The late avant-jazz experimentalist and all around funky space captain, Sun Ra , gets the cover treatment today. Primarily known for his Egypt-meets-intergalactic-trav el outfits, album covers and outsider music his influence extends well past just the realms of jazz. A truncated and disparate crib sheet of self-proclaimed disciples could include Spiritualized, AR Kane, My Bloody Valentine, early Pink Floyd, Beyond The Wizards Sleeve, Gilles Peterson, Blur, the Editors as well as old school hip-hoppers Egyptian Lover, Afrika Bambatta and funkateers Parliament all but outright plundering his cosmic pharaoh style. While he was usually taking jazz to [...]
To the loyal Versions readers who have noticed the large swaths of time in between posts these days (as well as many unfortunately unanswered emails) I've been hard at work on a big side project the last 4 months. But the absentee landlord does have a (very long-winded) explanation. Despite being immersed in west coast culture all my life, sadly I can't skate, I can barely surf and I don't cycle (motor, fixie or otherwise). This was thanks in no large part to an overprotective mother, who wouldn't let me near a butter knife until I was [...]
Straight outta of Indianapolis, Indiana comes a bold contender to our earlier post on DJ Shadow . K. Sabroso weds a haunting Wurlitzer sound to a relentless jazz breakbeat for his take on Shadow's Organ Donor . Downtempo for out of control merry-go-rounds… K. Sabroso - Organ Donor Check out the original post here… Enjoy! [...]
You know what is serious blackmail material? Having a friend who is now a minor league MMA/Ultimate fighter, but in his past life was one of the 'Nasty Boy' dancers in Janet Jackson 's Nasty video. That said I'd probably get a serious roundhouse to the chops if I squealed. So until I get a better dental plan, I'm keeping mum (and well away from the fucking Octagon ). But speaking of Janet, got two covers of Ms. Jackson's Nasty for you today; a homegrown funk [...]
Krautrock legends (and Germany's biggest music cred namedrop for lazy journalists) Can get an electronic homage today. 1/2 of Cabaret Voltaire, Richard H Kirk turns out a wicked late 80s techno version of I Want More. For posterity I'm also throwing in a version from a Wax Trax! -era Fini Tribe as well as a 90s techno acid cut from Scotland's infamous Ege Bam Yasi . Richard H. Kirk - I Want More [...]
Randomly stumbled across today's cover when doing a google search to replace a broken TV remote (don't ask); a cover of TV On The Radio 's DLZ by the somewhat mysterious Silent Rider . So true rings that maxim of 'happy accident' as this NYC duo's dubstep -influenced rendition manages to really hit that sweet spot of what a good cover should be; rising above the standard note-for-note with just enough personal flair to call it their own. Also in fine fettle is a bluegrass -inlfuenced cover by Vancouver's Matthew [...]
Day job has been calling a lot recently, so barely any time for r&r, friends (real or internet versions) or even minding the store here at Versions Galore on any kind of a regular basis. However I did find half a minute today to pull one out by The Clash from their infamous and vastly under appreciated Sandinista! album; the apocalyptic Charlie Don't Surf . Barrelling right through, here are the only two versions that Versions could stomach; a dubby downtempo version from [...]
Been on a Detroit techno kick as of late and in the process stumbled upon a couple of great Versions -worthy covers. For those slaves to the six string who have a hard time separating the "T" word from images of pacifier chomping K-soaked rave zombies or worse, Lady Gaga, need I school you on the fact that real, pure, Motor City techno is the greatest (but most sorely overlooked) contribution to African-American music since jazz or perhaps Parliament. Arguably it's originator is today's tribute fodder, 'Magic' Juan Atkins (AKA Cybotron ), and [...]
Unlike my post on AC/DC the other day, I got nothing but nice things to say about Van Halen . Despite being a dyed in the wool, cardigan carrying Smiths fan in high school, I always secretly dug VH. The inner hesher inside me always wanted to roll up in the school parking lot with aviator shades in a bitchin' camero blaring Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love , yelling ' HEYYYYYY WHO WANTS TOOOO PAAAAAARTAAAY!' While Diamond Dave may have been the antithesis of Morrissey, these lyrics could just have easily come from This [...]
