
Watch her whole set on Triple J’s website.
Buy her recent iTunes Session album.
More on Lykke Li.
Covercentric: CocknBullKid Returns To “Pure Shores”
It’s a well-documented fact that British pop songstress CocknBullKid enjoys covering songs. During her live session on Radio 2 with Jo Whiley, the self-proclaimed All Saints fan chose to pay her tribute by contributing her own version of “Pure Shores” to the station’s ongoing Great British Songbook project. And what a brilliant choice/sublime rendition it was! She totally breathed new life into the track. This is bringing back all the memories, bar the unpleasant reminder of how unbelievably shit the original music video was. That unfortunate setback couldn’t taint the classic William-Orbit-produced pop perfection, though. This is not the first time CocknBullKid showed her appreciation for late ’90s R&B either, having covered Destiny’s Child’s “Bills Bills Bills” with Eliza Doolittle before. Did you know Shaznay Lewis actually co-wrote the album track “Distractions”? Surely a duet between the two sounds like a good idea? I would also be genuinely interested in hearing her cover “Black Coffee” next, please. Either of those options would suffice, Anita, I’m not fussy!
You can download her amazing All Saints cover below.
MP3: CocknBullKid – Pure Shores (All Saints Cover)
Covercentric: Will Young Reinterprets Kate Bush
UK’s mum-friendly pop crooner Will Young delivered a lovely piano cover of Kate Bush‘s classic “Running Up That Hill” for Dermot O’Leary’s Saturday Sessions on Radio 2 yesterday. His cover cemented the fact that he’s still one of Britain’s best contemporary male pop voices. His forthcoming album, the Richard-X-produced “Echoes”, will see him heading for a long-awaited dance-pop direction, and if lead single “Jealousy” is any indication, pop fans will be in for a real treat, even those who weren’t fans of his music before. You can download the balladry performance below. “Jealousy” drops on August 21, and the album follows a day later.
Covercentric: Noah And The Whale Cover Robyn
Radio 1’s Live Lounge seems to revolve around Robyn these days. A couple weeks ago, she was on the show to perform her new single “Call Your Girlfriend”, and now Noah And The Whale has picked it for their mystery cover. The alt-folk band totally transformed the ebullient original into a Tom Petty-style track. They shouldn’t have bothered changing the words though, it could make a cool twist. Stream/download their take below.
Noah And The Whale – Call Your Boyfriend (Robyn Cover)
I don’t have much to say about their own output, except that “L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.” was quite a guilty pleasure of mine.
Covercentric: Robyn Covers Coldplay For Live Lounge
Fresh off the oven, here is Robyn‘s cover of Coldplay’s “Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall”, which just aired on Radio 1’s Live Lounge with Fearne Cotton today. At first I thought it was an odd choice, as I think the original is not quite one of Coldplay’s finest moments, but I really do like Robyn’s synthy take of it. Then again, like Coldplay, she has always proudly worn her heart on sleeve. You see, it’s a good thing tears never show in a pouring waterfall… (okay that needs a bit work). I have ripped both the cover and the live performance of “Call Your Girlfriend” for your convenience. Download away!
MP3: Robyn – Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall (Coldplay Cover)
MP3: Robyn – Call Your Girlfriend (Live Lounge)
I’m glad Radio 1 is supporting the new single, she deserves another bonafide hit. Have you seen the Greg James parody of the video yet? Good viral promotion!
As a bonus, I’ll throw in her earlier Live Lounge acoustic performance of “Dancing On My Own”. It’s a shame it wasn’t included on Body Talk to complete the acoustic trilogy. You can find it on the Live Lounge Vol. 5 comp, though.
MP3: Robyn – Dancing On My Own (Acoustic Live)
Robyn is currently on tour with Katy Perry in the US.
Covercentric: Fallulah Takes On The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Danish songstress Fallulah stopped by Dermot O’Leary’s show on BBC Radio 2 yesterday to perform a live session, which included a special folky rendition of Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Gold Lion”. I never thought about how the song would sound like with banjos and accordions, but she and the band did a splendid job covering it! Apparently, her debut UK single is “I Lay My Head”, out in late August, and the album “The Black Cat Neighbourhood” should follow by next year, even though it’s been out in Denmark for a while now. She said she’s not even signed in Britain yet, but I suppose this will be rectified soon. Stream/download the cover below, and check out two of her latest videos after the jump.
