Category: Indie Rock

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Indie Rock

Song of the Day (Covers): Frank Black – Hang On To Your Ego

Day 21. This is actually the second appearance of Frank Black in this series of Song of the Day; he previously appeared as the vocalist of the Pixies in their cover of The Jesus And Mary Chain’s Head On.

Frank Black’s version of the Beach Boys tune uses pulsing synths & fuzzy guitars to bring it in line with Frank’s unique brand of eccentric & psychedelic Americana. For those who aren’t familiar with Hang On To Your Ego as a Beach Boys’ song, it’s an early version (with different lyrics) of the Pet Sounds classic I Know There’s An Answer.

I know so many people who think they can do it alone
They isolate their heads and stay in their safety zone
But what can you tell them
What can you say that won’t make them defensive
Hang on to your ego
Hang on but I know that you’re gonna lose the fight.
They come on like they’re peaceful
But inside they’re so uptight
They chip through the day and waste all their thoughts at night
But how can I say it
How can I come on when I know I’m guilt
Hang on to your ego
Hang on because I know that you’re gonna lose the fight
And how can I say it
How can I come on when I know I’m guilt
Hang on to your ego
Hang on
Hang on but I know that you’re gonna lose the fight

Looking for some great music? Check out the Song of the Day (Covers) Spotify playlist.

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Dream Pop Indie Rock Song of the Day

Song of the Day (Covers): The Raveonettes – I Wanna Be Adored

Day 20. Early ’00’s Garage Rockers The Raveonettes stretch their Dreampop muscles with this cover of The Stone Roses legendary album opener. Added layers of Shoegazey fuzz & reverb both compliment & contrast with the narcotic ebb & flow of the original.

I don’t have to sell my soul
He’s already in me
I don’t need to sell my soul
He’s already in me

I wanna be adored
I wanna be adored

I don’t have to sell my soul
He’s already in me
I don’t need to sell my soul
He’s already in me

I wanna be adored
I wanna be adored
Adored

I wanna be adored
You adore me
You adore me
You adore me

I wanna, I wanna
I wanna be adored
I wanna, I wanna

I wanna be adored
I wanna, I wanna
I wanna be adored

I wanna, I wanna
I gotta be adored
I wanna be adored

Looking for some great music? Check out the Song of the Day (Covers) Spotify playlist.

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Indie Rock Song of the Day

Song of the Day (Covers): Yo La Tengo – Friday I’m In Love

Day 19. I’ve ended up missing a couple of days (for entirely boring reasons) but I’m back today with this upbeat Jangle Pop version of The Cure’s classic Friday I’m In Love by Yo La Tengo.

Yo La Tengo have tried their hands at so many different genres over the years that this could have quite easily ended up as Noise Rock or Punk, but it works incredibly well in this style. The video adds a level of menace which is welcome too.

I don’t care if Monday’s blue
Tuesday’s grey and Wednesday too
Thursday, I don’t care about you
It’s Friday, I’m in love
Monday you can fall apart
Tuesday, Wednesday break my heart
Oh, Thursday doesn’t even start
It’s Friday, I’m in love

Saturday, wait
And Sunday always comes too late
But Friday, never hesitate

I don’t care if Monday’s black
Tuesday, Wednesday, heart attack
Thursday, never looking back
It’s Friday, I’m in love

Monday you can hold your head
Tuesday, Wednesday, stay in bed
Or Thursday watch the walls instead
It’s Friday, I’m in love

Saturday, wait
And Sunday always comes too late
But Friday, never hesitate

Dressed up to the eyes
It’s a wonderful surprise
To see your shoes and your spirits rise
Throw out your frown
And just smile at the sound
Sleek as a shriek, spinning ’round and ’round
Always take a big bite
It’s such a gorgeous sight
To see you eat in the middle of the night
You can never get enough
Enough of this stuff
It’s Friday, I’m in love

I don’t care if Monday’s blue
Tuesday’s grey and Wednesday too
Thursday, I don’t care about you
It’s Friday, I’m in love
Monday you can fall apart
Tuesday, Wednesday, break my heart
Thursday doesn’t even start
It’s Friday, I’m in loveDo-do, do-do, do-do, do
Do-do, do-do, do-do, do
(Oh, oh, whoa, whoa)

Looking for some great music? Check out the Song of the Day (Covers) Spotify playlist.

