Under My Covers, Vol. 7

Oh yea, dusting off a classic.

It's been OVER A YEAR since I've done an "Under My Covers" post but it's something I want to get back into. Especially when inspiration strikes like it did today.

I was driving home from work when the DJ on the alternative station I listen to starts talking about Jay Z. It made me curious because usually she will bring somebody up before going into a song of theirs and an alternative station doesn't really play hip hop (though they did play Kanye West's "Homecoming" - but that's because it featured Chris Martin).

So I realize it's because she is introducing a cover. It's by an artist named Hugo and he took a shot at covering "99 Problems." I have no idea if this is old or new, but it's the first time I had heard it.

It was one of those moments where I just laughed and smiled. I absolutely loved it and I hope you take a minute to at least try it out.

Original Version by Jay Z

Cover Version by Hugo *edit: the video is kinda weird, but nevermind that. Unless you like that sort of thing, then enjoy it even more :)

Under My Covers, Vol. 6

Thank you so much to those who have kept up with me this week in my attempt to churn out all my thoughts into blog form before I depart for a while. This, alas, will be my last *written* post for a while. Remember those video things I was talking about? They start next Tuesday and will last... until they are done. I really don't know how long that will be. But hopefully you enjoy them.

As for other random things going on in my life:

*Going to a concert tonight (surprise, I know). Taking Back Sunday (yet another surprise), but it is at my rival's campus, the University of Alabama. Works out though, cuz we have some friends that made the (dumb) decision to go there. Tomorrow, West Virginia comes here, along with some friends from Montgomery so that should be fun. Then Sunday will consist of reading/NFL football. I love this weekend.

*I have been listening to a lot of random music lately. And a HUGE shoutout to jeanette for hooking me up so much through aim. We've been swapping music like drug dealers and I think I need an intervention. When I return, expect some major music posts.

*I've altered my diet. Not going on a diet, just altered. I realized there is a wedding coming up in December that I kind of want to look good for, so I'm trying a little something. To start off with, I am just cutting out the three worst things I consume -- pizza, doughnuts and sodas. Pizza is the hardest because it is the easiest, and cheapest, thing to eat around here. Wish me luck...

But now, onto the main event. I've noticed that if you want some good covers, just search "Live Lounge" from Radio 1. But don't do that, cuz then I will run out of stuff to surprise you guys with. The original song is by the kooks, and I'm not sure exactly how famous they are. Here, not really. but in other countries I could see the potential. But this song is kind of cool and catchy. But then Lily Allen comes along and just mesmerizes me. I have to admit this -- I'm in love with Lily Allen. I have been since the first day I saw the video for Smile. She is fiery, cute, and I LOVE her accent. I promise I would do stuff to make her mad just so she would yell at me in her accent, and then try my best to make up for it, just so she could be sweet in her accent. Is it bad I've actually thought of these things? Anyways, here is the song, "Naive."

Original Version by the Kooks

Cover Version by Lily Allen

In closing, I just want to say that though I will only be posting videos for a while, I should still be checking in on you guys. Hope you enjoy your weekend, as I should be enjoying mine.

Under My Covers Vol.5/Happy Birthday

Today, my bfff (one of those f's is a dirty word) Jme turns 22. It's about damn time. But it seems like every year, I miss being there on her birthday. Most of the time I'm in California on a summer vacation, but this time, once again, our schedules didn't meet up. So, I figure this is the least I could do. Dedicate one of my cover posts to her.

As you might have read in the past, or today if you head over to jeanette's blog, my friends have always introduced me to new music. Jme is one of those people and some months ago she saw a little show in Panama City and fell in love with one of the opening bands, The Leo Project. One of the songs on thier cd is a cover and a funny mini story is that when she heard the original, she thought they were copying the Leo Project. Good times. Anyways, here is the song "Broken Wings."

Original song by Mr. Mister (from 1985)

Cover song by The Leo Project (from 2009) (the fourth song down)

How about just for fun, we put the Tupac cover

So in all, these post to spread a cover, but really it was to say Happy Birthday to a really good friend. If you want to as well, check out her blog and leave her some love!

Under My Covers, Vol. 4 (Garden State edition)

*So I usually try not to double post on a day, but hey -- first time for everything, right?

