2005 : 47-48 Aught Music Roundtable: Tiny Cities by Sun Kil Moon

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Roundtable Part One: "Tiny Cities Made of Ashes" When I first heard the album Tiny Cities I was totally floored. I already knew that Mark Kozelek was great at doing cover songs. A decade earlier I fell in love with the Red House Painters' version of Yes' "Long Distance Runaround." You would have thought Songs For A Blue Guitar was stuck in my CD player for how often I listed to it. What took my breath away with this album was how Kozelek went past what a really good cover song does. He totally makes me forget the original version. I listen to these songs and think that this is the way the songs where meant to be in the first place. He took all the noise and discord away and found the truth. That is what amazed me so much. I find myself listening to this album a lot, especially on road trips. —Rich Thomas Roundtable Part Two: "Trucker's Atlas" Mark Kozelek turns a song that was epic and wide like the open western road into something close and intimate like the inside of the car you're sharing with your best friend. Those moments of a road trip that you'll never really be able to explain to anyone else. —April Walker Listen: Sun Kil Moon >> "Tiny Cities Made Of Ashes" | "Trucker's Atlas"

2005 : 40 "I Can See For Miles " by Petra Haden (covering The Who)

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Petra Haden put together a project where ten women sang The Who Sell Out. They don't just sing the vocal parts, but they sing all the instrumental parts also. It seems like the revenge of the high school choir girls. I had the same reaction to seeing them live as I did to listening to the album: a sense that this technique works really well as a way to adapt one song, but gets old when extended to a whole album, especially The Who Sell Out. Maybe I would have felt differently if they picked a better album, like Who's Next or Who Are You. With that said, I like "I Can See For Miles." This version really breathes new life into the song. They show a connection to the orginal materal and make it new all at the same time. My advice is to listen to this song and forget the rest of the album. —Rich Thomas Listen: Petra Haden >> "I Can See For Miles"

2005 : 32 "Since U Been Gone" by Ted Leo (covering Kelly Clarkson)

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This is why I love cover songs. I hate the Kelly Clarkson version of this song, but I love this version. When someone else sings the song it can show you how good it is. The performer can change the context, and get away from all the baggage left by the first person who performed the song. I love the way he plays the guitar on this song. It keeps me coming back to it over and over again. On top of just performing the hell out of this song, Ted Leo takes the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs song "Maps" and uses it as a back bridge. It works so well that it would be easy to think the song was written that way. That is just amazing. You gotta love it. —Rich Thomas Listen: Ted Leo >> "Since U Been Gone"

2005 : 28 "Sister I'm A Poet " by Colin Meloy (covering Morrissey)

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When I first heard that Colin Meloy did an ep of Morrissey songs I geeked out. This seemed to be an intersection that worked perfectly. I am a fan of Colin Meloy and I was a fan of Morrissey. From the Decemberists' music I could see how Colin Meloy also made his way through college listening to Morrissey. I love it when artists give you an example of what is in their record collection. I was a little disappointed when I saw what songs he selected to record. My Morrissey fandom leans closer to the front of his career. This might suggest that Colin Meloy liked different aspects of Morrissey then I did. I do think, however, that "Sister I'm A Poet" might have been the perfect song for Colin Meloy to cover. I think he captures what makes the song special. By calling yourself a poet, you create a sense of self-importance. That self-importance is pompous, but it is needed by a poet to have the confidence to write good poetry. What I like about the song is you do not know if the narrator is a good poet or someone who just thinks they are. I think Colin Meloy understands that in his rendition. —Rich Thomas Listen: Colin Meloy >> "Sister I'm A Poet"

2004 : 32 "Soulful Shade Of Blue" by Neko Case (covering Buffy Saint-Marie)

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Case is one of those rare artists who can blend original material and cover songs effortlessly, with said cover songs working more as homages than new interpretations. Given her status as one of the best live performers of today, "Soulful Shade Of Blue" works on all of these levels. It's a very simple, almost quaint tale of lost love and redemption. Dressmaker, dressmaker, I'm singing at the hall next saturday night and he'll be there. He's been gone for so long, I want him back again, Make me the sweetest dress you can. Make it a soulful shade of blue with a ribbon at the hem, A ribbon white for loyalty to show that I remember when A soulful shade of blue looked into my eyes And tell him I want him back again. Originally recorded by Buffy Saint-Marie, Case sings "Soulful Shade Of Blue" in a virtually identical arrangement, albeit with backup vocals and at a faster pace. Case's own songs are complex, metaphor-laden looks at love and life in both urban and rural settings, and this cover feels like a minimalist version of her own material. It's intentionally old-fashioned, catchy, and highlights the amazing legacy of Canada's musical history. I've seen Case perform this song twice, and it has always been one of her best staples. Everything that she stands for can be found in these two and a half minutes. —Jamie Yates Listen: Neko Case >> "Soulful Shade of Blue"

