Cover Mondays

Announcement: Mondays will be cover song day.

I have to say. There's nothing I like more than a good cover. I'm not sure what about the idea of one band playing songs written by another band tickles me pink so much. Possibly because the part of me which is classically trained has always dealt with reproducing works that have been in existence long before I came along as a musician. Cover songs are a little bit the same with a lot more creative leeway, as you are not following a notated score. Think of the possibilities.

At this point in life I certainly have a collection of weird covers. It's kind of ridiculous. Here is a rundown of my "best-of" list:

Best Cover Song, Period: R.E.M. - Crazy (originally by Pylon)

Best Cover That Is A Good Sight Different And Refreshing From Original: Tori Amos - Rattlesnakes (originally by Lloyd Cole and the Commotions)

Best Cover Song Involving The Beatles and Kameda Seiji's Bass Playing: Shiina Ringo - Yer Blues (originally by The Beatles)

Best Cover Song For Not Sounding A Thing Like The Original: Dismemberment Plan - Close To Me (originally by The Cure)

Best Cover Of A Song I Am Deliriously Obsessed With: Stereolab - St. Elmo's Fire (originally by Brian Eno)

Best Cover Song For Obvious Worship Of Perry Ferrel And Use Of Keyboard: Greenhouse - Pets (originally by Porno For Pyros with short bit of a song by Jane's Addiction)

Best Cover Song For Sounding So Much Like The Original And Being So Freaking 70's - Shiina Ringo - Georgy Porgy (originally by Toto)

Best Pair Of Wildly Different Covers Of One Song: Cornelius - Brazil and Real Tuesday Weld - Return I Will To Old Brazil

Best Cover Song Involving Full String Quartet - Kronos Quartet - Marquee Moon (originally by Television)

Best Cover Song Made Into Something Palatable Out Of Something Freaking Weird - Phish - Roses Are Free (originally by Ween)

Best Cover Song That Results In Talia Dancing Around Like An Idiot: R.E.M. - Tighten Up (originally by Archie Bell)

Best Cover Song Involving Cellos And Pink Floyd: Rasputina - Wish You Were Here (originally by Pink Floyd)

Best Band Medley Done On The Spot During A Live Show: Stuart Davis - Medley (involving a whole lot of Lynyrd Skynyrd)

Best Cover Involving A Bossendorfer piano being run through a Marshall Amp: Tori Amos - If 6 was 9 (originally by Jimi Hendrix)

Those are only a handful of covers I love.

And this is why every Monday will be Cover Monday. Or whatever. I can't think of a wittier name.

The Blog

The purpose of this blog is so that the author may obsess in an enclosed internet space dedicated entirely to music, and maybe spread some aurally crazy to others out there. It is difficult to say what will and will not end up being posted. Featured songs and mp3s will be frequent. Discussion of artists, artist connections and the like will show up as well. For now, it's mostly a mystery. As the author is in fact classically trained, there may be an occasional reference to various musical factors of the harmonic and rhythmic sorts. Nothing too profound.

The title of the blog is a play off a Mystery Science Theater 3000 skit called "Music From Some Guys In Space" in which Joel, Crow and Servo mock Yanni. I can dig it.

The Girl

I am some girl in space, studying (and practicing) to be a classically trained musician. In fact, I am from a family of classically trained musicians. But somewhere along the way (around age 8 or 9), somebody screwed up and gave me every Beatles album ever be released, followed by letting slip a tape containing R.E.M.'s Life's Rich Pageant and Luscious Jackson's Natural Ingredients. The rest is freakish and obsessive history.

I am a huge waster of time, and can frequently be seen wasting time by cooking things, reading and watching other things, but mostly listening to musical things. It's hard to categorize my tastes in music, as they are simply too wide and weird. There you have it.