Covercentric: Jamie Woon Covered Adele
My favorite rising UK act, Jamie Woon, went back to basics for his Live Lounge visit. With only a guitar, he performed his latest single “Lady Luck” and a cover of Adele‘s mega-hit “Someone Like You”. And what an incredible, soulful voice he has! It’s a fantastic cover, even if it kinda veered dangerously close to Jason Mraz territory. Woon’s debut, Mirrorwriting, drops April 18 in UK. No US release plans yet, but I seriously hope he will tour here this summer. If he learnt from his SXSW gigs and practiced more, his live show could be amazing. Stream/download the cover below. Grab an acoustic version & a cool remix of “Lady Luck” after the jump.
Covercentric: Mark Ronson & The Business Intl Covered Tame Impala
Last week, Mark Ronson & The Business Intl‘s member Rose Elinor Dougall mysteriously asked for Australian cover suggestions on Facebook. It turned out it was for Triple J’s “Like A Version” feature, and apparently rather than choosing a random SAW-era Kylie song “for the LOLZ”, the band took the cool route and covered Tame Impala’s “Solitude Is Bliss”, which by itself is a great swirling psych-pop jam. Rose and Andrew Wyatt (Miike Snow) took charge of the vocals. Listen to their take below, and get a bonus cover of Alicia Keys’ “Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart” featuring MNDR done for Live Lounge last year after the jump.
MP3: Mark Ronson & The Business Intl – Solitude Is Bliss (Tame Impala Cover)
Covercentric: Sophie Ellis-Bextor Getting Away With It
Oh, the misfortune of being a Sophie Ellis-Bextor fan. Last I heard, she was promising the new album would be out by May, but I’m taking it with a pinch of salt. For now, the UK pop ice queen has a new single out, “Not Giving Up On Love”, a collaboration with Dutch DJ Armin Van Buuren. I’m no fan of trance, but this is actually a beautiful, melancholic piece of trance-pop that’s a cut above your average generic Guetta hit, and deserves to be a summer anthem. Back in July 2010, she stopped by Dermot O’Leary’s show on BBC Radio 2 to do a live session promoting it (it was forward-thinking of her!). Not only did she deliver a great acoustic version with an extra verse, she also did a lovely cover of “Getting Away With It”, an old hit by ’80s supergroup Electronic, comprised of members of Pet Shop Boys and New Order and The Smiths. Under such stripped-down arrangements, her voice truly radiates. Now if she could finally get her fourth studio out this year, it might very well have the potential to be a pop gem of 2011. Perhaps to most, she’s just a remnant of the early noughties, but I do believe she’s still a real unique pop star worth rooting for. Hear the tracks and watch the Sophie-Muller-directed, filmed-in-Ibiza video after the jump.
MP3: Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Getting Away With It (Electronic Cover – Acoustic Live)
MP3: Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Not Giving Up On Love (Acoustic Live)
Covercentric: Ellie Goulding Sings The Knife
Yesterday, UK pop songstress Ellie Goulding stopped by Radio 1’s Live Lounge to promote her ace new single “Lights”. Her two-song set consists of a lovely acoustic take of the song, and a surprise cover of The Knife’s “Heartbeats”, which is pure ear candy. A full-fledged acoustic album from Ellie in the future is almost a given now. I love both electro-Ellie & folk-Ellie, though, so I’m not ready to give up the former just yet. She seems so much more comfortable as a pop star now. Stream/download the live performances below.
MP3: Ellie Goulding – Heartbeats (The Knife Cover – Live Lounge)
MP3: Ellie Goulding – Lights (Acoustic – Live Lounge)
The US edition of her stunning album “Lights” is out now. I highly recommend getting a copy if you still haven’t.
The new UK single “Lights” is also out now, with her previous Live Lounge cover, Rihanna’s “Only Girl”, as the b-side.
More on Ellie.
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