Smokey Robinson: Second That Emotion

Hope you all had a good holiday! I certainly enjoyed the time off. But now we're back!

Number .... 18? I hope.

Smokey Robinson: Second That Emotion

Current Knowledge: I'm 99% sure I know this one. But the one percent here is bugging me. My Uncle brought this song up over Thanksgiving break, and I totally doubted myself on whether or not I knew it. So now it's here on the list and we're about to find out for sure.

First Thoughts: Oh.. yeah, I absolutely know this song. Haha, whoops. I covered this with a band one time forever ago. I feel pretty dumb for not being able to remember. This is actually a great song. I love his voice, and I love the brass section. Motown will always be one of my favorites. How could it not be?!

Verdict: There's not much to say, now that I remember the song; I formulated opinions on this one ages ago! Nevertheless it's a cool tune.

Ted Nugent: Stranglehold

Number 17.

Ted Nugent - Stranglehold.

Current Knowledge: I don't know much about Ted Nugent's music. I do know that the first time I was on the radio, I played my segment and then the host interviewed Ted Nugent over the phone afterwards, so I basically opened for him. Also, a friend of mine plays bass with Derek St. Holmes all the time (he gets theses all expenses paid trips to Vegas and LA and Denver.... I hate him). I have a sneaking suspicion I know this song.... But I'm not 100% sure, and I know I've never heard the original, so here goes.


First Thoughts: Yep. I know this song. Dylan, the bass player referenced above, does this song all the time at bars. I had no idea this was a Ted Nugent song! And though Dylan is one of the best bassists I've ever met EVER, Nugent sings this waaaay better. He's actually got a cool voice. And I don't know who's playing guitar here (Nugent maybe?) but it's really, REALLY good. This is basically straight up rock 'n roll. Not surprisingly, the original version is far better than anything that's been done in any bar I've ever been to. The solos are way longer, more drawn out, and all around better. Yeah, this is awesome.


Verdict: I was pretty sure I knew this song, and I'm not surprised I liked this better than the bar covers I've grown used to. It's a badass rock and roll song with a ripping guitar solo that I will forever appreciate and never duplicate. I'm really diggin' it.


(And by the way, these headphones are making ALL the difference; best $25 I ever spent.)

Johnny Cash: Hurt

Number 16!

Johnny Cash - Hurt.

Current Knowledge: I know a few Johnny Cash songs; my grandpa is quite the fan (and, in fact, the only person in my extended family who plays guitar). Ring of Fire is probably his favorite, and I know that one like the back of my hand. However, I was at a party over the weekend, and on the TV/radio station that was playing, the Nine Inch Nails song Hurt came on. I genuinely didn't believe the person who told me that Johnny Cash had covered this, or how it possibly could have sounded. So, here I am, about to find out.


First Thoughts: Maybe it's my headphone upgrade, but the guitar in this sounds really awesome. It's really clear and bright and right on the top of the mix....yeah, this is probably thanks to the headphones, actually. In regards to the song itself: it's actually a really weird version of this, honestly. This song seems to be written with a really strong vocal melody, and Johnny Cash was by no means young when he recorded this; his voice is distinct but not particularly striking in this. I think it's actually the lack of emotion in his voice that is the issue for me. The lyrics say that the speaker is more or less dying, and Cash's vocal seems a bit apathetic. Though I think I can see why he chose to cover it, there's a good story and a nice acoustic guitar part, which are Johnny Cash staples.


Verdict: I'm not really sure what to make of this. It's a really weird convergence between two distinctly different types of music. I wouldn't say I'd put this on again, but I can certainly commend Johnny Cash for picking a song that is so far outside of his usual genre and making it his own. That's something I try to do a lot of the time, so I can definitely relate, at least.

A Reverse Lookup - Rod Stewart: Stay With Me

Number 15:

So, this is a little backwards. A friend of mine and an incredible musician used to cover this one song every time I saw him play, and I loved it. But I never got around to asking him what it was, and he's moved away recently. It's long past time for me to look up what the heck this song is. The internet is so cool.


After a tedious Google search, and about an hour of trying to remember any of the lyrics in the right order, I found it! It's Stay With Me, by Rod Stewart.

