speed of dark

If you are looking for good music to use up your eMusic credits, I have a tip: volume 2 of Guilt By Association, a collection of 15 covers by 14 artists, was released on November 15 by Engine Room Recordings/The Orchard. This album contains some real treats, including Soft Cell's "Tainted Love" redone wonderfully by My Brightest Diamond, Lowry covering Toto's "Africa," Cassettes Won't Listen doing the INXS fave "Need You Tonight," and Matt Pond PA's endearing cover of My Chemical Romance's "I'm Not OK."

Particularly pleasing is Matt Vernon's take on "I Kissed a Girl," the recent Katy Perry release, with a gorgeous piano intro. To hear Vernon sing, "My boyfriend don't mind it," puts a whole different twist on the thing. And there's more, including Frightened Rabbit and Kaki King.

The first Guilt By Association isn't shabby either. Look for Devendra Banhart and Noah Georgeson reworking Oasis' "Don't Look Back In Anger," along with covers by Luna, Petra Haden, and Bonnie "Prince" Billy.

Perhaps my favorite from Volume 2 is Takka Takka's powerful rendition of Phil Collins' classic rock oldie, "In the Air Tonight" from his first album. It was enough to make me look up Takka Takka's own 2008 release, Migration (eMusic) and find out what a damn fine set of their own songs they've produced. OOPS! I'm supposed to be narrowing down my choices for Favorites of 2008, not adding to them!

Takka Takka: In the Air Tonight - Phil Collins cover from Guilt By Association Vol 2
Stream all songs full-length here (this is also a link to buy if you don't have an eMusic account)
Buy at eMusic

Takka Takka MySpace | Website

Photo by alt-gramma: cactus fruits in the fall

There is barely a month to go before Christmas. Are you already sick to death of that holiday-themed drivel all the stores started playing right after Halloween? Personally, I love the holiday season and the joy of giving presents, but Bing Crosby sends me screaming. That's why I am tickled to bits to find great alternatives to the stodgy standards.

Caleb at Hard To Find a Friend blog is once again sponsoring a holiday fund-raiser that rewards your donation with an exclusive digital-only compilation of brand-new and completely exclusive material from 22 (!) wonderful artists. It is composed of originals, original covers, and a few non-holiday unreleased songs, all provided by the artists specifically for this compilation. 100 percent of the profits raised from this album will go directly to a wonderful organization called the Children of Uganda which assists in AIDS relief in Uganda and neighboring countries.

Here is a teaser from this year's comp:
Jason Collett: A Beguiled Christmas Sales
MySpace

And one of my favorites from last year's charity album that benefits Toys For Tots:
Johnny Bertram: Merry Christmas (You Won't Get What You Want)
Website
If you missed out on last year's comp, you can still get the original Peace On Earth (Christmas 2007). I highly recommend it.

The Tracklist from Vol II includes some names that I know and appreciate, like the A-Sides and Laura Gibson, who we saw live during 2008. Others are not familiar, but that's great--I discovered new bands to love on last year's mix, like Johnny Bertram, whose band Synthar is featured this year. So get out your debit card or log into PayPal and do some Christmas shopping--This compilation makes a great gift. I bought a bunch!

1. American Analog Set - Winter Birds (Original)
2. Telekinesis! - Father Christmas (The Kinks)
3. Jennifer O'Connor - Deck The Halls
4. Nathan Phillips - Cross-country Ski's (Original)
5. The A-Sides & Sun Airway - Santa, Please (Original)
6. Jason Collett - A Beguiled Christmas in Sales (Original)
7. Laarks - Hark, the Herald Angels Sing
8. Oxford Collapse - Hester Xmas (Original)
9. The Jealous Girlfriends - Haircut (Original)
10. Via Audio - Home Before Dark (Original)
11. Karl Blau - Christmas Is Different This Year Now That the Aliens Are Here (Original)
12. Synthar - Pawn Shop Christmas (Original)
13. Pattern is Movement - O, Holy Night
14. Marla Hansen - Waltz (Original)
15. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Don't Wrap the Puppy (Original)
16. Elizabeth & The Catapult - Christmas With The Jews (Original)
17. Laura Gibson - It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
18. The Prayers & Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers - Christmas Card to a Hooker in Minneapolis (Original)
19. Chris Garneau - It's Almost Christmas
20. Vincent Koops - Silent Night
21. Anathallo - Red Plastic Globe (Original)
22. Bodies of Water - O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Notice that Track #18 is an original and not a cover of the Tom Waits' song, "Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis."