N°3 in an ongoing, but sadly irregular, series of Blue Monday covers is today's cache; jazz/lounge renditions of New Order 's finest. Of which there are two-ish female versions; a lite n'breezy one from Austria's Pastel Vespa (who also manages to weave in touches of Love Will Tear Us Apart and Bizarre Love Triangle ) and un sac de versions from the always welcome Nouvelle Vague . Pastel Vespa - Blue [...]
Before Santogold, MIA and other art damaged divas there was Kelis and her Milkshake . A Neptunes produced R&B oddity buzzing with great low-end electro bass and the promise of free milk that went on to be a massive rack shaker. La la LA LA LA... still waiting on that great follow-up Kel. So drinking that Milkshake today are 5 cover contenders. A nice likkle dubby downtempo version from Tiger Hifi (btw loving these guys, expect to see more of them here soon.), an [...]
I know, I know they are one of those bands that everyone like totally loves but I gotta confess, I never really liked AC/DC . In fact I can't stand them. It's got nothing to do with their musicianship or anything like that, for me it's much more visceral. Whenever I hear, say, You Shook Me All Night Long , it's like I have an allergic reaction. I picture sweaty, smelly Angus Young under those 8,000 megawatt stage lights and immediately my skin starts to itch and it feels like the temperature starts to [...]
Today's cover is the bittersweet, indie-disco fused Boy From School by Hot Chip. Dispensing with the electronics however are four indie covers; 3 acoustic renditions by Grizzly Bear , British India and Portastatic and 1 slightly more rocking number from Maritime (which oddly enough ends in an acoustic fashion). Grizzly Bear - And I Was A Boy From School British India - And [...]
Everybody loves the sunshine. Especially when it's Roy Ayers ' rare groove classic Everybody Loves The Sunshine . A falling piano line into a soulful stroll through a mid-1970s Central Park. Where the warm sun hits your dashiki and 'the bees and things and flowers' means that that a jazz-funk age of Aquarius never ended. Those in the know include folks like Gilles Peterson who perennially drops it in to his sets as well as Sunshine samples galore cropping up in scores of Hip Hop and R&B tracks (Common, Mos Def, Brand [...]
It may be hard for most to recall but New Order weren't the only pioneering post-punk electricians coming out of Manchester during the early 80s. Languishing under their shadow were fellow Factory records label mates Section 25 and their, now considered classic, electro track Looking From A Hilltop ; 4 and some change minutes of haunting vocals and unrelenting modulating synths over a Kraftwerk inspired beat (produced by New Order's Bernard Sumner no less). 20 years later, and shortly before their rather sad demise, Glasgow indie power pop trio BIS paid homage to Section 25 [...]
With so many covers at the Versions G, it's kinda hard bein LEO P O L D. OK, lame attempt at rap I know, I'm way too middle class white Jew-boy to have any kind of flow. (Oh hey that rhymes!) But here's something that's certainly less lame; 4 fun covers of Snoop Doggy Dogg classic Gin & Juice . Rolling down the street smoking collie weed is the reggae/dub antics of Prince Fatty (with Jamaican legend Winston Francis on vocal [...]
Wall Street losin' dough on every share They're blamin' it on longer hair Big men smokin' in their easy chair On a fat cigar without a care. People Make The World Go Round, The Stylitics haunting slice of Philly soul eerily rings as true today as did back in 1972. More interesting however is the odd bit of resigned wisdom that follows: But that's [...]
Been dying to feature 70s glam groover 20th Century Boy , by T Rex , for some time now. One would think there would be a virtual velvet goldmine's worth of amazing covers, yet instead my ears have been bored by the tepid lot of note-for-notes out there. Determined not to pack away the eyeliner just yet, I dug deeper and found a trio of Versions worthy versions. Leading with a personal fave is eclectic UK trio Belleruche . No strangers to VG they [...]
Musician. Illustrator. Professional tea brewer . Mr. Scruff is no doubt Manchester's quirkiest renaissance man. And dilettante he is not. Prolific creator of jazzy breakbeats he's got no less than 6 albums (5 of which on the mighty Ninja Tune label), numerous singles and countless mixes under his belt. He's no slouch in the drawing department either. Besides branding himself with his signature badly drawn jazztastic potatoes (gander here and here ) his illustrations also routinely turn up in fancy coffee table books like Booth Clibborn's who's who of street art tome [...]
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Miike Snow – Paddling Out (Jacques Lu Cont Remix)
Lana Del Rey covers Lovecat magazine!
