Monthly Archives: June 2014

Cover Friday: “Crazy Mary”

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Sweet Relief
Sweet Relief

“Crazy Mary”
by Pearl Jam (originally by Victoria Williams)
from the album Sweet Relief: A Benefit for Victoria Williams
1993
Buy the album on Amazon

Following Lance’s example of a random Pearl Jam cover. When the benefit album this cover was part of first came out, I didn’t know anything about Victoria Williams, and I admittedly still don’t, but I used to always go for these types of compilation albums if there was at least one artist I liked. I don’t really do that anymore, partly because I never know about them, and partly because I finally realized I usually only liked one or two songs on them. This is one of three songs on this album that actually stuck with me.
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June Power Songs: “Violet”

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Live Through This
Live Through This

“Violet”
by Hole
from the album Live Through This
1994
Buy the album on Amazon

I never got too into Hole, but I remember there used to be a commercial for a contest for some beer where you could win tickets to see Hole live, and they would show a clip of them playing this song in concert. I saw the commercial so many times that I got totally hooked on this song. It’s got that great loudquietloud thing going on.

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June Power Songs: “Three Days”

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Ritual de lo Habitual“Three Days”
by Jane’s Addiction
from the album Ritual de lo Habitual
1990
Buy the album on Amazon

The first song that came to mind when Chris picked Power Songs as this month’s theme was “Three Days.”  Last year, while prepping for my move to Texas, I found a big cache of MiniDisc mixes I had assembled back in the late 90s.  One of the cover labels read Epix of Rök.  At the center of that mix was this almost eleven-minute monster of a song.  So I’m going on record and saying that “Three Days” is a Power Epic.

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Karaoke Tuesday: “Total Eclipse of the Heart”

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Faster Than the Speed of the Night
Faster Than the Speed of the Night

“Total Eclipse of the Heart”
by Bonnie Tyler
from the album Faster Than the Speed of the Night
1983
Buy the on Amazon

I think i’ve resisted this long enough. Yes, it’s completely a karaoke cliché. Yes, it is totally overdone. Yes, it always has the potential to be completely epic.

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Karaoke Tuesday: “Under the Milky Way”

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Starfish
Starfish

“Under the Milky Way”
The Church
from the album Starfish
1988
Buy the album on Amazon

I’ve never quite nailed  this song to my satisfaction but it’s had a firm position in my karaoke song list for a few years.  As to when it made its first appearance, it was almost assuredly a drunken addition one evening at a NYC basement karaoke bar.  But the song weaseled its way into my heart a long time before that.

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Cover Friday: “Time After Time”

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When All That's Left Is You
When All That’s Left Is You

“Time After Time”
by QuietDrive (originally by Cyndi Lauper)
from the album When All That’s Left Is You
2006
Buy the album on Amazon

I’ve got an admitted weakness for cookie cutter emo and/or punk bands doing cover versions of songs I grew up with, and this is a prime example. I don’t need to say much about this – I’ve already talked about how much I love the original, and I really love this version as well.
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Cover Friday – “Cinnamon Girl”

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Pisces Iscariot
Pisces Iscariot

“Cinnamon Girl”
by Smashing Pumpkins (originally by Neil Young)
from the album Pisces Iscariot (Remastered)
1994
Buy the album on Amazon

The Pumpkins again?  Sue me. Billy picks great songs to cover and they do them up.  Besides featuring a repeat artist, this song also qualifies for the popular I had never heard the original until I realized the cover was a cover lament.  I wanna be a Neil Young guy, I really do.  But I guess I’m just not ready for a one-to-one relationship with him.  Sorry Neil, we’re gonna have have to connect via covers.

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June Power Songs: “Killing in the Name”

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Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine

“Killing in the Name”
by Rage Against the Machine
from the album Rage Against the Machine
1992
Buy the album on Amazon

Obviously pretty much every RATM song is a power song in every sense. It’s probably why I can’t claim to be a huge fan – I didn’t get into them until I was old enough to need to take them in smaller doses. I own 2 or 3 of their albums and could only name 2 or 3 of their songs. This one is pretty much the king of the hill.
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June Power Songs: “Earth Rocker”

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Earth Rocker
Earth Rocker

“Earth Rocker”
by Clutch
from the album  Earth Rocker
2013
Buy the album on Amazon

Power.  This song has it in spades.

“Earth Rocker” starts with a slow build, just simple bass line and a ride cymbal, but even then you can tell it’s about to pummel you over the head with something.  It’s not until a couple of verses in that you understand the message – quit being a whiney shit Lance and do something worthwhile.

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Karaoke Tuesday: “Boys Don’t Cry”

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Boys Don't Cry
Boys Don’t Cry

“Boys Don’t Cry”
by The Cure
from the album Boys Don’t Cry
1979
Buy the on Amazon

When I was a tween/teen and getting really into most of the music we talk about on this blog, I was firmly against the Cure. I would make fun of them, I would say they sucked, etc. The truth is, which I can freely admit now and probably at least subconsciously knew then, is that I was just so against them because my best friend at the time was so into them. We’re talking dressing as Robert Smith on Halloween, etc. Never mind that we shared most of our other bands in common, The Cure is where I placed my (ridiculous) stake in the ground. It wasn’t until he and I stopped being friends that I was finally able to listen to them properly.

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