Nostalgia For Tomorrow: various artists

Back from hiatus because I love lists and I can't resist talking about my favorite things of the year. So, to get the boulder that is list season rolling, here are some of my favorite cover songs of 2015!

Hot Chip - Dancing in the Dark from Dancing in the Dark EP

If you are like me, then you probably only know Hot Chip from the wacky music video for their 2010 single, "I Feel Better". Well, now I also know that they also do a pretty nerdy synthed-up version of "Dancing in the Dark" by Bruce Springsteen. This cover of one of my favorite Boss jams includes an Everything is Terrible-esque music video and a sprinkling of LCD Soundsystem's "All My Friends" towards the end. A lot of this cover plus the music video seems overplayed at times but I still enjoy it for what it is; tacky.

Tigers Jaw - In Between Days/Kevin Devine - Lovesong from Devinyl Splits No. 3

Two sincere Cure covers.

Girlpool - Cut Your Bangs from Chinatown

This cover of Radiator Hospital's "Cut Your Bangs" from last year frequently came on while I rode to work on my new bike this summer. Every time I was completely floored by how genuine it was. I personally like both tracks equally but I can't help but think that this version here is a bit more accessible to folks who can't stomach Radiator Hospital's unique vocals. Hell, I'm already seeing videos of people covering this version titled "Me covering Girpool's cover of Radiator Hospital".

Somebody Kill Me Please - LVL UP from Faux Real II

Faux Real is a compilation of cover songs curated by Father/Daughter Records. The covers are that of fictional bands and singers from TV/films such as The Rutles, Sadgasm from the Simpsons, and The Blowholes from The Adventures of Pete and Pete. My favorite one of the batch this year comes from LVL UP and their rendition of "Somebody Kill Me" via the Wedding Singer. The original sung by Adam Sandler's character had been listening to a lot of The Cure at the time.

Tiny Rick (Let Me Out) - Sorority Noise from Tiny Rick (Rick and Morty Cover)

Another cover from pop culture. Didn't listen to a lot of Sorority Noise this year and I wished I watched more Rick and Morty. Smash this link to listen to the original.

Thou - Even in His Youth from Whatever Nevermind

Another year, another Nirvana tribute album. Out of this year's covers of Nevermind curated by Robotic Empire, I had to narrow it down to the bonus tracks by Thou, especially "Even in His Youth", as my favorites of the pack.

Went with because even with Thou's own signature mutilation, there is still some poppiness that bleeds out from time to time. Well, maybe not "pop" per se, but it does have a little groove to it for a Thou track.

Spazzin' to the Oldies - A Tribute to Spazz

Probably my favorite tribute album this year, Spazzin' to the Oldies is a 26 song nail gun full of grindcore nails to the face. This is a tribute album for the one and only Spazz. Spazzin' to the Oldies features some damn good grindcore/powerviolence/spastic metal acts from today such as Purge, Godhole, God's America, Brainshit, Chinsniffer and OSK (to name a few that I recognize). If I had to pick a favorite here, I would have to go with OSK's cover of "Spazz vs. Mother Nature" because it includes the banjo outre (no mouth harp, though, but I'll still give credit where it's due).

Old Witch - Gallows from Keeper Split

Old Witch's interpretation of CocoRosie's macabre tale, "Gallows" is definitely my favorite kind of cover song. While there were plenty of true-to-the-original covers I heard this year on and off the internet, I always love a good rework of a song from a different genre or a song given new life. Isn't the whole point of a cover putting your own spin on someone else's work? Isn't playing a song exactly the way it was intended Karaoke?

I'm starting to digress here for a sec but I honestly wish I could list Weekend Nacho's cover of "Tired of Sex" by Weezer. Yes, Weekend Nachos covered Weezer this year. No, it was not the most violent retelling of Pinkerton's #1 hit known to mankind. Instead it was strictly "Tired of Sex" performed as Weekend Nachos playing Weezer. Well hey, there's also "In the Garage", maybe they were just joking around and this is the Weekend Nachos cover I was expecting. Nope. Whistling and all, it's a great cover, but it's no Weekend Nachos cover. Then again, maybe my opinion will change once I get a grip. Maybe I'm just mad they didn't cover "El Scorcho".