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Indie Rock New Wave Post Punk Song of the Day

Song of the Day (Covers): The Fall – Victoria

Day 18. The Fall’s cover of The Kinks Psychedelic Jangle Pop hit & tribute to Queen Victoria (& Victoriana generally) adds a sinister, menacing overtone to the tune, befitting such a bloodthirsty & imperialistic monarch.

It was bad, called obscene 
And the rich were so mean 
Stately homes for the Lords 
Golden lawns, village green
Victoria was my queen 

Victoria, Victoria, Victoria 


I was born, lucky me 
In the land that I love 
Though I’m poor, I am free 
When I go I shall fight 
For this land I will die 
Let her sun never set on 

Victoria, Victoria, Victoria 

Canada to India 
Australia to Cornwall 
Singapore to Hong Kong 
From the West to the East 
From the rich to the poor 
Victoria loved them all 

Victoria, Victoria, Victoria

Looking for some great music? Why not check out the Song of the Day (Covers) Spotify playlist?

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1Y1kY9MQAJnZljYtPqfZiH?si=Z-vsjMuuQvWIpgF7Lp2_nw

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Indie Rock Reggae Song of the Day

Song of the Day (Covers): Easy Star All-Stars – Electioneering (feat. Morgan Heritage)

Day 16. This amazing cover of the upbeat, cowbell-propelled Punk track from Radiohead’s landmark album OK Computer, is taken from a tribute album to that very album. Radiodread, Easy Star All-Stars’ follow up to their excellent Pink Floyd tribute Dub Side Of The Moon (I think you can guess which Pink Floyd album that is a tribute to), is a track-by-track cover of OK Computer.

Electioneering is probably my favourite tune on Radiodread, & that is a pleasant surprise because it’s probably the song on OK Computer which I thought would least work as a Reggae tune. Happy to be proved wrong. Like most of the songs, Electioneering features a guest vocalist, Morgan Heritage in this case.

I will stop, see I will stop for nothing
Say the right things when electioneering
I trust I can rely on your vote

When I go forward you go backward
Somewhere we will meet
When I go forward you go backward
Somewhere we will meet

Riot shields, voodoo economics, yes
It’s just business, cattle prods and the I.M.F.
I trust I can rely on your vote

Rockas

When I go forward you go backward
Somewhere we will meet
When I go forward you go backward
Somewhere we will meet

Rockas

Looking for some great music? Why not check out the Song of the Day (Covers) Spotify playlist?

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Indie Rock Post Punk Shoegaze Song of the Day

Song of the Day (Covers): Lush – Outdoor Miner

Day 15. Wire’s Colin Newman described the Lush version of their excellent Outdoor Miner as having “much confidence on show, plus they get the chorus right!” This is integral when you consider other covers of he same tune, like the one by Flying Saucer Attack. As much as I love it, the chorus sounds melodically miles away from this version or the original. He went on “It’s actually very satisfying to hear someone do a decent cover of a song you’ve written (and distressing to hear a bad one!).”

No blind spots in the leopard’s eyes
Can only help to jeopardize
The lives of lambs, the shepherd cries 

An outdoor life for a silverfish
Eternal dust less ticklish
Than the clean room, a houseguest’s wish

He lies on his side, is he trying to hide?
In fact it’s the earth, which he’s known since birth

He lies on his side, is he trying to hide?
In fact it’s the earth, which he’s known since birth

Face worker, a serpentine miner
A roof falls, an under-liner
Of leaf structure, the egg timer

He lies on his side, is he trying to hide?
In fact it’s the earth, which he’s known since birth

He lies on his side, is he trying to hide? 
In fact it’s the earth, which he’s known since birth

He lies on his side, is he trying to hide? (he lies on his side)
In fact it’s the earth, which he’s known since birth (is he trying to hide?)

He lies on his side, is he trying to hide? (he lies on his side)
In fact it’s the earth, which he’s known since birth (is he trying to hide?)

He lies on his side, is he trying to hide? (he lies on his side)
In fact it’s the earth, which he’s known since birth (is he trying to hide?)

Looking for some great music? Why not check out the Song of the Day (Covers) Spotify playlist?

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Indie Rock Song of the Day

Song of the Day (Covers): PUP – A.M. 180

Day 14. Some of you will know that Grandaddy are easily one of my top 5 favourite bands. I heard this new cover of their 1997 single, A.M. 180, on the recommendation of a friend & I have to say its a great version. I was vaguely aware of PUP before but hadn’t really listened to them much.

