BuzzSugar

Buzz In: Which Song Covers Do You Like Better Than the Original?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 06:30:40 -0700

Cover songs typically get a bad rap, but every once and a while a remake of a catchy track comes along that's worthy of its predecessor. (Just take Sinead O'Connor's version of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U," for instance).

Kelly Clarkson did her own renditions of The White Stripes's "Seven Nation Army" and Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" in concert earlier this week, and her samplings weren't half bad. (Check 'em out here). It got me thinking about the other great remakes out there - I'm a big fan of Cat Powers's cover albums, Sia's "Gimme More," and even some of the takes on Rihanna's "Umbrella" that ran rampant two years ago, like Mandy Moore's.

How about you? Do you have a cover song that you like even better than the original?

Leave it in the comments, or just pop over to BuzzSugar Community's Music Review Group to discuss anything music-related!

A Wonderful Playlist of "What a Wonderful World" Covers

BuzzSugar — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:34:40 -0700

Yesterday's news of Forest Whitaker's Louis Armstrong biopic immediately made me think of the last time I heard the song that will be the movie's title: "What a Wonderful World." My ears pricked up when I heard the song as covered by Joey Ramone in the recent Simon Pegg comedy How to Lose Friends and Alienate People. I wasn't thrilled with the movie as a whole, but I like a lot of the music in it - especially this track.

Nobody can do "What a Wonderful World" quite like Louie did, but that hasn't stopped a bajillion musicians from trying. Just doing a quick search on imeem brings up many varied covers, from Ghoul's death metal version (which doesn't sound like a wonderful world at all), to Eddy Arnold's lovely version that is currently being used in a teaser trailer for Oliver Stone's movie, W.

I sifted through the extensive list and picked out my favorite versions of the song and still, no matter how many times I hear it (which is many now), it brings a dippy smile to my face. It's so warm and life-affirming, no wonder everyone wants to cover it. Want to hear "What a Wonderful World" this is, with covers ranging from rock, jazz, bossa nova and more? To check out the playlist, read more.

What a Wonderful World Covers

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Buzz News Roundup, 8/4

BuzzSugar — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:30:01 -0700

Stephenie Meyer's final installment in the Twilight series, Breaking Dawn, sold 1.3 million copies in one day, the AP reports.
The new Metallica album, Death Magnetic will be released on a Friday - September 12 - rather than on a Tuesday, which is the norm, writes Billboard.
Stephen Root of Office Space and NewsRadio is joining Pushing Daisies for four episodes as a character with connections to both Ned's dad and Chuck's dad, Entertainment Weekly reports.
According to ComingSoon, Universal Pictures will make an action-adventure Island of Lost Souls, an adaptation of the Danish film De fortabte sjaeles o.
So You Think You Can Dance has been officially renewed for a fifth season, Variety reports.
Zap2It has the news that Robert De Niro will join Mel Gibson for the dramatic movie Edge of Darkness.
E! reports that, according to Shonda Rhimes, the rumors that Izzie will have a brain tumor on Grey's Anatomy are totally bogus.
Billboard reports that James Taylor is covering songs from the '50s, '60s and '70s for an album put out by Starbucks' music label.

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Which is Your Favorite "Hallelujah"?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:30:05 -0700

When American Idol contestant Jason Castro sang a cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" in the semifinals a couple of weeks back, he apparently touched off a new revival of the song: The Jeff Buckley version of "Hallelujah" hit the No. 1 spot on the iTunes Music Store download charts following Castro's performance and remains in the top 30 almost two weeks later, and Castro's own version has also been selling well.

Apparently, this "Hallelujah" rediscovery isn't unusual. The song, once a cult favorite, tends to reappear every few years as different generations discover it through avenues ranging from Shrek to The OC.

That got me thinking: Do you have a go-to version of "Hallelujah"? Do you prefer Cohen's original take, or Buckley's well-known version, or John Cale's, which has been featured on Scrubs? Or is your favorite another cover altogether?

Photo courtesy of Fox

Well Played: Rilo Kiley Covers "Let My Love Open the Door"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:29:07 -0700

Covers can be an iffy thing. Nothing sucks more than having a song you like butchered to pieces, and conversely, it's a bit of an awesome surprise when a song you like is redone well. Thankfully, Rilo Kiley recently did a super job covering Pete Townshend's "Let My Love Open the Door" at South by Southwest.

It's a sweet, feel-good song in general and the cover doesn't mess with it too much, which is great. I like it way more than the Steve Carell-Dane Cook cover in Dan in Real Life, that's for sure.

For a nice, Monday afternoon pick-me-up, check out the MP3 of the live show, courtesy of YouAintNoPicasso.