Honorary Mentions:

Screaming Females covering T. Swift's "Shake it Off" for the AV Club
Ironlung with Wizard of Ozz covering B. Sabbath's "Electric Funeral"
Leftover Crack covering B. Raum's "Left Legs"
Corrective Measure covering A. Front's "Discriminate Me" (gotta rep Maine Hardcore)
Holy Filth covering M. Otorhead's "Iron Fist" (gotta rep Maine Metal)
And a thanks to any bands that I saw this year cover stuff... a heard a lot of it and it was pretty good most of the time.

Also, I'm sure I missed something very dope.

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

NFT's Got You Covered - Kythibong Records

Various Artists - Décennie : Couverture (2012)

Kythibong is a French record label that has been promoting and releasing music by many experimental, freak dance beat, and math rock bands over the years. In 2012 they celebrated their 10th anniversary with this 17 track cover album, Décennie : Couverture (translated to Decade Coverage).

The album is filled with French and American (31knots) bands associated with Kythibong Records that are all covering one another's songs. For instance, Pneu cover Marvin's "Copainscabana" while FORDAMAGE cover Pneu's "No I'm Not" and so on. A few of the covers like the ones just mentioned as well as "Intelligent Horses" by Papier Tigre (covered by Marvin) are songs that were previously released on a joint record release split from Kythibong, Africantape, Effervescence, and Head Records called Hasta La Fiesta (also available for free here).

Other bands involved include: Belone Quartet , Room 204, Papaye, Piano Chat, Choochooshoeshoot, Argument, Chausse Trappe, Electric Electric, Gratuit, Le Ton Mite, Mansfield.TYA, and Sieur et Dame.

Official site
Bandcamp

PS stay tuned for a post about that new Pneu album coming soon!

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

NFT's Got You Covered - Favorite Covers of 2014!

Some covers from 2014!

Invalids - Lemmings from I Guess this is Growing Up (Volume 1)

Every wondered what it would be like if Blink 182 jumped into the twinkle daddy game in 2014? Well, Pete Davis AKA Invalids has the answer in his virtuoso-has-nothing-on-me cover of "Lemmings" from Cheshire Cat (1996).

Pharmakon - Bang Bang from Bestial Burden (bonus track)

I first heard Nancy Sinatra's original after witnessing it in Kill Bill Vol. 1 when I was too young to really appreciate either. This version by Sacred Bones noisemaker Margaret Chardiet definitely would have fit right in with Tarantino's revengesploitation fetish.

You Blew It! - Surf Wax America from You Blue It!

Not as different as the Blink 182 cover above, but this Blue Album Weezer cover is a very fun rework of a song that gets barely any recognition. Props to You Blew It! for making a song that could easily fit in a future Tony Hawk game (I can wish) as well.

The Body & Thou - Terrible Lie (live from Gilead Fest)

While I will never actually know what this song sounded like (recordings were destroyed by the sheer power and heaviness of this performance and only a Youtube video surfaced), I'm gonna have to go with this video over the original by Nine Inch Nails.

These Arms Are Snakes - Energy Drink And The Long Walk Home from Sex Beat

The original is actually less synth-y than this final recording ever made by post hardcore legends, These Arms Are Snakes. This track was originally going to be released on a Split with another band that came about after Botch's breakup, Minus the Bear, but it never saw the light of day. The aforementioned original is by Lost Sounds, a band featuring Alicja Trout and Jay Reatard.

Black Math Horseman - All Apologies from In Utero: In Tribute

This Record Store Day Nirvana tribute was another release that took years to finally materialize. While it also includes a never-before-released track by These Arms Are Snakes (covering "Heart-Shaped Box"), I have to give praise to the now-defunct Black Math Horseman for their re-imaged apocalyptic doom cover of "All Apologies". I also have a very soft spot for dueling female/male vocals.