This version of A.M. 180 has a more lo-fi, fuzzy sound to the original, though is otherwise quite faithful. The big wall of sound towards the end shows that they understand the spirit of the song enough to deviate from it & without deviating from that spirit.

Don’t change your name
Keep it the same
For fear I may lose you again
I know you won’t
It’s just that I am unorganized
And I want to find you when
Something good happens

If you come down
We’ll go to town
I haven’t been there for years
But I’d be fine
Wasting our time
Not doing anything here
Just doing nothing

We’ll sit for days
And talk about things
Important to us like whatever
We’ll defuse bombs
Walk marathons
And take home whatever together

Whatever together
Whatever together
Whatever together
Whatever together
Whatever together

Looking for some great music? Why not check out the Song of the Day (Covers) Spotify playlist?

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Indie Rock Song of the Day

Song of the Day (Covers): The Breeders – Happiness Is A Warm Gun

Day 12. The Breeders version of The Beatles classic Happiness Is A Warm Gun is from their Steve Albini produced (despite being credited as engineer) debut Pod.

It’s a slow-burning, atmospheric version which seems to jut drip with tension in a way that the Beatles version doesn’t. The dynamic shifts from the quiet sections to the loud sections are incredible.

She’s not a girl who misses much 
Do-do-do, oh yeah 
She’s well acquainted 
With the touch of a velvet hand 
Like a lizard on a window pane 
Man in the crowd 
With the multicoloured mirrors 
On his hobnail boots 
Lying with his eyes 
While his hands are busy 
Working overtime 
The sole confession of his wife 
Which he ate and donated to the 
National Trust 
I need a fix cause I’m going down 
Down to the abyss that I’ve left up town 
I need a fix cause I’m going down 
Mother Superior jump the gun 
Mother Superior jump the gun 
Mother Superior jump the gun 
Mother Superior jump the gun 
Mother Superior jump the gun 
Mother Superior jump the gun 
Happiness is a warm gun 
Happiness is a warm gun 
Happiness is a warm gun 
Happiness is a warm gun 
(Bang, bang, shoot, shoot) 
Josephine, do you think you are going bald? 
No. You’ve asked me that before and the answer was no then.

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Indie Rock Pop Punk Song of the Day

Song of the Day (Covers): Ash – Cantina Band

Day 11. This is Ash’s great version of the famous piece of music (composed by John Williams) played by the Cantina band in the first Star Wars movie.

Ash deliver a fairly faithful version of the piece, livening it up with some sci-fi sound effects & a Pop Punk tempo for good measure. Star Wars always had a special place in Ash’s hearts. Their debut album, 1977 (the year of Star Wars’ release), opened with the classic (& terrifying) sound effect of a T.I.E. Fighter in flight.

Cantina Band is an instrumental, therefore it has no lyrics. In their place here’s a pic of the Cantina Band in action:

These guys

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Indie Rock Rock Song of the Day

Song of the Day (Covers): Manic Street Preachers – Theme From M*A*S*H (Suicide Is Painless)

Day 10. I’ve written a fair bit about Manic Street Preachers lately & will probably write more in the future. They’re one of my favourite bands from when I was a teenager & I’ve recently started listening to them a bit more again.

Their version of the theme tune from the classic Korean War drama M*A*S*H was recorded for a double a-side single with Fatima Mansions (who’s contribution was a cover of Bryan Adams’ (Everything I Do) I Do It For You. The single was a charity single with proceeds going to The Spastic Society (since renamed SCOPE).

Through early morning fog I see
Visions of the things to be
The pains that are withheld for me
I realise and I can see

That suicide is painless
It brings on many changes
And I can take or leave it if I please

The game of life is hard to play
I’m gonna lose it anyway
The losing card I’ll someday lay
So this is all I have to say

Suicide is painless
It brings on many changes
And I can take or leave it if I please

The sword of time will pierce our skins
It doesn’t hurt when it begins
But as it works its way on in
The pain grows stronger, watch it grin

Suicide is painless
It brings on many changes
And I can take or leave it if I please

A brave man once requested me
To answer questions that are key
Is it to be or not to be
And I replied oh why ask me?

Suicide is painless
It brings on many changes
And I can take or leave it if I please

And you can do the same thing if you please

Looking for some great music? Why not check out the Song of the Day (Covers) Spotify playlist?

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