First Thoughts: I mean, I've known this song for years without knowing ever hearing the original, so that in itself is satisfying. It's sung so high! My friend always sang it an octave down, apparently. And he always did it just with an acoustic guitar, so to hear it with a full band, and all the harmony and everything is so awesome. And the slide guitar! That's awesome too. I've always wanted to learn to play like that. And this breakdown at the end with the guitar and bass solos is just so good.


Verdict: The original is great. I finally know who sings this awesome piece of music. I have about seven hundred memories associated with this song, so I'm excited to have a name for it. Maybe I'm a little biased, but I love it!

Taylor Swift and Everything Else That's Bugging Me

This is a music review blog. It's not supposed to be for pop music, but I have to make an exception here and talk about T-Swift.

She released 1989 just the other day, and, so far, I have been able to avoid it. If I may be candid, back in the day I was quite the Taylor Swift fan, when she was still a country singer. But I have watched her abandon her talented singer/songwriter roots and devolve into a less-than-appealing cookie cutter pop artist, releasing only songs that I can't stand. But, alas, I figured I'd give her one more chance.

The song I've seen most quoted on the internet so far is Out of the Woods. The title sounds thought out, and like it might have some substance. So I sat down and listened to it with a full open and non-judgmental mind.

It was so bad. :(

The chorus is just clusters of words repeated over and over in monotone, with a lot of synth and drums to make it dance-able. The verses are lacking in substance and all traces of the Taylor Swift that first graced the music scene are completely gone. It sounded so fake and over produced and, not that I was expecting a miracle, I was pretty let down.

And that's what's bugging me. I spend so much time writing myself, and I know how much effort it takes to write a song that's good, verses any song on 1989. (I listened to nearly all the rest in hopes I might find a diamond in the rough. I did not.)  All of the good music is being pushed off the radio in favor of this grossly mass-produced pop garbage that is only appealing to teenage girls. And this is a very common complaint about music these days. But good music is still being made! I hear it all the time in some of my favorite artists and on Pandora. If the demand is high and the content is there, why isn't the good stuff on the radio? Why do record labels think they can push this stuff onto the world without retaliation? Because they already are, and they have been doing it for years.

As an indie artist, this is sad, and disheartening. But the upside? Record labels are losing their power thanks to the rise of the internet. An artists can do everything on their own now, with enough work. So, there will never be a lack of bad pop music on the radio, because record labels can still sell it, for now. But their is a back door to this horrendous onslaught of crap, thanks to the advances of music technology. Thanks to YouTube and Spotify and Bandcamp and SoundCloud and Reverbnation and every other site that is used by independent musicians, good music is still out there and available to the world, no matter what is playing on the radio.

And I think (or fervently hope) that in time, record labels will embrace this shift, and bring back the kind of musicians that deserve to be in the spotlight, rather than just industrializing the one thing that isn't supposed to be made generic.

Music isn't for selling, it's an art form, damn it.

Friday Feature: Helplessly Hoping as covered by Chebacco

This Friday Feature goes to Chebacco, with their cover of Helplessly Hoping!

It's no secret that I absolutely love this song, which means finding a cover that would do it justice would prove very difficult. There are tons of people who can do the harmony exactly as its written, so that's not what I was looking for. I wanted to see someone capture the feeling of the song really well.

Meet Chebacco :)

If I were to see this song performed live by the original artist, this is how I'd want to see it; sitting around a kitchen table, void of any extra effects or staging of any kind. It's simple, it's soulful, and these guys have done it right, in my opinion. Not to mention their harmonies blend beautifully. All three of these individuals can sing, clearly, the guitar playing is spot on, and they all look like they mean what they're singing. The simplicity of it is what really got me; there's nothing to it, which is exactly why it works so well. Thank you for perfectly capturing how I envisioned this song performed!

Very regrettably, I could find almost no other information on this trio of talented musicians, other than that their names are Andrew James, Alex Gallant, and Derek Rice. If I hear from them, I will certainly let you know where you can find out more. I myself am very curious and hope there is much more than this, because it's wonderful.

Bob Dylan: All Along the Watchtower

Number 10:

Bob Dylan: All Along the Watchtower (for whatever reason, this person has left us a picture-less video for this track, but this is the best recording, I promise.)

Current Knowledge: I cover Don't Think Twice It's Alright almost every time I play a gig, but embarrassingly enough that's pretty much the only Dylan song I know. However this particular song is covered by my musician friends very, very often. So I've heard it, and I know how it goes, but I've never heard the original version, and I'm extremely curious.