Chance the Rapper - Wonderful Everyday (Arthur Theme) [ft. The Social Experiment]

This is not your everyday cover of Arthur's Theme song by Ziggy Marley. I might elaborate on this more later when I talk about my favorite albums of the year but something about listening to a lot of reggae music including the original Arthur's Theme went from being a playful joke to really getting me through some bummer summer moments. This song might not be reggae or even a straight-forward cover, but it still has that uber-positive message to it. Plus, it's sung by Chance the Rapper, someone who is never always positive-sounding (see his next single: "No Better Blues").

Graves at Sea - Orchid/Lord of this World from This Place is Poison

There's people that say they like metal and don't listen to Black Sabbath in 2014. I Know, I've read it online. Luckily for you, I got the memo and wanted to remind you that it's still cool to listen to Black Sabbath - including their 1971 release Master of Reality. Once you are done listening to Master of Reality check out this incredible two-part sludge cover of "Orchid" and "Lord of this World" by Graves at Sea.

SLOTHS - Breadcrumb Trail from Casa de Diversion Covers Vol. 3

Portland, Oregon's SLOTHS could not have released this Slint cover at a better time. Along with Slint's documentary entitled Breadcrumb Trail released this year, the grown-up kids from Kentucky decided to get back together and have a real reunion tour. I can't say I have been to too many reunion shows in my day, but I wasn't gonna miss this one. SLOTHS incredible rendition of "Breadcrumb Trail" will forever remind me of finishing a day of finals in Northern Maine to my lone trek through Boston traffic for the perfect parking spot. The Show? Well, Slint will remind me of that...

Bonus:

Have you heard Primus's re-imagination of the Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory soundtrack? I had not until I watched this fan-made sync-up of the classic 1971 movie with Primus and the Fungi Ensemble's Willy Wonka renditions:

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

NFT's October Mix (warning: spooky)

Nothing says Spooktober like watching cheesy B slashers, Nicolas Cage's Wicker Man, listening to lots of horror-influenced metal music, and trying to figure out what you do for Halloween as an adult.

I tried making last month's mix sound kind of like all those things above sans Nic Cage. There's also some modern flair that went in to this mix and some stuff that obviously was just what I happened to listen to in October. Listen and enjoy (alone and with the lights off):

Also, if you're interested in all the spooky/thrilling/suspenseful/Halloween-y stuff I watched this October, I decided to share my Spooktober views over at IMDB.

Friday, October 3, 2014

NFT September Mix

The mix is back. Featuring David Lynch stuff, lots of Hellfyre Clubers, hardcore rap, and some spooky stuff. Check it out:

Sunday, August 31, 2014

NFT's Got You Covered - Casa de Diversion Covers Vol. 3

Various Artists - Casa de Diversion Covers Vol. 3 (2014)

Here's a cool cover compilation put together by the hardcore/punk/metal loving blog, Toxicbreed's Funhouse. It features 24 up-and-coming loud-mouths playing their favorite songs by bands ranging from The Misfits to Slowdive to Le Tigre to GG Allin to Mazzy Star . My personal favorite has to be Sloths's rendition of Slint's Breadcrumb Trails - putting the hardcore back into Slint's post hardcore masterpiece.

Go check these crushers out right now:

Toxicbreed's Funhouse
Bandcamp

Friday, August 8, 2014

NFT July Mix

July was cool, I guess.

Feel free to follow me @newkeith69 (that's Twitter) for music/humor/wrestling related news and updates.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

NFT's June 2014 mix

Not sure what happened to my March mix but here's a perfect summer mix for your Spotify machine I made to usher in July.

Features songs about basketball, Hannibal Buress, lots of math, summer witches, and the My Mother The Car theme song.

Enjoy and have a summah!

