Music Listography 1: Cover Versions

Two weekends ago my friends and i made the wise decision to get a little tipsy and then go shopping. We are masters at the well thought out plan, obviously. It resulted in me in Typo buying a bunch of stuff i didn't really need, including this book which my friend Robyn described as "perfect for me." And she was right. I love listing music. I've been working on my top 30 of the 00's for several months and it's an arduous task when most of your musical growth occurred in that time...  So the book is pages and pages of list suggestions for me... Music that reminds me of lovers, road trip music, concerts, female singers, one hit wonders... It's all there. So instead of buying it and letting the (rather overpriced) book languish in my room I'm actually going to fill it in. And blog each of the lists too. I feel i should say this now though, i'm not a music snob. I like top 40 stuff sometimes as much as i like "indie" stuff. I like musicals, and acoustic versions, and lyrics... I feel my lists will be rather mainstream, and i'm really ok with that. So, on to list one.

Cover Versions

There is a Light: David Ford. Orignially by The Smiths

I discovered David Ford in 2005 when i was still living on campus at Monash. He writes, quite often, very sad songs. Lyrically, he's a bit like the Smiths. And i love him. I think i stumbled upon him after a write up in the paper, and his debut album 'Sorry for all the trouble i caused' with 'State of the Union' on it is brilliant. This song is not on the album, he posted it on his MySpace, and i think that's how i ended up with it. I didn't know it was a cover version for months. I don't really like The Smiths. Lyrically they might appeal to me, but i can't get past the music. Sorry to everyone, i feel this makes me a bad 20-something. I like this version for the simplicity of it. He convinces me...

From Such Great Heights: Iron and Wine (orignally by The Postal Service)

This version comes from the Garden State soundtrack, which also introduced me to The Shins, so i really should thank Zach Braff for that... Thanks Zach. I once got into a debate about whether a cover version of a song should be really different or more similar to the original. This is one of the ones that's very different from the original. And i love it. More earnest (are we sensing a theme...) Ben Folds (a master at the cover song) has also done a version of it, and it's far closer to the original....

In Between Days - Ben Folds (Originally by The Cure)
Speaking of Ben Folds, i quite like his version of In between days (second Cure cover for the list). I think what i've learnt from this is that i like less whiny versions of songs, or songs with singers with more typically "nice" voices. Not sure why... 

Time After Time - Eva Cassidy (Originally by Cyndi Lauper)
Another song i stumbled on through a Soundtrack (this time Smallville). Look, Cyndi is great, but again it's about slowing down and loving the song for the heart it has. And she gives it the time and space to breathe and have emotion. Plus, no nasally voice... 

Just Like Heaven - Gatsby's American Dream (originally by The Cure)
and:
I'm Real - The Starting Line (Originally by Jennifer Lopez)


Back in the summer of 2002/2003 i got into the car of my friend Clare. It was the summer between High School and Uni and she had just got her license so she'd drive us around a bit. Her car, her music. It is Clare i have to thank for introducing me to "Punk" of that era. Yellowcard, Millencolin, NOFX and the series of albums starting with 'Punk goes...' I couldn't narrow it down to one from these albums, it was hard enough to settle on two "punk" covers for this list... So something that was alternative to start with (From Punk Goes 80's) and something that at best is B-grade pop in the form of J-Lo. I think that's what makes The Starting Line cover so good, i think it actually turns I'm Real into a good song... 

Trouble - The String Quartet Tribute (Originally by Coldplay)


I debated this one. Are string Quartet versions of songs cover versions, technically? I don't know, but i've decided to go with yes. I'm an odd unit. I will tell you my favourite thing about music is the lyrics, but i also quite love a bit of classical in my life. I love movie scores, the best thing to write reports to are scores and classical music. So i love The String Quartet Tribute. In researching this list i discovered just how extensive their discography is! I'm currently sourcing a whole lot more now!