First Thoughts: Oh, how this riff reminds me of Wednesday nights and bad decisions. Regret and nostalgia all rolled into one. I've heard enough of Dylan to know that I would not be a fan of how he sang this, but part of me thinks I have heard drunk guys at various bars do it better, which is kind of messing with me. That sentiment is wrong on a lot of levels, but that's how it goes with Dylan songs. The lyrics are what's important. I would, however, like to see this guy try and audition for any vocal based show from this century, cause he'd be laughed right out of the audition line.

Verdict: Folky-er and lighter and less in tune vocally than what I've heard so many times before. I'm very curious into what the Hendrix version is like, now, because I think that might be closer to what I'm used to hearing. I think I'll have to review that one separately though, as it's practically a totally different song.

The Allman Brothers: Jessica

Number nine.

Jessica, by The Allman Brothers

Current Knowledge: Like a million and a half people have asked me about this song in one way or another. I'm not a big fan of having one of the most common female names of the 21st century, so I never looked this one up mostly out of spite. Not a fan of my name, not gonna bother with the song; this was the mindset. Nauseatingly petty, I know. Begrudgingly, I am about to change this.

First Thoughts: Agh. It starts out so awesome. It sounds hard as heck to play, honestly. The melody riff is so catchy, and the song overall falls somewhere between folk and... Caribbean sounding, maybe? It goes back and forth between so many parts, it's hard to discern what style the Allman Brothers are supposed to be based off this song alone. (Wikipedia says they're American Rock.. whatever that means.) Is this a jam band? Because this is definitely a jam band song. Everybody gets a solo for three minutes! And at the halfway point I've decided there are definitely no words to this song. Which I don't mind, I can certainly appreciate a good instrumental. I can't argue that it's not great as a musician. As a listener, though, by minute five I'm definitely a bit bored. Someone, somewhere, loves every second of this 7 minute song, I'm sure.

Verdict: It's a really technically difficult jam song, basically. Jam bands aren't really my thing, but as far as lyric-less songs go, it's solid. I am nowhere near good enough at the guitar to attempt this, so there's a lot to be said about the skill it would take to cover this one, for sure.

One last thing.. why in the world is this called Jessica? Because it drags on and is almost boring after five minutes? (That's only my worst fear as a human being) Or because it is a technical masterpiece and requires a cultured palate to appreciate it?
We're gonna go with the latter. ;)

Friday Feature: Addicted to Love, as covered by the DOT's

Here it is! The first Friday Feature, with the DOT's covering Addicted to Love:

I spent quite a bit of time perusing the internet for a solid cover of this song. I had been coming up short for a while. Florence and the Machine kept appearing in my searches, which I thought was a mistake at first. But apparently she covered this song a while back, which has seriously bolstered it's popularity on the internet. Her version is actually amazing and I like it way better than the original. But I decided that to post a cover of a famous artist covering a famous song would defeat the purpose of this feature, so I decided to find someone covering this cover. (Cover doesn't even sound like a word anymore, I've said it so much. Ugh.)

So here I am, browsing through all these covers of covers, when I stumble upon one by an a cappella group. I had seen plenty of guys on a white-walled backdrop trying to pluck this out on an acoustic guitar that I was totally starved for something different, so I eagerly clicked on the link.

And then I was thoroughly impressed.

I was in an a cappella group my first year of college, so not only does this speak to me on a nostalgic level, but I also know how difficult it is to pull something like this off. But the DOT's do it flawlessly! Their lead singer for this arrangement absolutely nails it (especially with the solo in the beginning, I got chills), and the harmonies are so on-point it's ridiculous. I think what really impresses me though is how far this song has come from the original 80's tune. I never would have thought to arrange this as an a cappella song after hearing it the first time, but I'm really glad these girls did, because it's a really, really cool version. Hats off to you.

A bit more about the DOT's: they're an all female a cappella group based out of UCSD encouraging women's empowerment through music, which are all things I can totally get behind. They have some rave reviews on their website, and their repertoire has everything from Eminem to Aretha Franklin. And the name, DOT? It stands for Daughters of Triton, which sounds like the coolest name for an a cappella group ever. If you're reading this from the west coast, I recommend you go listen to them if you get the chance. If I wasn't 2,000 miles away, I certainly would. You can check out the DOT's further at their website if you want to know more.

Edit: These lovely ladies shared this post on their Facebook page! Check it out here.