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Honoring Elvis: Three "Suspicious Minds" Covers

BuzzSugar — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 11:29:35 -0700

Today marks the 30th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death, and it seems wrong not to honor The King with a musical interlude. I got a little depressed browsing the photos of late-model Elvis - man, did he look rough in the end - so I'm cheering myself up with one of my favorite Elvis songs, "Suspicious Minds," which is widely credited with fueling his 1968 comeback.

The high-energy anthem has been covered an astounding number of times in myriad different ways. As a kid, I loved the Fine Young Cannibals version (hey, I'm not ashamed; my parents had the CD), so I thought I'd share it. I also discovered two very somber versions today on My Old Kentucky Blog: one by My Morning Jacket and another by the Flaming Lips. To listen to all three, read more

Fine Young Cannibals, "Suspicious Minds"

My Morning Jacket, "Suspicious Minds" (Live)

Flaming Lips, "Suspicious Minds" (Live)

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Free Downloads! Six Covers by the Cold War Kids

BuzzSugar — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 06:56:37 -0800

Cold War Kids already won me over with a stellar debut album, Robbers & Cowards, and the awesome interview the band did for BuzzSugar. But now, the boys from Long Beach have done something even cooler: They've posted free MP3s of six cover songs that the band played at a recent breast-cancer benefit show.

The very eclectic set includes CWK's version of songs by Fiona Apple, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, and more. You can download the songs on the Cold Ward Kids web site.

What to Download: New Music Today

BuzzSugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:00:17 -0800

Welcome to a very special Monday edition of What to Download! Instead of Tuesday, all the hot music releases are happening today. In addition to the dance-floor-ready releases I've handpicked below, Shakira's She Wolf also dropped today.

Good girl gone bad makes good: Rihanna has had a tough year, but if her release of Rated R is any indication, she's ready to pick herself up and be back on top - of the charts, at least. Considering her last album gave us modern classic "Umbrella," I've been trying to sniff out this year's mega-hit. "Hard" probably comes the closest, but while it's catchy, this isn't a candy-coated pop musing. Sounding weary but more mature, Rihanna brings a darkness with her singles, particularly on "Wait Your Turn," probably my favorite on the album. Speaking of dark, "Russian Roulette," a stirring ballad, conjures up gun metaphors for love. Its heaviness, along with the album's, may or may not translate to chart success, but it's a tough, brave declaration that Rihanna isn't going anywhere.

Feel the fame all over again:The Fame Monster is the re-issue of Lady Gaga's debut album The Fame, but has enough new tracks on it to justify all the buzz around it. You'd have to be fighting it pretty hard to not have heard "Bad Romance" - the track and its great hook are exactly what I like to hear from Gaga. But I think the real winner here is going to be "Telephone" - featuring the only diva fierce enough to go head to head with Gaga: Beyonce. If you still need more fuel for your dance party, play "Monster" a few times and you'll be spinning around your room in no time.

See one more new release when you read more.

Worship your glam idol: Kris Allen may have won American Idol, but Adam Lambert is your rock king. For Your Entertainment is as glittery and fun as its crazy cover promises. I've been loving the bouncy, sexy title track since Lambert performed it in his scandalous AMA performance. Swaggering glam rock track "Strut" is more of the same fun, and the fabulously '80s "Music Again" features the capable vocalist hitting high notes like a modern Freddie Mercury.

Rob, Kristen, and Taylor Are This Week's Entertainment

BuzzSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:56:22 -0800

Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner have been posing for photo ops all over town - check out Pop's favorite promo tour moments - and it wouldn't be complete without an interview with Entertainment Weekly. In the cute interview, the costars quip about everything from Rob's attachment to his signature hair to Kristen's confession that she'd like to quit smoking to Taylor's obsession with hitting the gym for New Moon. There're also tidbits about Rob and Kristen's off-screen relationship and how Robert handles fandom. They're clearly a tight-knight trio, so check out the highlights below. If you can't get enough Twilight, keep the convos going in the Twilight Saga community group, and be sure to check back next week for my own interview with Ashley Greene and Kellan Lutz!

Robert Pattinson on his hair in Eclipse: I swear to you I’ve never experienced anything like this. It's every single day. In Twilight, they wanted me to have extensions down to my hips.
Kristen Stewart: He's a liar. He doesn't remember. He's remembering how they made him feel, but they were just, like, down to here [pointing to her shoulders].
Pattinson: So I told them, "Look, that's just not going to happen." I said, "It looks like this already – I'll come to set like this." I sound so stupid, but in a lot of ways the hair is 75 percent of my performance, so in the second one I said, "Listen, I need to tone down the hair. Let's make it a little more real, a little bit more . . . Method.” [Laughs] And then in the third one, I'm doing fight scenes and there's a strand going down my forehead and they're like, "We need to do it again because no one will recognize you! No one will know who it is!" I'm like, really, is my face that generic?
Stewart: They want proof that you're doing your own stunts, man!
Pattinson: I have to look like the poster at all times. Just in case they want to use any clip for the trailer. Any clip at all! There were about five people in different departments who, because of my forelock, ended up in tears.