Flame Trees - Sarah Blasko (originally by Cold Chisel)
Yeah. So what. I like Sarah Blasko. I don't like Cold Chisel. I remember my dad once telling me that it made a whiny song whinier. Maybe he's right.... I do think it's odd that, as someone who generally prefers dude-singers to lady-singers, i like this one better...... Again, maybe it's the lack of nasally voice.... 

(I also love her version of Hey Ya!)


Fall at your Feet - Boy and Bear (originally by Crowded House)
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm that person. I like this version, i heard it on JJJ during the hottest 100. I like it, and i like boy and bear, quite a lot. So i feel i need to put it in there. 

Bad Romance - 30 Seconds to Mars (Originally by Lady Gaga)
So, just like JJJ Like a Version is a source of covers for us here in Australia, BBC Live Lounge is a great source of cover versions too. This comes from that. I wanted to put Florence and the Machine's version of Halo by Beyonce, but to be honest, i don't like it that much. I wanted her to wow me and she didn't. But Adele is about to make it (take that @Oz_f) 


I like this version. Flashy and yet not as flashy as Gaga....

Black and Gold - Adele (Originally by Sam Sparrow)
So Adele is my latest lady crush. Her voice is lush and i love it. I love stripped down covers of songs, and this is good. I'll post her version of Cover me too, and you can see how that just sounds like the rest of her songs... I think this is why i like Black and Gold better too.....

Her version of Cover Me by Cheryl Cole....

Ok. So that's it. I got carried away a little, but we learnt that i like acoutic, non-whiny cover versions of songs...


You think i've missed something? Cover that everyone should have on their lists?


Oh, and to finish, not really covers, but two of my favourite TV/Movie moments that could almost be cover versions...
I will always love you - Lorelai Gilmore (originally Dolly Parton)(From Gilmore Girls, Season 7, episode 20: Lorelai? Lorelai?)

Can't take my eyes off you - Patrick Verona (Originally by Frankie Valli) (From 10 things i hate about you)

Excuse me Mr Joyce

Barnaby Joyce said his four daughters would be affected if same sex marriage

"We know that the best protection for those girls is that they get themselves into a secure relationship with a loving husband and I want that to happen for them."

Um. Excuse me Mr Joyce. Yes, can you see my hand raised? I have a question. It's a question that is being asked a lot at the moment, but i feel it's a legitimate one... What the fuck? Look, I know you're going to cop a lot for this, people will question how letting homosexual people get married will change your daughters chances of marriage. I'm not actually here to question you about that. 

I'm here to ask you if you would like me to quit my job? You see, Mr Joyce. I'm a teacher. I spend, and have spent the last 4 and a half years educating young women (and men) that they can be anything that they want to be. That they can achieve whatever they want to do, and there are no barriers in the way of their success other than the ones they put there. But there you are, telling my female students that their academic success doesn't matter so much because the best "protection" for them is marriage. Protection from what, may i ask? Poverty? Abuse? Illness? Because last time i checked it was education, not marriage, that protected women. Isn't that what the UN is trying to do? Raise the education level of girls, get them out of poverty, lower the already-too-high birthrate? Lower the chances of infant mortality? Education, Mr Joyce. Not marriage. 

But you probably don't want me educating your daughters anyway Mr Joyce. You see, I'm 26 and I'm not yet wed. Maybe i should quit my job and go on a husband, sorry, protector hunt. Get that security i really need. Not in the full-time stable employment i have now, but from a man. Because we all know they don't die, or leave, or become abusive. They're always supportive protectors right? I won't need this pesky thing i call a career when i get one of them to look after me. They live forever right? Or at least longer than me....

I just feel a bit sorry for your daughters Mr Joyce. That you don't value them as individuals. That you see marriage as being crucial to their lives. That as much as you tell them that you want them to get an education and a career it will still be secondary to their relationships with a member of the opposite sex... What if they revolutionise the way we treat diseases? Use stem cells to cure Parkinson's? Change someones life by being a nurse, or a teacher or a social worker? Aren't those things more valuable? Doesn't educating your daughters, and the daughters of all people, play a greater role in providing protection for not only themselves, but the people that they go on to educate play a bigger role in protection than a piece of paper joining them to one person for as long as they can take it?

