Blog: Fong Songs

I don't know if this ever came up at all over the course of this entire blog, but yes, this creepy head, used frequently as an avatar, is a self-portrait bust created in my only university art class. We were supposed to pair up and sculpt a classmate, but I suppose no one wanted to keep a disembodied head of someone else so we all ended up doing our own bust using a series of photos. Anyhoo... I hope you all had fun with the Fong Songs 101 Cover Countdown . I want to [...]

============================== =============== Just joining us? I'm counting down 101 of my all-time favourite covers before packing this blog away in the attic. Read my countdown preamble here . ============================== =============== Top 10 Here we go! 10. Ben Kweller - BK Baby [originally Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice] Stop, collaborate and listen to this cover, a brilliant guitar-based sing-a-long version of the Vanilla Ice "classic" white boy rap. 9. Baba Yaga - Back in the USSR [...]

============================== =============== Just joining us? I'm counting down 101 of my all-time favourite covers before packing this blog away in the attic. Read my countdown preamble here . ============================== =============== Oddly enough, the logo and goofy tagline has never changed since day one! My awesome friends made this shirt for my birthday one year. If I remember correctly, the blog had not even reached its first anniversary. CanConCovers From the get-go I've been inclined, if not unofficially mandated, to [...]

============================== =============== Just joining us? I'm counting down 101 of my all-time favourite covers before packing this blog away in the attic. Read my countdown preamble here . ============================== =============== 19. Ben Folds - Songs of Love [originally by The Divine Comedy] As you all probably know, I'm a sucker for all things Ben Folds does. My only problem was choosing from a ton of covers both solo and with Ben Folds Five, but I decided to go with this unheralded cover from Ben's Sunny 16 EP. A different mix [...]

============================== =============== Just joining us? I'm counting down 101 of my all-time favourite covers before packing this blog away in the attic. Read my countdown preamble here . ============================== =============== Led Zeppelin When covering Zeppelin, it's best to stray far from the original since any carbon copy cover just comes off as pathetic and wanky, particularly if you're a guitarist attempting to imitate Jimmy Page. Seriously, why bother? 24. Goldbug - Whole Lotta Love [originally by Led Zeppelin] This bizarro electro dance version [...]

============================== =============== Just joining us? I'm counting down 101 of my all-time favourite covers before packing this blog away in the attic. Read my countdown preamble here . ============================== =============== A Set of Numbers 28. Aimee Mann - One [originally by Harry Nilsson] The genius of Harry Nilsson has been slowly revealed to me over time via cover songs, the earliest example being Aimee Mann's beautiful cover of One from the Magnolia soundtrack, which also incorporates a tidbit of Nilsson's Together . [...]

============================== =============== Just joining us? I'm counting down 101 of my all-time favourite covers before packing this blog away in the attic. Read my countdown preamble here . ============================== =============== A Set of Standards Standards are tricky since these are the ones that have been done a zillion times, but then again, no one generally cares how zany and original you get with it. The songs have stood the test of time and have been performed so often, most people have probably never even heard the "original", if [...]

============================== =============== Just joining us? I'm counting down 101 of my all-time favourite covers before packing this blog away in the attic. Read my countdown preamble here . ============================== =============== Earth, Wind, Fire, Waterloo 42. Sunshiners - Everybody Wants to Rule the World [originally by Tears for Fears] The Sunshiners hail from Vanuatu, a small island nation in the South Pacific. I just discovered the band about a month ago and their reggae Tears for Fears cover from their self-titled debut album quickly [...]

============================== =============== Just joining us? I'm counting down 101 of my all-time favourite covers before packing this blog away in the attic. Read my countdown preamble here . ============================== =============== The White Stripes Set Right from post #1 , The White Stripes (and Jack White's musical endeavours in general) have been featured on Fong Songs more than any other single act. Regular readers must be sick of it. They were more or less my favourite band already, but seeing them live on back-to-back nights of their [...]

============================== =============== Just joining us? I'm counting down 101 of my all-time favourite covers before packing this blog away in the attic. Read my countdown preamble here . ============================== =============== Whoops, yesterday's post was accidentally numbered "#65 to 52", but I jumped the gun and we're just getting to #55 today! Gee, can you tell I'm doing these in the middle of the night? Alt Rock 55. The Polyphonic Spree - Lithium [originally by Nirvana] I'm a big fan of The Polyphonic Spree and [...]