For tons of more quotes, just read more.

EW: How are you all coping with living in a fishbowl?
Pattinson: It really depends on the mood. When I met you last year [before Twilight came out], I was doing interviews very sporadically and I never got recognized. Now it's like anywhere I go there's immediate recognition. So there's more of a responsibility . . .
Stewart: I don't mind working every day. It's just, suddenly, I have this other role. And that's really disappointing. All I'd like to do is go outside with a book and figure out what to do with the day. And if I can't do that, then I'm just going to sit in my hotel room on my balcony and chain smoke. [Pauses] I'm going to stop smoking. I'm not such a good smoker, anyway. It's not in my bones. I'm gonna drop it.
Pattinson: The three of us have been working for two years [straight]. It does feel like your day has a shape just as soon as you wake up. I just forget what it's like when you're free.
EW: Taylor, you're the only one who almost lost a shot at the sequels. Do you have a different relationship with fame because you had to fight for your job?
Lautner: No, I kept my eye on the prize 100 percent of the time. I was motivated. I wasn't even thinking about anything else.
Stewart: Thank God you got the job. I wouldn't have wanted to deal with you if you didn’t. After all those months of working out!
Lautner: I just wanted to focus on what I could control, and I worked really hard.
EW: You mean in the gym? Because I see your abs everywhere these days.
Lautner: Yeah, the gym was a major part, but I really studied the books and the character, too. And it all turned out good.
EW: Kristen, it must be nice to watch the guys' appearances get obsessed over for a change.
Stewart: Seriously, it's a trip to sit back and look at the sexual objectification of these dudes. I've never been asked to do any of this stuff.
EW: You guys are lucky. You clearly all dig each other.
Lautner: The amount of time we have to spend with each other – if I didn't like these two, it would be exhausting.
EW: Rob, you made Remember Me this summer, between sequels. Was that the set in New York, where you were knocked into a cab by hordes of fans?
Pattinson: That was completely made up. I was walking across the street, and there was one cab going about one mile an hour and it nudged my leg. The story ended up being how I got hit by a cab because of a mob of screaming fans, [but] it was 4 o'clock in the morning and there was one person there – a paparazzi. . . . And then there was another time – apparently they said on the news that I had a drug overdose. The security guy saw it on TV, and I wasn't in my room, and he was like, "Uh-oh!" It's just so weird. I wake up and my room is too messy to order room service, and so I end up eating a pack of M&M’s for breakfast – and it takes me about five hours to find it. That's my first five hours of the day. [Laughing] And then you see the news and think, "Who cares if he had a drug overdose? It would probably make him more interesting!"
EW: Kristen and Rob, why do you think people are so obsessed with the state of your off-screen relationship?
Pattinson: Good question. That's a little thing I have to think about every day.
Stewart: Maybe it's just my personality, but I'm never going to answer it. I probably would've answered it if people hadn't made such a big deal about it. But I'm not going to give the fiending an answer. I know that people are really funny about "Well, you chose to be an actor, why don’t you just f---ing give your whole life away? Can I have your firstborn child?"
EW: You don’t think just saying, for example, "Listen, we dated for a few months, it was weird, we're better off as friends" would end the speculation?
Pattinson: No way.
Stewart: People are deeply judgmental and I'm not strong enough. I would love to be like, "I don't care what anybody thinks." But I'm a very private person. And think about every hypothetical answer: "Okay, we are. We aren't. I’m a lesbian." I've thought about this a lot. There's no answer that's not going to tip you one way or the other. I'm just trying to keep something. If people started asking me if I was dating Taylor, I'd be like, "F--- off." I would answer the exact same way."

Buzz-Worthy Video: Beck, Feist, Wilco Performing Together

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:30:46 -0800

Guaranteed way to make me drop everything I'm doing and press play: tell me that Beck, Feist, and Wilco are collaborating. It's true; Beck recruited the folk chanteuse, the rock band, and British singer Jamie Lidell to join him to perform a tribute to '60s musician Skip Spence.

Their cover of Spence's song, "Little Hands," was recorded in the famous Sunset Sound Studios in Hollywood in ultrahip black and white. The song is beautiful, but I'm still just beaming to see some of my favorite artists in one room together (including Jeff Tweedy's son Spencer on drums!). And Beck, you're rocking that devil's haircut.

To see the video of "Little Hands", just read more.