01/11/08

Billy's Little Trip · Post by **Billy's Little Trip** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 1:51 pm

The first day of the Gift Of Music 2008 begins today. Are we all excited to hear all of the covers by our friends here in the community? I know I am.
I remember this last year and I had no clue what GOM meant, but the tension in the cyber air about it made me very curious. I was still a new member and started off on the wrong foot, plus I was learning how to use a digital audio workstation. Then when I heard all the awesome songs, I'd wished I was part of the whole affair. Now I am part of it and I'm really happy about that.

Question Of The Day: Have you ever recorded a song by a band that you have never really listened to, and isn't exactly your style of music, but felt so at home doing it, that you become a new fan and consider a life altering change in your style of music? If so, who was the band and what was the song.
If not, then just name your favorite cover by another band.

JonPorobil · Post by **JonPorobil** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 2:21 pm

GoM 2005 I recorded <a href="http://www.jon-eric.com/Songs/Covers/Jo ... er).mp3">a cover of "Come a Little Bit Closer" by Jay and the Americans</a>. I'd never listened to them much, but I got really into the song, and the cover felt pretty natural, even though I had to lug a desktop tower down to my living room and rope a condenser mic over a track-light runner to record an upright piano, and then lug it all back up when I was done. Did really inspire any lifelong change in musical style, but that's as close as I have to an answer to your QotD. After all, it was a pretty specific question.

DRC: It's the last day of my vacation! Tomorrow, I fly back up to Cleveland, and then classes start anew on Monday. Yikes!

jimtyrrell · Post by **jimtyrrell** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 2:27 pm

Poll: No vote. I like both.

Roll Call: I'm playing a show in Manchester NH tonight, at Milly's Tavern. With a backing band. Sweet.

QotD: I cover a lot of songs. Many of them are songs that I didn't really care about (or for), but in most cases, they grow on me. Doing Margaritaville four times a show in the summer gets old though. As for covers that I really like, Tito Puente did a cool cover of XTC's 'The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul'.

Billy's Little Trip · Post by **Billy's Little Trip** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 2:38 pm

I should have added a third choice to the poll, Jim. But if you had to pick one.....

Ross · Post by **Ross** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 6:01 pm

DRC: Relieved that the GOM has come to fruition and excited to hear them all. Not sure how I'll choose who to vote for. Interested in the mystery of who is covering a song for me and which of the four they chose.

I'm in denial that I'm getting a cold. Tonight I'll be heading o the Disney Concert hall in LA for the first time to hear hte LA Phil do a bunch of maodern stuff - I am especially excited about an Ives piece on the program, they're alos doing something by Berio, who I generally like.

QOTD: Christina Aguilera. I covered "Beautiful" to perform as the morning "song of the day" to set a mood of thoughtfulness at my summer camp. Amazing song, and it made me appreciate her in a whole other way.

Caravan Ray · Post by **Caravan Ray** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 6:11 pm

Sonic Youth's cover of The Carpenter's Superstar is great.

Re the QotD - Doing The Kinks was slightly revelationary this year. Not that it was a band I had never listened to, I have been a big fan for many years - but I maybe hadn't realised just how big a fan I was. When I chose the song, I dug out some old Kinks records and had another listen to them and was struck by how much they must have influenced me. I felt like I was listening to myself (or more correctly, how I would like to sound - though I hadn't actually realised that before).

Not really saying that I actually sound like them - but as soon as I heard them I realised that I have been sub-consciously copying them in the style of music and lyrics they do, and especially in the structure and the way they put songs together. Suffice to say - covering VGPS felt very comfortable, even though I had never actually heard that particular song before

fluffy · Post by **fluffy** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 6:31 pm

Dear Spud: http://www.poe-news.com/forums/sp.php?pi=1001631000

qotd: Britney Spears - Toxic

Caravan Ray · Post by **Caravan Ray** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 6:35 pm

fluffy wrote:Dear Spud: http://www.poe-news.com/forums/sp.php?pi=1001631000

Shouldn't that be posted here:
http://songfight.net/forums/viewtopic.p ... 71&start=0

anti-m · Post by **anti-m** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:03 pm

Heh, funny you should ask!