Support Children of Uganda! Buy: Peace On Earth Vol. II (Christmas 2008)

Support Toys for Tots! Buy: Peace On Earth Vol. I (Christmas 2007)

I am always amazed at how far-reaching and influential Neutral Milk Hotel's 1998 album In the Aeroplane Over the Sea has been to so many artists.

On their debut recording, Wisconsin band The Chairs, with Alex Schaaf doing the vocal honors and searing guitar licks, pay homage to that source of inspiration. This cover is featured on a five-song EP that the band is self-releasing tomorrow on their website.

But the Chairs aren't just a cover band; their original songs are well-written and arranged with just the right balance of assertiveness and restraint. "I Gotta Go" has great dynamics, laying low at first and then coming out with a blast of sound. "Polly" is my personal favorite. Listen to them all on the little player on their website. Their November EP is a fine debut.

The Chairs from November EP:
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (Neutral Milk Hotel cover)
Polly

Tracks in this post were provided by Alex Schaaf of the Chairs for the purpose of distribution on Speed of Dark.
Website
Buy at the Chairs' website starting November 18.

Photo by alt-gramma: telegraph weed

This beautiful Cyndi Lauper cover by Stockholm's Ane Brun is exquisitely tender and touching, but there are other wonderful tracks on her new album Changing Of the Seasons as well. Her delicate voice, accompanied by either simple guitar or piano on tunes like "The Puzzle" and "Linger With Pleasure" will haunt you. And you must have "To Let Myself Go" from A Temporary Dive (2004). You just must.

Ane Brun: True Colors (Cyndi Lauper cover) from Changing Of the Seasons (2008)
This track was LEGALLY provided by Joe Ross of Cheap Lullaby for the expressed purpose of distribution on Speed of Dark.

MySpace | Website | Label: DeTerMine Records
Buy at Amazon.com, iTunes, and eMusic
Photo by imadethis

Morris Dam, San Gabriel Valley

I have to start this week's Finally Friday post with an announcement of pure, unadulterated happiness: Radiohead is coming back to the Hollywood Bowl for two shows on August 24 and 25. Tickets go on sale on Saturday at 10 am.

The Yellow Stereo reviews The OaKs and has an amazing Daily Graboid, full of great stuff, including Tapes N Tapes, Spoon, Colin Meloy, and much more.

Check out Trendwhore for live video and songs by The Dodos and Throw Me the Statue, a review of the new Tapes N Tapes, plus a mixtape and someone else who is as excited as I am for Radiohead's upcoming tour.

Muzzle of Bees has several great show reviews, including Bon Iver, David Byrne (!), and Great Lake Swimmers, among others. And STP tour info (!!).

Visit Music Under Fire, start with the Spoon EP review, continue through the Radiohead remixes and videos, and then just keep reading. In the immortal words of Rev. Lovejoy, "...it's all good."

Welcome back, Can You See the Sunset...I have to say, I know the feeling. That's why you see long breaks in between my posts, and poor alt-gramma has to pick up my slack. Maybe you need a blog partner?

And finally, I haven't been listening to enough new music these days. Outside of the lovely Broken Records tracks I have, the last new album I bought was Elephant Shell by Tokyo Police Club and I haven't even been listening to it. Instead, I've been listening to classic rock and some other albums from 2007 and prior. Here's a sampling of what's been on my heavy rotation.

the beatles: i'm only sleeping [buy]
led zeppelin: over the hills and far away [live 1975] [buy]
the hives: back in black [ACDC cover] [buy]
the rolling stones: gimme shelter [buy]
george harrison: my sweet lord [buy]

The photo of Death Cab for Cutie as LEGOs that I used yesterday came from The Brothers Brick, where you can find a million things made of LEGOs, including the cover art for Radiohead's In Rainbows album and more. My husband liked the F-18. Check it out.

Powerpopulist continues his showcase of SXSW artists.

Count Me Out has the setlist from all five of Wilco's shows at the Riviera Theatre, where they played every one of their songs, plus the latest news about Limbeck and Vampire Weekend on Morning Becomes Eclectic.

The Yellow Stereo has a great Daily Graboid feature, with all of the best new music out this week. And if that isn't enough, there's also The Smiths circa 1984, Destroyer, and Yeasayer.

Read Aquarium Drunkard's Off the Record with Throw Me The Statue after reading alt-gramma's review of the excellent album.

Can You See the Sunset reviews the new Hot Chip and Sir Salvatore, plus a song by Cher herself.

I Guess I'm Floating provides two new songs by The Boy Least Likely To and remixes of Feist and Interpol by Britt Daniel of Spoon.