2004 : 25 "Tear Stained Eye" by Sticky (covering Jay Farrar)

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I have been thinking about the things that make this decade special in terms of music. Every decade is special in musical history, but the 00s seem to be a decade where lots of technologies took root and flowered in terms of music. One of my examples of this is the Fan Tribute album. In 2004 I was a big Live Journal user. I was part of a lot of different music LJ groups. It had a great impact on the way I found music. Via one of the LJ groups I found out about Traced: A Fan Tribute to Jay Farrar. I will admit that not all the tracks are good; some of them are hard to listen to, but most of them are worth listening to. I would still rather to any of these songs than that Jon Bon Jovi cover of "Levon." In some way what it means to be a fan changed in this decade. Between blogs, social networking, better software, and broadband, the ways a fan can express themselves have been turned on their head. I think the communication between fans has changed the game forever. What I love about this tribute is the way that fans show all the ideas that can be taken from these songs. We are all listening to the same artist, but we are all leaving with something different. This project gives a way for people to show that. Jay Farrar was one of the fathers of the Alt-Country movement, so he was already bridging everything from Roy Acuff to The Ramones. I think it will only be a matter of time before this is a major part of the musical landscape. —Rich Thomas Listen: Sticky >> "Tear Stained Eye"

2004 : 07 "Human Behavior" by The Decemberists (covering Bjork)

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I did not expect "Human Behavior" to be the perfect Bjork song for the Decemberists to cover. The Decemberists not only do the song justice, they also bring a different dimension to it. While the Bjork version has the feeling of one robot singing to another, the Decemberist version feels like Geppetto singing to his creation. I just love the way this song is the same and different at the same time. It makes for a great cover song. —Rich Thomas Listen: The Decemberists >> "Human Behavior"

2003 : 42 "We Will Become Silhouettes" by The Shins (covering The Postal Service)

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I sure do love a cheery-sounding little ditty about a nuclear apocalypse. I prefer this version to the original precisely because of the incongruous cheeriness. —April Walker Listen: The Shins >> "We Will Become Silhouettes"

2003 : 16 "New Partner" by the Frames (covering Will Oldham)

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We all know what we know It's a hearts one to know When you think like a hermit You forget what you know And you were always on my mind And you were always on my mind Right after Kate moved in with me I walked her to work. As I walked back to the apartment, listening to my iPod, "New Partner" by The Frames came on. I started to dance my way across the intersection. I heard the song before, but I never retained the words. I thought of Kate when I sang the verse to myself. "And you were always on my mind." I am dancing and thinking about Kate as I am walking home. I listened to this song five or six times in a row that time. The world kept on ringing in my head. I kept singing this song to me. The line "When you think like a hermit, You forget what you know" stuck in my head. Kate moved in with me after only a month. I had been alone for a long time. There is something about being alone that gets you stuck in your head. There comes a point where you get to choose either becoming more of a hermit or being closer to someone. It was strange to go from being a hermit to living with someone again. I never had a doubt I did the right thing. I knew I had a new partner. —Rich Thomas Listen: The Frames >> "New Partner"

2002 : 07 "Cactus" by David Bowie (covering the Pixies)

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Sure, it's a meh cover of a great song. I can't imagine the Pixies were awed by the resulting track. However, if I were to find out that David Bowie wanted to cover one of my songs, I'd void my bowels with force and speed to rival anything currently available in German pornography. Just saying. —Neil Jendon Listen: David Bowie >> "Cactus"

2001 : 40 "By Your Side" by Beachwood Sparks

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This is what happens when you take a smooth R&B staple (as heard on "Sex and the City") and entrust it to stoner wannabe cowpokes. How is this cover not a tongue-in-cheek send up? While some blue-eyed soul jokers (cough, cough Flight of the Conchords cough, cough) would toss off a Midnite Vultures-inspired B-side, the Beachwood Sparks dare to rely on sincerity. After hearing this rendition, revisiting Sade's original—in a CVS or Rite Aid, naturally—will make you long for the Beachwood Sparks' marijuana-infused harmonies. By its conclusion, the song is swimming through an ocean of reverb yet elevated to a certain cinematic "a slow dance while the credits roll" type of magic. —James Specht Listen: The Beachwood Sparks >> "By Your Side"