Maybe you should consider that, Mr Joyce. 

Quote from: http://www.news.com.au/national/gay-marriage-should-be-ridiculed-says-independent-bob-katter/story-e6frfkvr-1226116097321#ixzz1VBMUNzlg

The Rules

At the height of the most stressful period of last term i found myself at home alone on a Saturday night, a bit sad, a lot stressed and in need of an outlet. Something to distract myself with, something that would be interesting and maybe a little ego stroking. I used that old fall back: Online dating. I'd joined online dating once before, when i was 21 and living in a houseful of girls and we were drunk one night. It had resulted in one date, where at the end of it he had told me that he couldn't be with me because i talked too much and that meant he wouldn't be the dominant one in the relationship and he needed to be. Right. 
It had also resulted in some hilarious opening letter and lots of (slightly creepy) guys telling me how pretty i am. Perfect distraction and stress relief right? 

So colour me utterly surprised that i appear to have met someone. At the same time that one of my close friends has also met someone, none the less. This is all happening at the same time that the Year 8 girls have appeared to have decided that boys are the kind of people that they might actually want to start spending time with instead of apart from, one girl in particular. 

She came to me yesterday and started to talk to me about boys, beginning  with "Miss, when it comes to guys they always..." (in this case it was they always make the first move). She then spent 20 minutes grilling me about the way that ALL guys MUST work and ALL relationships MUST work. It's this notion that there are rules to how these things work fascinate me. 
I like rules, i like order and plans. I think that's why it's interesting when people try to apply those rules to something that seemingly can't have rules attached to it. 


I'm also a girl brought up on a healthy (or rather unhealthy) diet of Cosmo magazines in my formative years who all seem to want to tell you how to do things, or how relationships work. The things you should do and say and the things you shouldn't.

No talking about ex's.
Not talking about being too successful (don't want to make him feel inadequate)
The odd ones about not using the bathroom at his place
When you should or shouldn't have sex with someone.
What every little thing he does means. Or doesn't mean.
How long between text messages is too long...
When they meet the friends/parents
When to have the "talks" of exclusivity, or relationship definition....


My god it's tired. No one a 13 year old wants me to tell her how these things work. She's be inundated with these ideas that things should work a certain way. God, it makes the over thinker in me want to collapse in exhaustion... I have to be conscious of all these things??? 




No. I don't. The one thing i realised i was doing when i joined OKCupid was being me. Was showing my whole self both in the profile pictures and in the Bio that i was writing. What's the point of downplaying something that is essentially very me? That's going to end badly later. I'm not going to try to be someone else for someone else. Maybe that's maturity speaking, i wasn't aware that i really had any of that. Maybe it's tiredness too. Being someone else, or trying to be different for someone else all the time gets tiring. So I'll just be me. Weird, nerdy, work focused me. 
Telling that to a Year 8 was interesting. They're too interested in getting him to stick around. They want the rules. That he will be weird and that will mean that he's interested. That when they ask them out it's because they like her and not because his friends convinced him it would be a hilarious joke to play on her (yeah, that happened this morning. To say she's upset is an understatement. You boys are jerks sometimes).
As much as Cosmo and the rest of them want us to buy into an idea that these things work in a particular way, and people have to behave a certain way, doesn't mean i have to. 
You like who you like, and if it's real then i think they might just make you a better version of yourself. I know i feel more confident in being me. That i don't have to be damaged or vulnerable, or quiet and passive. I can be the loud. I can smile broadly. 


Do you have Dating rules? are there things we should and shouldn't be doing? Schedule of events? No Kissing before brushing your teeth? 
I'm guessing not, right? We don't need them? We don't buy into the notion that human relationships should work, and always do work, in a partiular way, do we?