Portishead announced the release of their third studio album, aptly named Third, on April 29 via Mercury/Island Records. Check out the album cover above, and the tracklisting below:

1. Silence
2. Hunter
3. Nylon Smile
4. The Rip
5. Plastic
6. We Carry On
7. Deep Water
8. Machine Gun
9. Small
10. Magic Doors
11. Threads

And finally, my inbox is exploding, and I will get to everything soon. There's so much good stuff that people have sent me and I feel terrible that I haven't even been able to respond to some of it yet, much less absorb it. Thanks for your patience (and don't stop sending me good stuff)!

wilco: there's a light [live] [buy]
franz ferdinand: what you waiting for? [gwen stefani cover] [buy]
the smiths: vicar in a tutu [buy]

Visit Etsy to find out where I've been spending all my time (not to mention my money). And I have my eye on some stuff here at Elsewares! and here at Rose and Radish! and I already bought some stuff here at Raku! Aaahhh...Christmas is my favorite time to spend money on myself! (Just kidding....kinda) Thank goodness my lovely husband knows that it's best to give me presents of cash!



Just click to go to Aquarium Drunkard...this week is an interview with Ross Flournoy of The Broken West, some lovely Christmas songs, and a eulogy for Ike Turner.

Rawkblog is full of awesome goodness, including making fun of The Dolphins' pathetic season, college graduation, and the Best of 2007.

Zeon Music has some well-respected artists covering a Joni Mitchell Christmas song, not to mention an ELO cover by Lily Allen.

Visit Thanks Captain Obvious for a link to free/legal Okkervil River tracks plus his own "Good vs Evil" mixtape.

Check out Muzzle of Bees' Best of 2007...more than a few of them will be found on our lists too, I'm sure.

The Yellow Stereo fondly remembers a show on MTV called AMP, when videos were played (albeit at 2:00 am) and showcases some awesome videos, plus Beach House and the hilarious Zero Punctuation review of Guitar Hero III.

Step 1: Watch all of the videos on The Music Slut, including the US commercial for Radiohead's In Rainbows. Step 2: Smile.

Trendwhore has live Los Campesinos and a Buck 65 signed CD giveaway.

COPYRIGHTED CONTENT HAS BEEN REMOVED
the mountain goats: one fine day [live Chiffons cover]
nada surf: meow meow lullabye [live]
calexico: love will tear us apart [joy division cover]
grant-lee phillips: mockingbirds [live]

buy: the mountain goats | nada surf | calexico | grant-lee phillips

photo from: i can has cheezburger?

Remember, today is the last day to enter our Drones giveaway!

Aquarium Drunkard features great music this week, as usual, including The Beach Boys, The Shaky Hands, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, and Frankel.

B(oot)log has some live Apostle of Hustle from August.

Berkeley Place is giving away free (legal) copies of The Killers' latest release of B-sides, Sawdust and some Eels covers and rarities, not to mention his Top 20 covers of this century.

Can You See the Sunset spotlights Phoenix band Dust Jacket and put together a Black Friday mix.

Cerulean gives you the heads up on songs that might otherwise pass you by, including those by Rogue Wave and Fleet Foxes.

Concrete Circles starts this year's round of Best Albums of 2007 plus an interview with Cracker's David Lowery.

Just Gimme Indie Rock lists the Top 200 Songs of 2007 plus videos from The Wedding Present.

Local Vertical posts a stunning picture of the planet Mars with a nice mix and highlights The Child Ballads, who feature the former singer from Jonathan Fire*Eater.

Music for Kids takes a walk down memory lane with his Top 25 of 2005 and a review of a Mountain Goats show.

Muzzle of Bees remembers past albums by Uncle Tupelo and R.E.M., plus the Best 25 Concerts of 2007.

neil young: cinnamon girl [live 2007] [buy]
radiohead: the bends [live 2006] [buy]
we are scientists: hoppipolla [sigur ros cover] [buy]
colin meloy: shiny [live 2005] [decemberists]

I didn't write a Finally Friday this week, because Thursday night we were out late at a show and I was a mess the next day on three and a half hours of sleep. So instead, enjoy these Sunday morning tidbits.

The Dears are currently working on their follow-up to 2006's Gang of Losers, which was featured on my best of list. In the words of Natalia Yanchak, keyboardist and wife of lead singer Murray Lightburn, "this record has been busting out from all convention" and "it sounds great, the album is amazing, incredible, mind-blowing, whatever, but really how else could I describe something so pure and real, something with an undeniable energy, channeled from the souls of a handful of musicians and written from the heart by one anointed composer? It feels like The Dears are The Dears again." I can't wait for the album and to see the band live again.

In support of Boy With a Coin, Iron & Wine kicks off a tour on November 26 in Tucson, AZ and continues through early December all over the northwest and southwest (L.A. dates are 11/28 and 11/30) before heading to Europe. Click here for full listing.