Crosby, Stills, and Nash: Helplessly Hoping

Number 6!

Helplessly Hoping, by Crosby, Stills, and Nash.

Current Knowledge: I know my dad likes this group. He never really played any of their stuff for me, and it always seemed a little bit out of my wheelhouse to investigate on my own. This particular song, however, came on my Pandora station the other day, and I purposely skipped it so I could sit down and write about it the first time I hear it. Pandora is usually pretty good about catering to my tastes, so I have high hopes for this song!

First Thoughts: Three notes in and I'm sold. I love this. These might be the best lyrics I've ever heard, in all honesty. And the harmony is absolutely perfect. I can't explain it to you without telling you to listen to it. The only other thing in the song is acoustic guitar, and it's very understated, but the finger picking gives it a nice rhythm to fill in for the lack of percussion and/or bass or anything else. But seriously, the lyrics. They're incredible. It's one of those songs where you know it's telling you a story but it could mean like a dozen different things, very Hotel California-esque. I love it. I don't have enough good things to say right now.

Verdict: I think I've already said everything I needed to. This song is flawless, and Pandora was right on the money.

Robert Palmer: Addicted to Love

Number five!

Robert Palmer: Addicted to Love

Current Knowledge: I know nothing about Robert Palmer. Nothing. Which is probably because I generally don't like eighties music much. People tell me I should listen to him pretty often (people in bars here LOVE 80's music), but I have yet to do so. Nobody has ever given me a specific song, so I honestly just googled "Robert Palmer best song" and this is what came up. Fingers crossed it's a good one!

First Thoughts: First off, it appears I found the music video for this song. I highly recommend you watch it.. This is literally the most uncomfortable looking piece of cinematography I have ever seen in my entire life. Robert Palmer looks like someone my Dad works with deciding to try out some karaoke for the first time. And none of the girls are even trying to play their instruments, which really adds to the fact that they look terrifying. It's pretty rough. But! I like the song! The vocals are really really great, and it's actually quite catchy. It definitely has the 80's vibe that usually turns me off of this kind of music, but it's actually very well written, lyrically and musically. And the driving rock beat helps a lot in my opinion. I'd definitely listen to this again.

Verdict: If you want to actually appreciate this song, by all means do not watch the music video. It seriously takes away from the music, and the music is great. At this point I've listened to this song like four times and I actually really like it, which is not something I can say about most songs written in this time period. I might have to look into some more stuff from this guy. A brief glance at the sidebar of YouTube tells me this weird ugly-girls-and-a-karaoke-singer thing is a theme with some of Robert Palmer's music videos, so I don't have a lot of great things to say about his cinematic choices. But I can say that, for once, the crazy people from the bars have made a good suggestion here. This is a pretty cool tune.

Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb

Number three.

Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb

Current Knowledge: I went to a concert for "The Machine" a year ago - they're one of the most famous Pink Floyd cover bands out there, according to the people I went with. I'd love to tell you that they're great, but unfortunately only knowing two songs by Pink Floyd allows me to give absolutely no comparison. I love Wish You Were Here and Another Brick in the Wall, but I only know them because I covered them in the alt-rock band I was in during High School. I've lied probably a dozen times about knowing Comfortably Numb, and fortunately nobody has noticed that I haven't the slightest clue how it goes. Hence, it's on the list.

First Thoughts: I expected something really trippy, and I certainly wasn't wrong about that. To be honest... this is really weird. Oh wait, as soon as they start singing, it's waaaay better. This sounds kind of familiar! I've definitely heard this before! That's a bit of a relief. I actually really like this so long as they're singing. Yeah, I'm sure I kind of know this. (Cue the excited singing) IIIIIIIIIIII have become comfortably numbbbbbb. And of course the guitar solo is absolutely dynamite, but that's to be expected.


Verdict: I'm thrilled that something has finally sounded familiar! I mean, this has probably been in movies or TV or something, so that's likely where I know it from. But I've heard it nonetheless. Plus one for me. Aside from the weirdness that was interspersed (ie, that talking thing they do that seems to constitute the verses), it's great musically. I think you have to expect some weird stuff from a band with a reputation like Pink Floyd, though. Overall, I definitely liked the song, but I liked the fact that I kind of knew the song way more. It's nice to be able to put a name to the melody. (Don't ask me why I never associated the part I recognized above with this song, despite the fact that it says the title... because I don't have an answer for ya.)