We've Got You Covered

I realized I haven't posted one of these in a while. Cover songs always intrigue me because it is interesting to see what two different artists can do with the same song (sometimes the results are not too great).

I have already featured a track from his jazzy-dance band Mondo Grosso, but nothing about the artist himself, Shinichi Osawa. By himself, he is a rising producer/artist with resume full of edits for Kitsune (Boys Noize, Christopher Just and Digitalism) and in Japan, the term is "megastar". And somehow I can see that.
He just released an album in Japan called "The One" and promoted it by playing it at mobbed Apple stores around the country. He also DJ's at The Womb in Tokyo which was voted "best nightclub in the world"?!? (How did they figure that out?) Add that to my places to visit when I go in April.

Anyways, here I present his album opener, a cover of The Chemical Brothers' Star Guitar. It is a simple cover but done just right. Also I have include another track off itfeaturing Princess Superstar. Like the kids say, "It's a banger." I expect this be played at whatever New Year's party I'm at right around 12:25am (after all the Cuban kids have called the parents and abuelos, so we can dance). Shinichi Osawa is about to explode...

MP3: Star Guitar Featuring Au Revoire Simone (Chemical Brothers cover) (YSI)
MP3: Detonator Featuring Princess Superstar (YSI)

We've Got You Covered Across the Universe

When does Across the Universe come out in the theaters? I remember seeing the trailer for it a while back but nothing else. Some info about the soundtrack came out. The track listing has much of the cast doing the singing. (mind you, Joe Cocker and Bono are part of the cast.) And a couple of tracks by The Secret Machines.

Anyways, here we have Fiona Apple covering Across the Universe for the Pleasantville soundtrack. As well as the original. (Shame on you if you don't already have it.)

MP3: The Beatles - Across the Universe (YSI)
MP3: Fiona Apple - Across the Universe (YSI)

I have high expectations for the film. I hope I am not let down.

We've Got You Covered: Robert Palmer

Robert Palmer left the world a fantastic catalog of music before he passed away in 2003. This blue-eyed soul singer aged gracefully in the pop world over 3 decades. From his jazz and reggae period (he lived in the Bahamas in the mid 70's) to his synth-friendly nu wave albums in the 80's. He was known for his near-perfect pitch and heartfelt delivery.

His album Clues was produced by Gary Numan and Chris Frantz (drummer for the Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club) and produced the track Johnny and Mary. Radio friendly, this track gave him a newer younger audience and paved the way for his late 80's success on MTV with Addicted to Love and The Power Station.

Along with the original, we have a version from Placebo and a stream from The Notwist.

MP3: Robert Palmer - Johnny and Mary
MP3: Placebo - Johnny and Mary

Stream: The Notwist - Johnny and Mary

Let Me Hear Your Body Talk

This FRIDAY we are going to GET PHYSICAL @ The Lab part of the Off the Radar party extravaganza!

I am sorry, I have neglected dance music in the last few posts. I hope this makes up for it.

Covering Olivia's 80's ode to leg warmers and spandex are The Black Ghosts on Southern Fried Records. We also got their newish single there also. There is a Playgroup remix of it that starts off of with the 2 Hype Brothers and a Dog's doo-doo brown beat before breaking into the electro goodness of The Black Ghosts. The sirens in the chorus are signaling that the dancefloor is about to blow up!

Here is a 30 minute mix by The Black Ghosts courtesty of Southern Fried

Stream Here: 30 minute Mix (Direct download below with track listing)


MP3: The Black Ghosts - Let's Get Physical
MP3: The Black Ghosts - Anyway You Choose To Give It
MP3: The Black Ghosts - Anyway You Choose To Give It (Playgroup Remix)

The Black Ghosts 30min Mix

TRACKLISTING
(Emperor Machine, Electrelane, Brian Eno, Zongamin, The Whip! AND WHAT!)