============================== =============== Just joining us? I'm counting down 101 of my all-time favourite covers before packing this blog away in the attic. Read my countdown preamble here . ============================== =============== The Dap-Kings Set 61. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) [originally by Mickey Newbury] This of one of several instances where my introduction to what would become one of my favourite artists was through a cover song. Back in 2007, I headed down on [...]

============================== =============== Just joining us? I'm counting down 101 of my all-time favourite covers before packing this blog away in the attic. Read my countdown preamble here . ============================== =============== U2 + Frankie Valli 65. rx - Sunday Bloody Sunday [originally by U2] Whether it's George Bush's My Way , Tony Blair's Should I Stay or Should I Go , or more recently Obama's Taxman , New York-based DJ rx has made a name for himself (er, anonymously) with his [...]

============================== =============== Just joining us? I'm counting down 101 of my all-time favourite covers before packing this blog away in the attic. Read my countdown preamble here . ============================== =============== Just Duet Tom Jones & Stereophonics - Mama Told Me Not to Come [originally written by Randy Newman] Clearly taking a cue from Three Dog Night's famous cover, this is my favourite cut from Tom Jones' 1999 (nearly) all-covers album Reload , which more or less resurrected his career. Daryl Hall [...]

============================== =============== Just joining us? I'm counting down 101 of my all-time favourite covers before packing this blog away in the attic. Read my countdown preamble here . ============================== =============== Playing with Shadows 77. Labelle - Moon Shadow [originally by Cat Stevens] From their 1972 album Moon Shadow , Labelle completely make this song their own, transforming Cat Stevens' peaceful folk ballad into a vivacious soul number with a healthy dose of funk. This is actually a shortened version of the album edit, which [...]

============================== =============== Just joining us? I'm counting down 101 of my all-time favourite covers before packing this blog away in the attic. Read my countdown preamble here . ============================== =============== The 80s Set 82. Jaded Heart - Easy Lover [originally by Philip Bailey and Phil Collins] I love how 80s metal never really went away in Germany. Jaded Heart really go to town on this Philip/Phil 80s classic and-- I can hardly believe I'm saying this -- they also do a really great cover [...]

============================== =============== Just joining us? I'm counting down 101 of my all-time favourite covers before packing this blog away in the attic. Read my countdown preamble here . ============================== =============== Swedish Invasion 88. The Flu - Hate to Say I Told you So [originally by The Hives] What sounds like a window breaking kicks off this audacious cover with multi-part harmony and a hoedown bassline. At first it's a hilarious context shifting variation on The Hives hit, but by the midpoint I always want to [...]

============================== =============== Just joining us? I'm counting down 101 of my all-time favourite covers before packing this blog away in the attic. Read my countdown preamble here . ============================== =============== It occurred to me that attentive regular readers will probably know or will at least be able to guess what's sitting at the top of this list. Oh well, hope the journey there is a little less predictable! Super Mario Covers The video game cover scene has exploded over the past ten or so years as [...]

As I mentioned last week, starting today I will posting every day as a last grand gesture before Fong Songs goes into hibernation, counting down my 100 all-time favourite cover songs. Make that 101. I went up and down this list and could just not make that last cut. It goes without saying that this will be a very personal list. There will be no covers of Hallelujah of any kind and no Hurt from Johnny Cash. Also, unless I am a huge fan of that particular cover there will be [...]

Five years ago today, I started Fong Songs. I had moved to Vancouver for a two month stint taking a two month course in 2D animation and after happily reading other mp3 blogs figured "Hey, I can do that!" (isn't that how all blogs inevitably start). Now, full circle, I'm living in Vancouver semi-permanently and in less than a month I'll be going back to school for my master's degree. So yeah, the blog end is near, I face the final curtain, yada yada yada. I've done it my way, more or less. [...]

Been too busy, no substantial post forthcoming. Off to the Island for the long weekend! The Ten Pound Suit Band - Breathe [originally by The Prodigy] The Prodigy by way of the Squirrel Nut Zippers.