Thursday, April 24, 2014

CZARFACE

CZARFACE - Inspectah Deck + 7L & Esoteric = Czarface (2013)

Czarface is literally (yes, literally) everything I look for in a hip-hop album - from sweet 90's beats, Wu-Tang Clan, comic book themes, and, of course, pro wrestling references AND samples. This bad boy featuring the duo of 7L & Esoteric and Inspectah Deck from Wu-Tang fame has all that good stuff I mentioned above and more. Plus, I'm not just taking about one song here: this album is a beginning-to-end banger stuffed with only the coolest things you can find in hip-hop without being nerd rap. Well, without being tacky nerd rap.

Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined a song of any kind would include a sample of the National Wrestling Alliance's first and only 80's tag team from 2002, The New Breed and their long since forgotten Transformers inspired promo. Alas it exists and therefore has to be one of my favorite things ever put in a song. The song is called "Czar Refeali" featuring Oh No of Gangrene and is only one of many more action packed numbers.

If I did have to pick just one song off of Czarface to draw someone in though, it would certainly be "Savagley Attacked" featuring the one and only, Ghostface Killah. If this song does not hook you in, I don't think we can be friends. I'll still talk to you, I guess, but we won't be hanging out or getting ice cream together any time soon. Check this out:

Other guests in this comic book on HGH include: Roc Marciano, Cappadonna & Vinnie Paz, Mr. MFN EXquire, and Action Bronson as well as sample appearances by Iron Man, Batman, Sam and Vincent from Ronin, George Carlin, Vince McMahon, Tony Schiavone, The Road Warriors, and many more.

Last.fm

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

NFT's Got You Covered - Blink 182

Various Artists - I Guess This Is Growing Up (Volume 1) (2014)

I Guess This Is Growing Up is only part 1 of a 3-part project dedicated to bands covering the most pop punk bands of ever, Blink 182. The project includes some familiar names like Slingshot Dakota, Invalids, and Dads as well as some unfamiliar names in Tir Asleen, Lions, and We'll Die Smiling. Wanna know the covers?

Well here they are: "Man Overboard", "Lemming", "Wendy Clear", "Adam's Song", "Stay Together For The Kids", and "Dammit".

Wanna know who covers which? Here's one:

Who will be on the next one? Will all the covers be Blink 182 songs? Will someone cover my favorite Blink 182 song? Will Spraynard have a song?

Stay tuned!

Props to Enjoyment Records for putting this out.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

FYLTD

FYLTD - FYLTD VOL. 1 (2014)

Here's some local goodies from the Bangor, Maine collective, FYLTD.

The collective features many familiar names of the electronic, DIY, instrumental hip-hop, and sample music scene here in Maine including AFRAID, Jared Fairfield, Altered Gee, and the post-something rocker's Captain Hollow. Other acts and musicians in FYLTD and on this compilation such as Swerly Bird (Lanny Winchester), Life Circle, and eebbtiddee are acts rooted in the electronic Bangor scene that are just waiting to be discovered. This is FYLTD's first compilation and is curated as a way for Bangor natives, former members of 1800s Sea Monster and their friends to share their art/music together.

If you would like to read more about what FYLTD is all about I suggestion checking out Culture Shock's write-up of the group and their first compilation over on the Bangor Daily News's blog site. If that's not good enough for you, you could go to the show that members of FYLTD are putting on next week to celebrate Vol. 1's release and get the scoop on FYLTD first hand. The show is at The Bangor Opera House starting at 7 probably (maybe) and everyone gets a physical copy of the compilation (maybe).

Facebook
Bandcamp

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

NFT's Got You Cover? Hank Williams... The Old One!

Various Artists - Hank Williams Compilation (2013)

From the folks who brought us the Top 40 Compilation comes another look into reconstructing a persons work into simple acoustic lo-fi tracks. This is the Hank Williams Compilation, a collection of - yep, you guessed it - Hank Williams cover songs.