Nada Surf will release their fifth album, Lucky, in February and have dates scheduled internationally (none in L.A. at this time, sadly). Lucky will feature several guest appearances, including Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie), Ed Harcourt, and John Roderick (Long Winters).

Check out the MTVU Woodie Awards Show, featuring Rilo Kiley, Tokyo Police Club, and more.

See Aquarium Drunkard's review of The Whigs' rock n roll show.

And finally, we add another blog to our blogroll, Concrete Circles, who started his blog about the same time we did, and introduced me to Coco B's, who should be featured here soon.

the dears: this is a broadcast [buy]
iron and wine: lovesong of the buzzard [buy]
girls in hawaii: blizzard of '77 [nada surf cover] [buy Nada Surf | buy Girls in Hawaii]
coco b's: i live in L.A. [buy]

First things first:

1) Watch Radiohead's webcast here.
2) Today is the last day to enter our free Say Hi giveaway here.

Muzzle of Bees shares Grizzly Bear, Hello, Blue Roses, featuring Dan Bejar of Swan Lake and Destroyer, and the thoughts on feeling ripped off by Bob Dylan.

Aquarium Drunkard tops off a great week of music posting which includes R.E.M.'s Monster, Lou Reed and up-and-coming band The Whigs with some Rolling Stones.

You Ain't No Picasso highlights postsecret, Of Montreal, and hosts the heartbreakingly lovely video of Radiohead covering Bjork from their webcast.

The Yellow Stereo reports that My Bloody Valentine is reuniting, and invites us all to sample at the Daily Graboid buffet.

Visit Trendwhore for live tracks and video footage from The Weakerthans and Tapes 'n' Tapes.

The Music Slut breaks down the Radiohead webcast, shares a Tori Amos remix, and reports that Morrissey has canceled his show this year due to illness.

Thanks Captain Obvious has some Modest Mouse rarities, and a review of Ravens & Chimes, latest band to be all over the blogs.

So Much Silence features a Tone-Loc remix by Peaches and live tracks by Spoon at VW's Green Room.

mark kozelek and rachel goswell: around and around [john denver cover] [buy]
smashing pumpkins: never let me down again [depeche mode cover] [buy]
radiohead: you [live] [buy]
embee featuring jose gonzalez: send someone away [buy]

(Dawn by Alphonse Mucha)

I added some new links to our blogroll recently. I welcome the following blogs to our frequently visited list!

Cerulean's Love of Music features their weekly podcast and some songs that might pass you by if this blog weren't here to highlight them for you.

Local Vertical highlights Far-Less, Mister Vague, and some inbox highlights from the week.

Powerpopulist has a selection of very nice new music and a collection of some of the best songs posted around the blogworld this week.

This week, Superb Live has some live tracks from Beirut and Feist, among others.

Trendwhore plays the fame game and has some video footage from Wintersleep and Spoon.

Zeon's Music has a couple of very nice mixes this week, including Indie Pop and Female Folk.

Just Gimme Indie Rock has a bunch of shoegazey bands on display and the top 10 insound downloads this week.

Galaxy FM is an awesome Spanish-language music blog, who features some great music, including The Cure, Tasman Archer, and Eulogies, recently featured here on SoD as well.

radiohead: karma police [live 2006] [buy]
the spectacular fantastic: runaway [del shannon cover] [buy]
broken social scene: i'm still your fag [buy]
queens of the stone age: no one knows [UNKLE remix] [buy]

Alt-gramma and I are off to see Say Hi To Your Mom (now officially shortened to simply "Say Hi") at the Glasshouse tonight. The band has just released a really excellent album - so check back soon for a review.

Our buddies at indiechristoph think you should check out a couple of bands, Cats and Cats and Cats and This Town Needs Guns.

Aquarium Drunkard features the release of a previously unreleased Neil Young album. That statement brought to you by the Department of Redundancy Department.

Berkeley Place boasts the Top 10 Prince Covers, including those from Tegan & Sara, Foo Fighters, Damien Rice, and Ani DiFranco. Scroll down for some rare acoustic Son Volt.

Blogs are for Dogs provides streaming covers of Bob Dylan songs being featured in the biopic I'm Not There and a lovely tribute to children's book The Story of Ferdinand.

Bradley's Almanac has a ticket giveaway to see David Bazan (formerly of Pedro the Lion) and other great bands coming soon to Boston, including Film School, Sea Wolf, They Might Be Giants, Mates of State, Morrissey, and many, many more.

Can You See the Sunset... has volume 12 of "If it ain't punk it's junk" and a review of an Arizona band called Andrew Jackson Jihad.

For the Records saw The Ravonettes and Young Galaxy, among others, live this week. It sounds like SoD favorite Young Galaxy are continuing to put on some good shows!