*Also, this post is going to be all over the place emotion wise.

So as much as I consider myself knowledgeable in music, I also consider myself somewhat of a movie buff. However, there are still some great movies out there that I haven't seen. Until tonight, one of those movies was Garden State.

I liked it. I think if I would have saw it at a time when everyone else saw it, I would have it up there in my top 10. But as of right now, I can't budge any movies out of there. To me, a really good movie is when I am still thinking about it afterward and this was one of those.

First off, I want to say that I am convinced that the girl I fall for and ultimately be with is someone who shares my taste in music and I find out and immediately become attracted. That is kinda what happened with the Norah chick. I was falling for her because of her playlist, hence the blog nickname. But the scene where Zach Braff meets Natalie Portman and she tells him to listen to the Shins, oh man, I probably would have asked her to marry me right there. I'm not a huge Shins fan or anything, but for a girl to do that is match made in Heaven material.

I related to some of the deep scenes in this movie. Like, the very beginning when it looked like the plane was crashing and he was just all calm. It reminded me of the scene in Fight Club when he prayed for a plane crash. Sometimes, I am just driving and my mind drifts to what would happen if I got in a wreck right at that moment. I know it sounds really weird, but these thoughts come to my head sometimes so it felt good to relate in a way. It's crazy because whether facing a wreck or a plane crashing (i have those images whenever I go to visit Cali) for some reason I am calm about it as well. I'm not ready to die or anything, far from it, but I guess it's just one of those "what are you gonna do about it" kinda things. Also, the scene where he is talking with his dad and he says something along the lines of "we don't have to be happy, we can just be ok being what we are" it made me think of me and my dad's relationship. We have never had that closeness that some father and sons have had, but in the past year or two we have gotten, not closer, but better. And I related somewhat because I think we are both reaching a point where we are ok with being ok.

My only gripe about the movie was at the very end. I liked the scene for what it was, but for the first time in any movie (or wonderfully fantastic tv show) I felt like Braff overacted. When he was talking to her on the steps and when he got her from the phone booth, it was hard to buy into it. But I still liked it. I just wish he would have toned it down a bit.

But of course, what did I like most about the movie? The soundtrack. I mean, the first song was a Coldplay track. For those of you who don't know, Taking Back Sunday and Coldplay alternate between my number 1 and number 2 favorite positions (A Rush of Blog to the Head is a reference to a Coldplay track). But then there was more great music throughout the movie, which prompts today's covers. That's right, two covers.

1) Such Great Heights -- This song was played in the second half of the movie and it was the Iron and Wine version. The original is by the Postal Service on a cd that brings back memories of freshman year of college for me. I love it because both versions are both so different, but sound so great.

Original version by The Postal Service

Cover version by Iron and Wine

2) We Will Become Silhouettes -- Ok, so this song wasn't in the movie. However, the above song was originally by The Postal Service and so is the one below and the cover is by the only band name dropped in the movie -- The Shins. Once again, both versions are different (though, not AS different -- one is just more acoustic). But both, once again, are great.

Original version by The Postal Service

Cover version by The Shins




So there's that.




Random lyric of the day:

We live in a beautiful world,
Yeah we do, yeah we do,
We live in a beautiful world,
Oh, we're sinking like stones,
All that we fought for,
All those places we've gone,
All of us are done for.

Under My Covers, Vol. 3 (updated)

So I really wanted to blog, but I couldn't figure out about what. I feel like a bunch of little things are happening (Russell Crowe playing Robin Hood -- they are making a Robin Hood?) but not enough for a post. So that's where that damn covers thing comes in handy, and at least it's not 4 hours ;)

But here are a few things:

*Does anyone do what I do with cd's and as soon as you buy them/download them you listen to them a few times and then go onto something else, but something will trigger it and you end up coming back to said cd? I do it all the time. I will be like "this cd is ok" and move on, then hear a song in a movie or someone will talk about it, I will go back to it and like it. The two cd's that I am currently going through this process with is Anberlin's "Cities" and taking it WAY back to Something Corporate's "Songs for Silent Movies." Not sure if the second one was an actual cd, but I downloaded it somehow...