Yeah, the GOM is all about listening to / covering songs outside ye olde comfort zone. I love covers for this reason -- often they reveal hidden aspects to a song that might have otherwise been overlooked.

I'd really never heard Fallout Boy before covering 'em at Lord of Oats' request for GOM. I'd heard of them, but never heard their music. It was a lot of fun trying to adapt that song to something within my skillset -- which doesn't really include electric rockin' out. (Except when I'm able to recruit others to supply the juice.)

I did a similar treatment many years ago to Modern English's "Melt With You," but, of course, I was much more familiar with that particular song.

In fact, I started to cover one of LoO's other choices -- a Tegan and Sara song (also a band I was completely new to) but I decided my cover was too boringly similar to the original, and scrapped it. Perhaps I'll try to finish it off this weekend if I don't get distracted by something else.

In any case, BLT, you completely and totally rocked the Pere Ubu! I'm glad to hear it was a fun and not excruciating experience. David Thomas is a weird one, and one of the more challenging choices on my list. Many of his songs involve a lot of what I call "yellin' with the theremin." Not for everybody, but I think his stuff is pretty great!

Ok, now I really need to clean my apartment, which has suffered the most of anyone through this whole GOM ordeal. (It's really really really bad in here. Don't tell anyone how I live!)

jack · Post by **jack** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:59 pm

back when i was in a band in the late nineties, we used to cover george michael's "faith" and duran duran's "hungry like the wolf", and they were a blast to play.

new year's eve party, same band, fast forward to 2007, and we busted out a super fun cover of "hell" by the squirrel nut zippers.

JonPorobil · Post by **JonPorobil** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 10:21 pm

Jack, I don't think it's possible to do a cover of "Hell" by the Squirrel Nut Zippers that isn't super fun.

The D and the A and the M and the N and the A and the T and the I-O-N! Whooo!!!!

Billy's Little Trip · Fri Jan 11, 2008 10:42 pm

I'm surprised that no one has commented on my spelling of "receive" in the poll, lol. Are you guys just getting so used to my lack of grasp of the English language, that you just ignore it?

HeuristicsInc · Post by **HeuristicsInc** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 10:56 pm

Yeah, we did. Heh.

Dunno if the actual act of covering was ever such a thing for me, but I do think that covering "Sugar Sugar" for J$ in the first GOM was a life changing event - because I'm pretty sure that directly led to the formation of DBtI...

Just went out with one of my college roommates - lived in the dorm with him in 1992-3 and haven't seen him since 1995. Turns out now he lives in DC. That was cool, re-connecting with somebody like that. Awesome.
-bill

Lord of Oats · Post by **Lord of Oats** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 8:58 pm

anti-m wrote:In fact, I started to cover one of LoO's other choices -- a Tegan and Sara song (also a band I was completely new to) but I decided my cover was too boringly similar to the original, and scrapped it. Perhaps I'll try to finish it off this weekend if I don't get distracted by something else.

I don't mean to come off as demanding; you've certainly already fulfilled the requirements and exceeded my expectations, but pleeease finish this whenever you can get around to it. That is, I like what you've done and more of it would be splendid. No pressure, no rush, and thanks once again for the one you submitted, just saying, if you feel like doing it, there will be no complaints from over here.

anti-m · Post by **anti-m** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 8:51 am

Lord of Oats wrote:pleeease finish this whenever you can get around to it. That is, I like what you've done and more of it would be splendid. No pressure, no rush, and thanks once again for the one you submitted, just saying, if you feel like doing it, there will be no complaints from over here.

I'll see what I can do! It may be a wee wait...

HeuristicsInc · Post by **HeuristicsInc** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 10:52 am

you know what might be cool, is if the two of you or whoever collaborated on the other cover...

-bill

01/11/08

Do you like to give, or recieve?

01/11/08