Good Weather for Airstrikes profiles Adele and provides some info about CMJ.

Ha Ha Music features some covers, a comparison between The Flaming Lips and the late Frank Zappa, and dares to refer to Radiohead as pansies! I mean, rainbows? So not pansy...they're manly!

Lost in Your Inbox introduced me to the genius, the hilarity of Flight of the Conchords, a show I'd heard about but never seen. Check out the song and video for "Business Time". I'm sure I'm the last person on earth to know about them...

Music for Kids... has a new lovely song by Sigur Ros.

Muzzle of Bees has an interview with great new band The 1900s.

The Late Greats is holding a contest to win the soundtrack from I'm Not There, the Bob Dylan biopic. Looks like a great collection of music!

The Yellow Stereo has yet more covers by Division Day, who we saw recently at their CD release party, and a show about cooking with indie music stars.

new order: age of consent [buy]
the helio sequence: satellite (elliott smith cover) [buy]
asobi seksu: and then he kissed me (the crystals cover) [buy]
interpol: the length of love (the fog vs mould remix) [buy]

Bryan Ferry's tremor-ridden tenor and lounge-lizard style don't always translate well to other people's songs. But here are some interesting interpretations from his latest CD, Dylanesque (2007). Yes, all Dylan covers. Check out more at Amazon where MP3 downloads are available for many albums, including this one.
Bryan Ferry: The Times They Are A-Changin' - alternate link
Bryan Ferry: All Along the Watchtower - alternate link

Covers are best when a new artist can rearrange the song imaginatively and put their own stamp on it, making it sound fresh and sometimes nearly unrecognizable. Aaron English has done that with a very familiar old song by the Police, a track from his current album The Marriage of the Sun and the Moon (2007). I'll do a feature on him soon because his original songs are remarkable too.
Aaron English: Message In a Bottle (The Police) - alternate link

News

Radiohead surfaces: Radiohead have been posting cryptic hieroglyphs, which may or may not be about the new album, on their web site, Dead Air Space. The album is not expected to be released until next year. What does it meeeeeeean???

Martin Scorsese will direct a documentary on the life of George Harrison. We have the DVD of his 2005 Bob Dylan documentary, No Direction Home, so we're looking forward to this.

Prince is threatening to sue the entire Internet for stealing his songs. Meanwhile Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails tells fans to steal his music. I guess I won't be posting any Prince songs. Go Trent!

I just finished reading I'll Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon by his former wife and life-long friend, Crystal Zevon. She did a fantastic job of assembling and editing the massive amount of memories and anecdotes acquired from friends and acquaintances, both famous and not, covering the beginning of Zevon's life to the end. I recommend it to anyone who is curious about the man and his music. See my related Time Travel Tuesday post

Damn, this week was a bitch. So glad it's over.

Aquarium Drunkard is giving away tickets to see Animal Collective next week, features a review of Spoon live, and has the link to download a free live Great Lake Swimmers EP.

The Yellow Stereo presents the Daily Graboid and informs me that Jude Law will be playing Ian Curtis in a biopic of Joy Division.

Muzzle of Bees has a review of Wilco live and the best of Tuesday's new releases.

Check out Berkeley Place's albums to look forward to in the rest of 2007.

And while nearly everyone else (including Muse, apparently) is at ACL, we'll be seeing Wolf Parade and Holy Fuck on Saturday - pics and review to follow!

queen: under pressure [live] [buy]
radiohead: fog (again) [buy]
jose gonzalez: love will tear us apart [live joy division cover] [buy]
muse: blackout [live @ glastonbury 2004] [buy]

(picture from i can has cheezburger?)

indiechristoph has a Colin Meloy cover of Morrissey's "Jack the Ripper", one of my favorite Moz songs, a TVOTR B-side, and much more.

Audio Deficit Disorder has a track from Band of Horses' followup to their awesome 2006 album Everything All The Time, due in October.

Berkeley Place has 10 reasons to love Of Montreal, a zillion (okay, just 10) covers of Outkast's "Hey Ya", and a scary looking werewolf contest...no wait, it's a Mel Gibson contest.

Can You See The Sunset... has a review of Caribou's new album, Andorra. I've never been hooked by the songs I've heard by Caribou, but his review made me want to give the new album a try. Plus the new Iron & Wine album!

Music for Kids... features some great covers, including Girls in Hawaii covering Nada Surf and some tracks from the upcoming release by Division Day. Look for a review of that album here soon by alt-gramma.

Neiles Life loves the new Jose Gonzalez album, In Our Nature, and posts a bunch of songs in celebration of his 400th post.