I recently wrote an essay about a certain cover album (which I will not name) that really got me looking at covers in the sense that what people do to a song will ultimately never be as authentic as the original and that the songs usually miss the point of what the original stands for all together. Granted some things should not be covered for the sake of art like church hymns or sea songs, I think taking someone's work like Hank Williams's and re-imagining it, added a little of yourself to it, and giving it away for free is not a bad thing at all. That is, unless you throw a bunch of club noises into it (I'm looking at you, Pill Friends).

Anyways, these covers are just for fun; that's really what covering music should be about anyway.

Artists/bands doing their best Hank Williams impressions (sorta) include: Pill Friends, Radiator Hospital, Free Cake For Every Creature, Teen Suicide, Told Slant, Florist, Lizard Kisses, Fog Lake, and Totally Ruined.

Birdtapes.com
Last.fm (Birdtapes)

Monday, February 3, 2014

NFT's January 2014 mix

New year, new mix.

Also, a cool thing happened recently where you can listen to music on Last.fm using Spotify, which was a solid idea and the best thing Last.fm has done since making their users pay to play their radio. Good job, Last.fm... you did something people will exactly like.

Sunday, January 5, 2014

NFT's December Mix

Lost some creative juices this past week and still haven't finished my part 2 best of whatever list. I have however been making lots of mixes lately. here's one right now:

Enjoy!

PS: There's no Christmas music.

Sunday, December 29, 2013

NFT's 69 + 31 Favorite Songs of 2013!

Despite what my lack of posting may show, I actually listening to a lot of new music this year. So much so that a 69 list just ain't gonna cut it anymore and I'm going to have to whip out the 69 + 31 (that's 100!) list as I countdown all my favorite tracks this year. The list is in order best I could do, but towards the end it was more via what did I listen to the most kind of rating scale.