Harco Pront “Night”
Emperor Machine “Rimramramrim”
Clinic “The Second Line”
Soul Savers “Rumble Fish” (Simian Mix)
Supercollider “Darn Cold Way Of Loving”
Electrelane “The Valleys”
The Jonzun Crew” “Space Is The Place”
Good Books “Leni (Crystal Castles Mix)
Heaven And Earth “Feel The Spirit”
The Firebirds “Soul Sonata”
Blowfly “Sesame Street”
Silver Apples “Lovefingers”
Gianfranco Reverberi “Nel Cimitero Di Tucson”
Metronomy “Trick Or Treatz”
Milton Hamilton “My Love Supreme”
101 Strings “Karma Sitar”
Can “Vitamin C” (Ghost 1 And Ghost 4 Edit)”
Zongamin “Spiral”
Brian Eno “Sky Saw”
Frankie Valli “Beggin” (Pilooski Edit)
The Whip “Muzzle #1″ (The Black Ghosts Mix)
Beck “Sexx Laws” (The Wiseguys Mix)
The Black Ghosts “Anyway You Choose To Give It” (Fake Blood Mix)
The Dykeenies “New Ideas” (The Black Ghosts Mix)

The Guillemots are seabirds in the auk family.

I cannot stop playing this song. It is not new but I think it is sufficiently off the radar. I like it so much I might even hear it more than once a day and considering how much music we go through here at OTR, that is a lot. I am referring to Trains to Brazil by The Guillemots.

The Guillemots were formed in 2004 in London. Their name is pronounced gillimotts, like the sea bird and not the pseudo-French way. Not only have the birds been an inspiration for the band's name but also for some of the music as well. The Cliffs EP released in 2006 is a reference to the sea side cliffs that guillimots take shelter in. Numerous songs also have references to bird species or other aviary themes .

Narrowly losing the 2006 Mercury Music Prize to the Arctic Monkeys has not slowed them down.

MP3: Trains to Brazil
MP3: Annie, Let's Not Wait (new single re-released this year)

And since I told you we had you covered today, here are a couple of covers performed by The Guillemots

MP3: Never Went to Church (The Streets Cover)
MP3: Take Me Out (Live Lounge Version - Franz Ferdinand Cover) - great interpretation of the song

We've Got You Covered Slow Week Edition

VS.

It has been a slow week. The rains have started in South Florida (saw hail for the first time yesterday), the humidity is kicking, the sun is hot, the days are long but the ocean is getting warmer!

I found this Radiohead cover this morning. I am hesitant to post covers of certain respected artists because there are few bands that can recreate/interpret songs as well as the original (or even anywhere close...). Since I am putting up a Radiohead cover, why not stick with the iconic British bands and post a couple of Beatles covers too?

Beatles covers are all over the place just not all necessarily good. And now with all Beatles musical Across the Universe being released in theaters this fall (September it seems), I think we are going to see an explosion of other bands being covered.

I think everyone knows enough about the original artists in this post and most definitely should have the original in their music collection, so let me talk about the artists covering the songs.

Flash Hawk Parlor Ensemble is a an instrumental funk band that includes a member of The Decemberists in their roster. Interesting is how they formed. Chris Funk, guitarist of The Decemberists moved to a Mississippi neighborhood in Portland, OR to quickly discovered that his neighbors were a little bit more than just talented. A few house parties later, someone decided to record their jams which included some original instrumentals and a few cover songs. It seems this project is just a one off but we will wait and see. Go to their MySpace to check out an incredible stripped down version Massive Attack's Teardrop.

The Kaiser Chiefs pull off this version of The Beatles pretty well. It was recorded for the BBC at Abbey Road studios for the 40th Anniversary of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by the same engineers that recorded the original.

MP3: Flash Hawk Parlor Ensemble - Amnesiac/Morning Bell (Radiohead Cover)
MP3: Kaiser Chiefs - Getting Better (Beatles Cover)

We've Got You Covered...

VS.

This is the start of a (hopefully) recurring theme here at Off the Radar where we post songs by artists you like covered by artists you like even more!

Without further ado...

Originals
MP3: Gorillaz - Feel Good, Inc.
MP3:The Magnetic Fields - Born On A Train

Covers
MP3:The Editors - Feel Good, Inc.
MP3:Arcade Fire - Born On A Train

And now we have a survey. Which version did you like better?

Feel Good, Inc?
	Original (The Gorillaz)
	Cover (The Editors)
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Born On A Train?
	Original (The Magnetic Fields)
	Cover (Arcade Fire)
Free polls from Pollhost.com