Rawkblog starts his oeuvreblogging career with Nicolai Dunger and boasts an end of summer mixtape.

The Late Greats presents crazy ass Juliette Lewis and some live Smashing Pumpkins from way back in 1994.

coldplay: in the sun (feat. michael stipe) [live joseph arthur cover]
my morning jacket: all night long [live lionel richie cover]
live: supernatural [live vic chesnutt cover]
morrissey: you're gonna need someone on your side [live]

buy: [morrissey | my morning jacket | coldplay | joseph arthur]

Lesley Gore, then and now
Occasionally I try to remember what I was listening to in the early sixties before the Beatles and the whole British invasion turned my world upside down in 1964.

Folk was still going strong, and country was big: Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, Johnny Horton. There was a lot of soul and dance music. Rock was still a toddler on the playground: Roy Orbison, the Ventures, Bobby Rydell, the Everly Brothers, Del Shannon. I'd rather not talk about Elvis, Paul Anka, Ricky Nelson, and Dion. The Beach Boys were probably the best band around.

Women were represented by Anita Bryant, Connie Francis, and Brenda Lee. The black girl groups started hitting the charts in the early sixties: The Shirelles ("Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow"), the Angels ("My Boyfriend's Back"), the Ronettes ("Be My Baby"), the Chiffons ("One Fine Day"), the Dixie Cups ("Chapel of Love"). 1962 brought the horribly-titled He Hit Me (and It Felt Like a Kiss)", performed by the Crystals.

There was a lot of wishing and hoping and thinking and praying and following someone wherever they may go in these gooey teen-romance ballads. I was not very impressed.

Into this all this mushy crap came something entirely different--the defiant and ominously-toned "You Don't Own Me," sung by a teenage white girl from New Jersey. "You Don't Own Me" was not Lesley Gore's biggest or her first hit, but it had a social impact that other songs of the day lacked. Betty Friedan's book The Feminine Mystique had been published only a short time before, and the big women's lib anthem, "I Am Woman" by Helen Reddy, was years from release--and so were Bob Dylan's political and social protest songs. "You Don't Own Me" is one of the very first songs in which a woman demands her independence from a man.

Reportedly, Gore made a deal with her producer, Quincy Jones, that she would record a song he wanted her to sing if he would let her record this one, written by John Madara and David White. The song has been covered by many artists over the years including Dusty Springfield, Joan Jett, and The Blow Monkeys on the Dirty Dancing movie soundtrack. Most don't improve on Gore's version.

Here is the original plus a weird cover by Rasputina and a very nice new dance-beat update by Manon's Dream, a band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Lesley Gore: You Don't Own Me from Lesley Gore Sings of Mixed-Up Hearts (1964)
Rasputina: You Don't Own Me from How We Quit the Forest (1998)
Manon's Dream: You Don't Own Me from Time Sensitive Angels (2007)

Lesley Gore Fansite | Official Website at Engine Company Records
Wikipedia | Lyrics

Check this fabulous video of the T.A.M.I. show, circa 1964, featuring feisty Lesley Gore singing "You Don't Own Me." Boy, is that hairstyle familiar. I think every girl in my high school wore her hair that way. Near the end of the video, you can spot Gerry Marsden of Gerry and the Pacemakers, Chuck Berry, Smokey Robinson, and Marvin Gaye.

Lesley Gore continues to write songs and perform live shows. Listen to samples of her latest songs at her official website.

Upcoming shows:
Sept. 1, 2007 - Lock 3 Live Outdoor AmphitheaterR, Akron, OH
Sept. 22, 2007- Rehoboth Beach Convention Center, Rehoboth, DE
Oct. 13, 2007 - Tarrytown Music Hall, Tarrytown, NY
Oct. 19, 2007 - Outpost In the Burbs, Montclair, NJ
Nov. 17, 2007 - Suncoast HOtel and Casino, Las Vegas, NV
Nov. 18, 2007 - Suncoast HOtel and Casino, Las Vegas, NV

Thanks to the lolcats at icanhascheezburger?

Today is not our birthday(s), but it is the start a weekend climax of birthday celebrations. To start off, here's the ultimate rock and roll birthday song by the Beatles, updated by Australia's Sunnyboys.

