Betwixt The Covers: The Mixtape

Mixwit.com is a fierce website brought to my attention a while ago on the Pop Candy blog, which is a must-read blog for pop culture junkies like me. You can create a digital mixtape, which can then be posted on a blog like this one, (or on your MySpace or Facebook or personal website) I finally had time to sit down and make a mixtape of cover songs that I love, and add a spicy title: Betwixt The Covers.

Some of these are naughty hip-hop songs covered in a more earnest style, like Jill Sobule's folksy take on Nelly's "Hot In Herre" or Alanis's emo-piano version of Black Eyed Peas ode to T&A, "My Humps." Others find the emotional connection in a fluffy pop song and twist it's heartbreaking core, like Grizzly Bear's Daniel Rossen does to JoJo's "Too Little Too Late."


Some are just brilliant takes on brilliant songs, like k. d. lang's masterful cover of Leonard Cohen's modern standard "Hallelujah" or the way Petra Haden recreates Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" (guitar solos and all) using only her voice. Mary J Blige proves that you just need to add a soulful black lady to any song to improve it, just look at her version of "One" by U2. The most beautiful nonsense song of modern times, "Stars Go Blue" by Ryan Adams gets a shimmery pop sheen from Irish group The Corrs. Bryan Adams' "Heaven" was remade into a dance floor anthem a few years ago by DJ Sammy, but the Candlelight Remix is a stunning piano ballad version that will bring a tear to your eyes.


Other's just switch up the gender vocals without disturbing the gender pronouns, like the Artic Monkey's drumtastic reading of Amy Winehouse's "You Know I'm No Good" or the Of Montreal version of M.I.A.'s cover of "Jimmy" from the Bollywood film Disco Dancer. It's often just straight up fun, like Britney Spear's "Toxic" covered by Mark Ronson, with a filthy rap from the late Ol' Dirty Bastard, which defies description.


I could have done a mixtape of just David Cook's brilliant covers from American Idol, like "Little Sparrow" and "Billie Jean", but I already did that for three people this week. Instead I'm just including the cover that could have been a radio hit by Goo Goo Dolls or Lifehouse, his take on Mariah Carey's torchy stalker anthem "Always Be My Baby"


And what cover collection would be complete without Rihanna's "Umbrella"? I went with the version that conveyed the most emotion, by Manic Street Preachers, but you can find covers by Marie Digby, Tegan & Sara, Plain White T's, My Chemical Romance and Mandy Moore elsewhere online.

New Alanis Morisette Video - "Underneath"

I'm having a hard time getting into Alanis's new single, "Underneath" from her upcoming Flavors Of Entanglement (love the title!) She said she was going for a more organic techno sound, which I kind of get, but it'd not as catchy as Goldfrapp's or Imogen Heap's work that would fall under that umbrella. It needs something, I can't really place my finger on what. Having said that, this video is kind of cool in parts with the heart and the red-dress-clad Alanis, but the enviromentalist passing out fliers Alanis is kind of off-putting. Watch:

Idol Thoughts on Brooke White

Here's the thing. I love Brooke White like a sister. She has such a realness to her, a connection to almost all the songs she performs each week on American Idol. But the last few weeks she's stumbled a little. BUT while her version of "Hero" on Mariah week was not that great, but the studio version on iTunes? HOT! Guitar instead of piano, and just a much more polished sound. But it's the early performances I keep going back to on my iPod, "Love Is A Battlefield" and "Let It Be" were stunning. This week I think she will be in trouble, it's Andrew Lloyd Webber week, and Brooke doesn't have a Broadway voice. I think she would be smart to do a stripped, raw, emotional version of "I Don't Know To Love Him" from Jesus Christ Superstar. The first time they let the Idols do modern stuff, if she's still here, she needs to go the Alanis Morrisette route and do an ironic emo version of a naughty pop song. Songs From This Weeks Billboard Charts? "Low" or "Touch My Body" Songs From The 2000s? Try these on for size:

Whatever she tries next, she's still my favorite girl. And I almost wish she would leave, cause she' seems to have had her spirit broken. but not in a Brittnum Twins kind of way, thank god!

Five Songs On Shuffle Vol. 5

Here is the fifth installment of my weekly blog entry series "5 Songs On Shuffle." I’ll put my iTunes on shuffle and blog about the first five songs that play.

"Girls Just Wanna Fixx Up - Dizzee Rascals vs Cyndi Lauper" - The Hood Internet The Hood Internet Mix Tape Volume One
My absolute favorite mashup of all time, the sub-Caribbean beat of Lauper's grrrl-power anthem is the perfect foil to the barely intelligible rhymes of England's craziest rapper. Hottest shit evs.

"Hand In My Pocket" - Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill Acoustic
It took me a second to realize that this was the acoustic version of this song, the original was pretty low key, too. I bought this CD for my sister Rachel as a Christmas gift. She had heard it on Rhapsody's Listening Party, and fell in love with it. She didn't buy it at the time, and I finally tracked a copy down at Best Buy last year. I thought I was finding the perfect gift, turns out she bought me an iPod, which really is the perfect gift for me. It was a good Christmas.

"Dance, Dance" - Fall Out Boy From Under The Cork Tree
I love the lines "Why don't you show me a little bit of spark you've been saving for his mattress, love?" and "I only want sympathy in the form of you crawling into bed with me." Those who blast emos for poor writing skills should step off. The bass on this is insane, too.

"La Isla Bonita" - Madonna The Immaculate Collection
I really don't like this song. I love Madonna, but this one has terrible lyrics, a really dated Latin guitar and a Muzak quality to it. Like it should only be played at tanning salons and tiki bars.

"Satellite [Acoustic]" - Mika Life In Cartoon Motion [Best Buy Exclusive Tracks]
This is a cover of Dave Matthews Band's "Satellite." I have never heard DMB's original, so I don't know if it's a good cover or not, I do like this version. It was an exclusive track for the Best Buy version of Mika's stellar debut album. It's poppy, but simple. Much better than the other bonus track, an acoustic take on his single "Love Today" which suffers from too much bombast. The original had plenty of it, too, but in the acoustic setting it sounds like an audition tape for a Broadway musical.