“Sunglasses at Night”
by Corey Hart
from the album First Offense
1983
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Yes, i totally missed KaraokeTuesday last week, and admittedly I nearly missed it today (what can I say, it was a day off from work – yay Canada!). This is why Lance and I are blog buddies, to egg each other on when the other one forgets.
“Surfin’ U.S.A.”
by Pennywise (originally by The Beach Boys)
from the album M.O.M.: Music for Our Mother Ocean Vol. 1
1996
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So I completely blew it this week with no Karaoke Tuesday entry. There have been a few times in the past where Lance or I or both of us have been a little late, but this week I just totally dropped the ball. Normally at worst I might do it Wednesday and cheat by backdating the entry, but it just feels wrong to do that when it’s already Friday night. So you win this week, Lance. And apologies to all of our loyal fans (which is also just Lance).
“Physical”
by Nine Inch Nails (originally by Adam and the Ants)
from the album Broken
1992
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I still clearly remember buying Broken when it first came out. My friend Keegan and I went to our favorite indie record store in Littleton the day it came out to pick it up. This was when CDs were still coming in the ridiculously wasteful double-length cardboard sleeves (Broken may have been one of the sleeves I opened up and hung on my wall). I remember opening it in the car and having the little mini CD fall out, which we thought was so cool, and there was the additional (in our minds) coolness factor later when it became known that the mini CD was a limited item. A few years back when I sold all my CDs, that was one of the few that I had hesitations about getting rid of.
“True”
by Spandau Ballet
from the album True
1983
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A quintessential classic 80’s song. There are songs that fit that description in all the wrong ways. This is not one of them. Unless you just have never heard it before, as soon as those breathy sighs start, I don’t think there’s a person who doesn’t love this song. It’s pure class (just look at the singer in the video!) and romance.
Continue reading Karaoke Tuesday: “True”
“Crazy Mary”
by Pearl Jam (originally by Victoria Williams)
from the album Sweet Relief: A Benefit for Victoria Williams
1993
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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.
Continue reading Cover Friday: “Crazy Mary”
“Violet”
by Hole
from the album Live Through This
1994
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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.
“Total Eclipse of the Heart”
by Bonnie Tyler
from the album Faster Than the Speed of the Night
1983
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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.
Continue reading Karaoke Tuesday: “Total Eclipse of the Heart”
“Time After Time”
by QuietDrive (originally by Cyndi Lauper)
from the album When All That’s Left Is You
2006
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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.
Continue reading Cover Friday: “Time After Time”
“Killing in the Name”
by Rage Against the Machine
from the album Rage Against the Machine
1992
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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.
Continue reading June Power Songs: “Killing in the Name”
“Boys Don’t Cry”
by The Cure
from the album Boys Don’t Cry
1979
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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.