Sunnyboys: Birthday (Beatles cover) from Mushroom Evolution Concert (2005)

I loved this from the first moment I heard it:
Concrete Blonde: Happy Birthday from Free (1989)

Here's a truly horrible birthday song, but so funny. At the same time, it's a good thing it's short.
Wow! Another Birthday!
How did you do it?
I kept breathing and didn't starve!
Incredible!
We wrote the song because we hate you
And didn't want to waste money on a real present.
Adam and Andrew: Happy Birthday from Still Not Famous (2007)

A birthday massacre also sounds horrible, but I really like the heavy dose of drama and thick synths in this goth-rock number.
The Birthday Massacre: Happy Birthday from Violet (2005)

Cool concept if it's not already too late: if you don't know your birthday, then you never get old. You heard it right here.
Jebus: Birthday from Birthday (2004)

I must look further into this group from Austin, TX:
The Lord Henry: Birthday from Zoo Palace (2006)

From the Blogroll:

Today, the group at jefitoblog are dissecting some great old chartburners, like Martha Davis and the Motels' "Suddenly Last Summer" and songs by The Sugarcubes and Phil Collins, among others. Sample quote: "Oh, Phil... How can I continue to tell people that Abacab is a great album with a straight face if you go off and do music for monkey movies?" This is a must-read.

Lucky Marcy at Lost In Your Inbox gets to see not one but two delectable songbirds today: Rufus Wainwright and Neko Case. If I weren't wilted by the heat, I'd be jealous.

Taylor at Music For Kids Who Can't Read has two pre-released tracks from the new Rogue Wave album, Heaven's Gate.

Muzzle of Bees previews two very interesting new artists: Liars and Doveman.

This week So Much Silence featured Travis' visit to the KCRW studio and has some nice live tracks from their performance.

Happy Birthday wishes also to Eric at The Yellow Stereo!

To everyone who is on vacation right now: Lucky YOU! Have a good one.

I was completely smitten by the Doors in my last years of high school, particularly with Strange Days, which was released in 1967. Their overwrought images of weary debauchery were irrestible to me.

When I wore the grooves down on the first LP, I bought another one. I still have both. Maybe at some point I'll rip those original tracks into MP3s. Meanwhile you can get both from Amazon and from iTunes the remastered versions of the original recorded tracks. I'm still trying to figure out if I like them or not. They don't sound quite like what I'm used to.

These covers from Strange Days aren't at all what I'm used to either, but it's interesting to see what other bands do with these fantastical journeys into the mind of Jim Morrison.

Spahn Ranch get the spooky part exactly right in this percussion-heavy goth-romp with the title song, while Joan Jett gives her good old regular rock workout. Diabolique channel Julie Cruise in a languid "Twin Peaks" treatment of "Unhappy Girl."

Echo and the Bunnymen stay pretty faithful to the original "People Are Strange" until they give it their own kick near the end. I think they are a little more interesting on "Soul Kitchen" from the Door's first album.

The last track is something I would usually pass over: an instrumental piano tribute version of "Break On Through"--except it is surprisingly lovely and interesting in a Chistopher O'Reilly kind of way.

From Strange Days:
Spahn Ranch: Strange Days from Darken My Fire-A Gothic Tribute to the Doors (2006)
Joan Jett: Love Me Two Times from The Hit List (1990)
Diabolique: Unhappy Girl (Jack Kerouac mix) from Uses of Disorder (2005)
Echo and the Bunnymen: People Are Strange from Crystal Days 1979-1999

From The Doors:
Echo and the Bunnymen: Soul Kitchen from Crystal Days 1979-1999
Fully Furnished: Break On Through from Mood Piano Tribute to the Doors (2005)

The rare opportunity of actual paying work has delayed today's Finally Friday, and it looks like if I don't go ahead and publish it "as is," it will end up being Finally Saturday. If I get a chance, maybe I will just catch up tomorrow.

These cover songs go way, way back to my high school days! Yikes!

Foo Fighters: I Feel Free
The first track on Cream's debut album Fresh Cream (1966). Yes, I have this on vinyl.

Joan Jett: Bits and Pieces
Original by the Dave Clark Five on Glad All Over (1964). I have this one too.

Camper Van Beethoven: Pictures of Matchstick Men
Originally by Status Quo (1968)

Herman Jolly: Yesterday
Original by the Beatles (1966). Sadly, I no longer have this album.
Herman Jolly's MySpace | More Herman Jolly on Speed of Dark

The Space Lady: I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night
Originally by the Electric Prunes from their 1967 debut album of the same name.
The Space Lady's MySpace | Website | About the Space Lady
More Space Lady on Speed of Dark

Yo La Tengo: Good Lovin'
Although made famous by the Young Rascals in 1966, this was also a cover version of a song by the Olympics.

Talk about hot and nasty! Contrast Podcast #69 takes a very adult view of Dinner For Two. Heh heh.

Last Saturday Indie Mom and I went to see the Decemberists perform at the Hollywood Bowl with the LA Philharmonic Orchestra. The evening was comfortably cool, and we had great seats; in fact we had better seats than actor Adrian Grenier, whom we saw with his date. We'll have some posts about the Decemberists and the opening acts, Andrew Bird and Band of Horses, pretty soon. We are hampered by the fact that Indie Mom took the photos but has no computer at this time to upload them.

