Covers, Part 5

[urgencytobleed]

Well, here it is - the final part... for now. I've found or remembered way too many other great covers to leave them out completely so you can expect to see them at some point, just with a week or two break first. These last ten don't have much variety either, I must say, with one artist making up half of the songs - I just couldn't get rid of any more than that!

• Tegan and Sara - Dancing in the Dark (Bruce Springsteen)

These two haven't done many covers, but the ones they have done are fantastic. This one is my very favorite. It's just done so perfectly. Sara's voice (and Tegan on background vocals, of course) works extremely well here and she sings it so intensely and passionately. I get goosebumps listening to this.

• Tegan and Sara - When You Were Mine (Prince)

Again with Sara on lead vocals, this is my second favorite of their covers. It's a bit calmer than "Dancing in the Dark" but still really emotional and powerful. They've done it a few different ways - electric, with a full band - but this is the simple acoustic version which I've known for the longest and think carries the raw emotion of the song better and keeps the focus where it should be, on the girls' voices.

• Tilly and the Wall - Kiss Off (Violent Femmes)

The Tillies are another case of not doing many covers, but nailing them every time they attempt one. I just love this song, even though I've never heard the original, and this is my favorite Tilly cover and my favorite cover of this song (okay, I've only heard one other one, but still...). I believe Neely takes on lead vocal duty (though don't take that as fact) and the song works very well with their upbeat and playful style. They have a lot of fun with it while still retaining a bit of the angry/frustrated energy the lyrics portray. And do I need to say it again? Okay, I will - they're just so cute!

• Tori Amos - '97 Bonnie & Clyde (Eminem)

This really shouldn't work: piano goddess Tori covering a rap song about murder? But it does. It really does. By employing a creepy string arrangement and military drumming along with even creepier half-whispered vocals, she turns it into a chilling and frightening experience. The story of a man killing and discarding of his wife, all the while with his daughter right there becomes so much more potent and sad in her hands. The ghostly high-pitched wails of "just the two of us" send shivers down my spine, but the part the sticks out the most to me is in the last verse, when she whispers "on the count of three - one, two, three, whee" as she sucks in a shaky breath - truly jarring.

• Tori Amos - Karma Police (Radiohead)

The one and only time she performed this was during the "Tori's Piano Bar" (where she did two covers) portion of her Rochester Hills, MI show in 2005. And I was there! It is very surreal for me to listen to this knowing that I was in the audience. Hearing a recording obviously doesn't hold quite the same magic, but it's still an amazing cover. The way she sings the "this is what you get when you mess with us" part is beautiful and that finale where she finally reaches the peak of intensity is perfect.

• Tori Amos - Like a Prayer (Madonna)

I'll admit, I have a soft spot for a few of Madonna's '80s hits, so Tori covering what is probably my favorite gives me an excuse to listen to it "respectably" (not that I really care if anyone catches me listening to Madonna). Anyway, she turns it into a gorgeous piano ballad and her voice is spectacular as usual. Honestly, I just love this song in any form, though I do probably like the original more.

• Tori Amos - Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana)

This is probably what most people think of first when they hear the words "Tori Amos" and "cover" together. And it is definitely worthy of the praise and attention it gets. I've never been a fan of Nirvana so, in my opinion, this is so much better than the original version. For one, you can actually understand the lyrics, which happen to be pretty good. Second, it's just hard to beat the power of Tori and her piano - they're a force to be reckoned with. The slight quirks and changes in her voice add to the song's character and even though she's still great, I can't really imagine current Tori singing it quite as effectively as this first time.

• Tori Amos - Strange Fruit (Billie Holiday)

I don't really see much love for this one around, but it's one of my very favorites. The lyrics themselves are extremely haunting and sad and Tori's take on it highlights this. Her voice takes on a slightly jazzy quality that's perfect for it (and not as cheesy-sounding as say, her similarly jazzy Mona Lisa Smile tracks) and the piano melody is stark and sparse. It's very dark and intense, especially near the end.

• Whispertown2000 - Look at Miss Ohio (Gillian Welch)

Their one and only cover, as of right now, they make this a more playful and whimsical song than the original is. Morgan's voice also works surprisingly well with it, considering it can sometimes be a bit grating and hard to listen to, but she sounds great here. The cover's really simple and not mindblowing, but cute and enjoyable nonetheless.

• Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Hyperballad (Björk)

I have tried so many times to get into Björk but just can't seem to, however I do like some of her songs and this is one of them. This cover is very stripped-down, with only acoustic guitar and Karen singing, which gives it a lot of depth and sadness and highlights the lyrics more. Plus, it showcases the softer side of Karen's voice, which isn't seen much but is just as commanding as her more punky vocals.