100. Bubble Butt - Major Lazer
99. The Rind - Aye Nako
98. Separations - Diarrhea Planet
97. Nosebleeds - Best Friends
96. Love and Death - Raein
95. 95 Til Infinity - Joey Bada$$
94. Sum Of All Parts - Crash of Rhinos
93. Havoc in the Forum - TTNG
92. Murmurer - Why?
91. You Can’t Be My Girl - Darwin Deez
90. King Shiv - Man Man
89. Lonely - Danny Brown
88. BATH SALTS - Future Death
87. Our Song - Radiator Hospital
86. Moving Parts - Boyfrndz
85. Bathroom Laughter - Pissed Jeans
84. Dakota - Tiny Moving Parts
83. Gravity, Metaphorically - Touche Amore
82. Yay Yay - Schoolboy Q
81. Dead Nostalgia - Junior Astronomers
80. In Black Roses - AFRAID
79. Watch You Suffer - Weekend Nachos
78. Vs. Jimmy - The Devil and a Penny
76. Dogfood - Sleeping Bag & Rozwell Kid
75. OK Corral - T. Hardy Morris
74. Bruane Brenn - Kvelertak
73. Reading Youtube Comments - Drug Church
72. He’s An Anteater, - Duck. Little Brother, Duck!
71. Sergue - The Explorations
70. Abandon - Baptists
69. Stardate/The Return - Deltron 3030
68. Spaghet - Two Hand Fools
67. I Have the Wine - Sate. Nite Duets
66. Back to School - A Great Big Pile of Leaves
65. Feeders - CUSS
64. everything around me - Trace Mountains
63. Pro Wrestling - Billy Woods
62. Proximity Anxiety - Pyres
61. Lindsey - Little Big League
60. La Resolve - Jel
59. Absurdities & Echoes - Wreck & Reference
58. Orchard - Windhand
57. PLEASANCE (WDGAF) - Kool & Kass
56. Bukowski - Moose Blood
55. HIDING - Pianos Become The Teeth
54. Awkward - FIDLAR
53. Bit by a Dead Bee pt. 1 - Foxing
52. When You Are Close, I Am Gone - My Fictions, The Saddest Landscape
51. Vacations - Dead Confederate
50. Nightshade (Mandragora II) - Botanist
49. Language Juice - Sun Club
48. Don’t Drive Angry - Iron Chic
47. Parking Lot - Kal Marks
46. Fog of Apathy - Vattnet Viskar
45. You might think he loves you for your money but I know what he really loves you for it's your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat - Death Grips
44. No Below - Speedy Ortiz
43. Hospital Town - One Hundred Year Ocean
42. Sweet Chin Music (The Fisher King’s Theme) - Milo
41. Creeper - True Widow
40. Washy - Nai Harvest
39. Fall - Leveret
38. Eyes To The Ground For Change - Listener
37. Pepsi/Coke Suicide - Elvis Depressedly
36. Glasgow - Øjne
35. Bow in the Dust - Phantom Glue
36. Throats & Tongues Alone - The Body In The Kelp
35. Hangout Tehran - Mylets
34. Because The Night - Screaming Females & Garbage
33. In The Middle of the Night Someone Tore Off the Ceiling and Sucked Me into the Sky... - Giraffes?Girafffes!
32. Getting Sodas - The World is a Beautiful Place & I am No Longer Afraid to Die
31. Blood In My Veins - Defeater
30. Greater Thinking - Toasted Plastic
29. Directions - Serengeti
28. Haunches - Sannhet
27. Black Dog - Spook Houses
26. Tropic Lame - Tera Melos
25. Blurry - Captain Hollow
24. Deny the Absolute - Pelican
23. You Don’t Turn Down - Marnie Stern
22. Bald History Month - Fat History Month
21. Keif Puck - The Reptilian
20. Watered Down - Swearin’
19. Trial One - LVL UP
18. Phobophobic - Conjjjecture
17. Boobies - Pachangacha
16. Impostor - Sirs
15. Grenville Pt. II - Dungeon Kids
14. Memorial (Feat. Chelsea Wolfe) - Russian Circles
13. Brass - Native
12. Promise - Adventures
11. Big Things Do Remarkable - And So I Watch You From Afar
10. Prayers (demo version) - Pill Friends
9. Visions - Saintseneca
8. Parts Mountain - An Anderson
7. Library (7'' version) - Julia Brown
6. You Are The Apple - Lady Lamb The Beekeeper
5. Paper Thin - RVIVR
4. Unbecoming - RAGANA
3. I’m Your Dad And You’re My Dad - Two Knights
2. VI (Worm Feeds God // God Fears Youth) - Code Orange Kids
1. Twin Size Mattress - The Front Bottoms

Thursday, December 5, 2013

NFT's November Mix

Not sure what happened to November. More posts and music coming soon, though.

Lots of pop punk/power pop stuff in this one.

Enjoy!

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

NFT's October Mix

Almost forgot about this...

Starts with some regular jams and then at the end I put down some cool Halloween music I like for that full October feel. Check it out:

Enjoy!

Monday, October 28, 2013

Monday LXXXIX

Take a break from all that sports watching and give some of this art thing a try, it's Monday!

Youth Funeral - Symptom of Time (2013)

New Hardcore Post Hampshire.

Features members of the late hardcore ensemble, HOST. Really good hardcore/punk/screamo music with very important influences and Slint-like ballads.

Last.fm

George Costanza - Summer of George demos (2012)

It might not be summer and it might not be 2012, but it's always time for some twinkly George Costanza rock.

This is about the only time I would even consider calling something mememo.

Last.fm

Various Artists - Portland DIY: CUT THE SHIT Vol. 2 (2013)

Here it is! The second volume of Portland DIY: CUT THE SHIT is complete and ready for our ears.

Featuring: An Anderson, Wood Burning Cats, Buddusky, Bath Salts, Conjjjecture, Older Men, Boyfriends, Haru Bangs, Purse, AFRAID, and Leveret (can be heard in the final snippit, "[OUTERLUDE]").

Read more about this project here or here or here.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

NFT's September Mix

It's October now. Get your ears on the new NFT mix for the month of September (2013):

Got any mixes of your own? Lemme know!