So this post is not about the concert; it's about the songs that were played over the sound system before the show even began, offering a unique opportunity for time travel. This first song caught my attention because I immediately recognized it from Mr. Folkie's collection of oddball country/folk.

Most people today would rather be beaten with a stick than listen to yodeling, but at one time yodeling was very popular mainstream music. I appreciate it as an elaborate vocal skill, and there are certain other types of music that I actually like less. In the 1940's, the Cackle Sisters, Carolyn and Mary Jane DeZurik, farm girls from Royalton, Minn., took yodeling to an exceptional level. They incorporated birdlike chirps and trills and sounds of farm animals into their yodels.

The Cackle Sisters: I Left Her Standing There

The lyrics to this little ditty are hilarious. The sound quality is not great because apparently their music is available only from recordings of their performances on radio shows.

If you think this song is silly
Go right ahead and laugh
But the heart in this hillbilly
Is busted right in half
Ah, I left her standing there
With a doo-dad in her hair
But I guess she didn't care so much for me.

Listen to more about the Cackle Sisters and stream a couple of other songs at NPR.

While I don't intend for Speed of Dark to become a covers-only blog, I realize we are posting quite a few of them lately. I like a good cover song as much as anyone, however, and at least two I had not heard previously were in the pre-show music. Most good covers were excellent songs in their original renditions, and that is certainly true of these.

I am not absolutely sure that I found the covers that were played at this show. One was the Kinks' "Lola" with female vocals in a British accent. "Lola" was originally released in 1970, and in 1979 The Raincoats released a cover on their self-titled album (Wikipedia). That version is most likely to be the one that we heard.

The Raincoats deserve a Time Travel post all to themselves, although I confess I don't know much about them. I do know that Kurt Cobain was very inspired by these three ladies from London.

The Raincoats: Lola from The Raincoats (1979)
The Raincoats MySpace | Website
Buy: Rough Trade

Ana, Gina and Vicky of the Raincoats, 1981

As I was searching for Lola covers I came across this fascinating a capella version by The Swan Arcade. This Yorkshire group formed in 1970 and enjoyed some folk-rock popularity until breaking up in 1978. In 2001 many of their most popular songs were rereleased on Round Again

The Swan Arcade: Lola from Round Again (2001)
The Swan Arcade: MySpace
Buy: eMusic and iTunes

Then there was an absolutely ethereal version of Peter Schilling's "Major Tom (Coming Home)" with female vocals. This is one of those timeless songs that is thrilling and beautiful no matter how many times you hear it, and this gorgeous re-interpretation nearly made my hair stand up. I spent a long time searching for it, and I am glad that I did and that I am now aware of The Space Lady, whose real name is Susan Dietrich, a solo performer from San Francisco, who often performs wearing a winged helmet.

Whether or not this is the version we heard Saturday night, it is truly a gem that will give you goosebumps on goosebumps. You want to follow the links to her MySpace and website pages because she has more covers and original songs in her unique style.

The Space Lady: Major Tom (Coming Home) from Amazing Thingz (1990)
The Space Lady MySpace | Website | About the Space Lady

As I searched for covers of "Major Tom," I also found this one by Dealership, a delightful foursome from Oakland, CA, across the bay from The Space Lady. This reminded me that I have several other tracks of theirs, and I'll have to work them into the blog. If you like Stars and Husky Rescue, you will probably like Dealership as well.

Dealership: Major Tom (Coming Home) from Dealerkids extras
Dealership MySpace | Website | Label: Turn Records
Buy: eMusic, iTunes

Finally, we heard Donovan's "Wear Your Love Like Heaven." I'm not sure it was actually a cover; it sounded a lot like Donovan himself. I hadn't heard this song in a long time, and I was reminded just how lovely it is. I am thrilled how those rippling color-words come rolling off his tongue: "...Coloured sky rose carmethine, Alizarian crimson..." Yum.

Donovan: Wear Your Love Like Heaven from Troubadour: The Definitive Collection (1964-1976) (1992)
Original release Wear Your Love Like Heaven (1967) available on LP at Amazon.com

Since I was looking for covers, I came upon this version by My Morning Jacket which is very interesting, but maybe does not improve on the original. Sara McLachlan has also covered this song on Solace (1992).

My Morning Jacket: Wear Your Love Like Heaven from A Gift From a Garden To a Flower (2002)
My Morning Jacket MySpace | Website | Label: ATO/RCA
Buy this album: Amazon.com

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do; you only missed out on how much fun I had finding them.