2001 : 11 "Knock Loud" by Neko Case

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Ten years have passed Since you walked out of my life But late last night in the pharmacy You were in the line in front of me So I ran away to hide A lot of reviewers call Neko Case's voice "plaintive", but I don't think that's quite accurate. Plaintive seems to apply more to the cowboy poets she obviously reveres, the thin-voiced men who sing time after time their lonesome lives. Case's voice is too rich and full in comparison. The best word for it might be "yearning". Her songs are bursting with desire: for love, for the things she's lost or can't have, for change, for solitude. Interestingly, because it fits so well with the canonical themes of her own music, this is a cover song. The original songwriter is Sook-Yin Lee, a Canadian performer who is probably more familiar to many readers as Sofia, one of the lead characters from the movie Shortbus. This song would have fit quite nicely on the soundtrack for that film, thematically. Case's plea for the listener to find her in bed is more about longing and loneliness than lust. —Angela Smith Listen: Neko Case >> "Knock Loud"

2001 : 06 "Smooth Criminal" by Alien Ant Farm (covering Michael Jackson)

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What I love about cover songs is that it can show you how good a song is without all the baggage that might be attached. Before Alien Ant Farm it was hard for me to think about "Smooth Criminal" without thinking about the Moonwalker video game, Michael Jackson grabbing his crotch, spinning in circles, and being chased by Joe Pesci. When I hear Alien Ant Farm do this song I think about how good the song actually is. People are still surprised when I say I like this song. —Rich Thomas Listen: Alien Ant Farm >> "Smooth Criminal"

2000 : 23 "The Koln Konzert," by Vert (covering Keith Jarrett)

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For those unfamiliar with Keith Jarrett's solo piano performances, here's what you need to know: one man, one piano, a packed house—a date with genius, or not. Some of Jarrett's solo improvisatory performances are monuments to how a virtuoso bent on self-exploration can startle an audience into rapture and recognition (The Köln Concert, Vienna Concert), while some are monuments to how said virtuoso might never pass through fertile terrain on the journey (Paris Concert). What interests me about them is that—unlike Vert's stellar glitch interpretation/deconstruction/celebration of Jarrett's renowned '75 Köln concert—the solo performances exhibit a familiar (and comforting, I must say) orientation toward the self: we're repositories for discovery, 99% pure at the core, if not completely knowable then at least available where it counts if the vision-quest is vigorous enough. Very '70s, very Romantic—and not bad at all in my estimation. But Vert's The Köln Konzert takes Jarrett into the 21st century. And though it's less searching and dramatic, it's no less triumphant. Whereas Jarrett's tendency in the solo performances is to vamp for an extended period over one or two repeated chords until something clicks and he takes off in a flurry of improvisation, Vert, in his own solo Köln concert (FYI, performed in a Köln bar) isolates and simplifies critical Jarrett motifs, blends them with the requisite digital whirrs and glimmers of the genre...and produces entrancing music. The piece gets its power from the way Vert plays on the listener’s memory of Jarrett's Köln. Recognizable fragments drift into focus, sometimes disappear too quickly, sometimes get stuck and repeat. Vert's Köln also conjures a 21st century vision of mind-space, which makes it good fodder for this Y2K retrospective and an interesting contrast with its muse: the piece is full of floating debris, the partially glimpsed—and a few really important themes Vert won't let go of no matter what. This is why, when the primary theme from Jarrett's composition emerges cleanly at the end of Vert's, free of blips and sonic mirages, I tear up if I'm listening—rather than having one of my ADD moments. Vert plays it on something that sounds like a glockenspiel and the theme—impelled and yearning in the original, though fragile—is tender here, as if it survived the storm by getting smaller, like a Key Deer. It suggests to me that the core humanist ideals of the '70s—and our essential memories—haven't been obliterated by the march of time, they've just changed. Not bad at all. —Eric Burger Listen: Vert >> "The Köln Konzert: Part Five"

2000 : 08 "The Fool" by Pelican City (covering Neutral Milk Hotel)

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I know it is just a re-mix. I know they just took the original instrumental track from "The Fool" and added some extra beats and a synth. I know they did not do that much to this track, but is just different enough to mean something. It is just different enough that I can listen to it over and over again. It is just enough to take root in my brain. I know it is not much, but it is more than enough. When I hear this now I wonder why more people have not remixed other Neutral Milk Hotel tracks. —Rich Thomas Listen: Pelican City, "The Fool"