*This week is looking good. I have a pizza date tomorrow where I will be getting my big kahuna from Brick Oven. Then on Wednesday I may have a partner in the studio. I like doing the show and everything, but it can get boring (and lonely) in there sometimes. To end the week? Beach trip.

*So I've begun to realize that my blog is very music related. I hope that's still cool with people. I think I am going to add a new weekly blog thing that will replace Flashback Friday. FF was cool, but it was starting to get hard looking back at stuff that is no longer going on. It may still make a few guest appearances though. But like I said, I am working a new weekly thing and soon you will all be guests in my house (courtesy of a great idea by Mr. Condescending)

*Lastly, my created fighter in the UFC game got knocked out today. After going 9-0. Ah, what are you gonna do?

On to the cover. This one, you will most likely know. But I heard it on the radio and I figured I would do something about it. Mainly because when it was going strong on the radio I wasn't deep into this and the whole point of the cover thing is to get people's opinions on it. I know one blogger's (she posted it one of hers a while ago) but I am curious what everybody else thinks. Especially when the cover is a rock band from today covering a slow 80's song. Song in question: Careless Whisper.

Original version by WHAM (or George Michael, whichever credit you prefer)

Cover version by Seether

*BONUS* -- More of a dance version cover with All Time Low, 3OH!3 & Juliet Sims
(thank you to jeanette for throwing this one in there)

Sidenote: what happened to Seether? Back in the day I would put them in the same category of Slipknot and System of a Down. Then they did the song with Amy Lee from Evanescence, this song, a cover of a Frank Sinatra song for iTunes and are touring with Nickelback. Things do change...


Oh, and I wasn't doing the random lyrics with music posts, but eff it. I'm bringing it back.

Random lyric of the day:

this is to a girl
who got into my head
with all the pretty things she did
hey
ya know
you keep me up in bed
this is to a girl
who got into my head
with all these fucked up things i did
hey
maybe
baby you could keep me up in bed
my konstanine

Under My Covers, Vol. 2 (updated)

*The roommates are off seeing Harry Potter. I did not tag along because I have only seen the third one and have read 0 of the books so I know I would be lost. One day, I will pull a HP marathon. But with them gone, I feel like I wanted to blog but nothing has been really happening worth blogging about. Maybe something exciting this weekend. I will be in Troy. But after that, probably nothing.

*Also, show was great last night. I am working on tweaking the file (you will see why when I'm done). But I think you will like it.

Anyways, on to the post. On the first one of these, there was virtually no positive feedback. It's cool with me, I'm not in the band so I don't get my feelings hurt. I actually liked the honesty. But because of that, I'm not sure where I want to go with the next one. I am going to try and stay away from the Punk Goes... series for as long as I can cuz those are almost too easy.

Ok here is my thing about covers: I don't really like a hardcore band covering a hardcore song. It just ends up sounding the same. Although there a few here and there that are good. My favorite kinds are when a guy covers a girls song or vice versa, it's an acoustic cover of a fast song or if it crosses genres, like this one, where we go from R&B/pop to Alternative.

Today's cover: Cry Me A River

Original version by Justin Timberlake

Cover version by Lostprophets (please forgive the quality)

*Click here to see where Justin Timberlake stole an idea got his inspiration from. Thanks to the teacup girl for the find (and yes, I did get that name from the Caped Tirader's blog roll)

What do you think? Did they do it justice? Did they butcher it? Make it better? Obviously I like it, but I'm curious as to what you think...

Under My Covers, Vol. 1

*I stole the idea for the title of this blog from someone's show on our college radio station. I just wanna say that I can't take credit for it.

So, as you can see, I came up with a new idea for a post. This won't be a daily thing, but just rather whenever I get the inspiration. It's pretty self explanatory what it is, just showcasing some awesome covers. Since there is literally a million out there, I will probably use this whenever I get blogger's block.

But what better way to start off than with one of the greatest songs ever. Not one of the greatest rock songs or any genre defining term, but just plain greatest songs ever.

I am talking about "Wish You Were Here"


Original Version by Pink Floyd


Cover Version by Circa Survive


What do you think? Did they do it justice? Did they butcher it? Make it better? Obviously I like it, but I'm curious as to what you think...