Radio Free Chicago

Cover Lovers Indulge: Sunset Rubdown Put A Cheery Twist On Xiu Xiu

"Apistat Commander", I implore you, no I demand of you more bells, please! This cover is PERFECTION. Sunset Rubdown, who is easily my biggest obsession, takes this somber track and transforms it into a harmonious symphony that lingers in your ear long after you listen. It is the oddest thing, but to hear that mallet dance gracefully up and down the glockenspiel makes my heart putter and leaves me wanting and anticipating more.

Nevertheless I am beyond satisfied with this busily buoyant rendition of Xiu Xiu’s "Apistat Commander" covered by Sunset Rubdown.

Sunset Rubdown - Apistat Commander

Editor's Note: Need more Xiu Xiu in you life? How's about you take a gander at the wonderful Xiu Xiu-Shearwater collab Blue Water White Death? My adoration for Shearwater frontman Jonathan Meiburg makes me baised but our own Matt Roney (whose heterosexuality prevents him from swooning over Meiburg as I do) has nothing but the best of things to say!

People Covering Songs I Love Featuring Neutral Milk Hotel, Part Three

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking "Another week of Neutral Milk Hotel?! Oh, boy! I'm so glad you started this 'People Covering Songs I Love' series, Amber!" And my response to that is "Gee, didn't you think the exact same thing LAST week? Change your tune, broken record!" But also, I must commend you on being astute. Yes, this is the third consecutive week of a Mangum-themed People Covering Songs I Love. Why? Well, I think it goes back to the point made in my original post: Neutral Milk Hotel is one of the most beloved indie rock bands of all time (Of all time!) so near everyone has done a cover of their favorite Aeroplane tune at least once. Type "Neutral Milk Hotel cover" into your friendly neighborhood youtube search engine and thousands of results, ranging from genuine musicians to bedroom covers, pop up. Chances are, if you're an indie rocker in your mid-twenties, you cut your teeth on Mangum's Anne Frank obsession early on. 

The interesting thing is that because of these covers, you find just how far Mangum's influence has reached. It's pretty obvious that past People Covering Songs I Love ladies and gents Kevin Devine, Eisley, and Fanfarlo were all fans of Neutral Milk Hotel as all three of them occasionally wear their love for the band on their audible sleeve but less obvious is Arizona folk punk duo Andrew Jackson Jihad. Who knew that they loved Mangum as much as I do? Certainly not me! I long imagined front man Sean "Andrew Jackson" Bonette rocking out to Against Me!, Crass, and The Rolling Stones but Neutral Milk Hotel? No way! I was more than pleasantly surprised when Andrew Jackson Jihad lovingly tackled a seminal Aeroplane classic as a part of The Vinyl Collective's Under The Influence Series and, to be honest, it just made me respect them all the more. 

 

 Andrew Jackson Jihad - Two Headed Boy Part One 

 

With all the attention In The Aeroplane Over The Sea gets, it's easy to forget that Neutral Milk Hotel had a debut album before composing their swan song opus. The fact of the matter is that, in my opinion, On Avery Island has more stand out single songs whereas Aeroplane is more of a perfect piece of art form start to finish. In fact, On Avery Island's "Where You'll Find Me Now" is my favorite Mangum composition. Shocking? Maybe. But the fact of the matter is that songs from On Avery Island are much more conducive to being stuck on mixes or played on college radio. Regardless, covers of songs from the LP tend to be hard to come by. 

So, naturally, I was pleasantly surprised when my favorite Scot this side of Alex Kapranos tackled "Song Against Sex". What can I say? I saved my favorite Neutral Milk Hotel cover for last.

 

Frightened Rabbit - Song Against Sex

 

 

People Covering Songs I Love Featuring Neutral Milk Hotel, Part Two

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking "Another week of Neutral Milk Hotel?! Oh, boy! I'm so glad you started this 'People Covering Songs I Love' series, Amber!" And my response to that is "Gee, I'm pleased as punch that you appreciate Neutral Milk Hotel as much as I do!" Let's face it: No other seminal '90's favorite has been as influential as N.M.H. Nor has any indie band been able to spawn a successful all-ukulele cover band.

 

Just tell me a Neutral Uke Hotel show doesn't look like a party. I'll be forced to call your bluff.

The appeal of Neutral Milk Hotel reaches not just to curly haired indie scamps (as referenced above) or satin voiced British cooners (as shown with Farnfarlo's dreamy take on "In The Aeroplane Over The Sea" last week), but reaches to just about everyone with an appreciation for solid songwriting. You might remember Jesse Lacey from snotty-pop-punkers-turned-emo-hearthrobs-turned-moping-intellectuals Brand New. No one's quite certain if they're still a band after last year's lackluster Daisy but back in the day, Lacey used to do acoustic tours with pals Kevin Devine (who we'll get to him in a minute) and Manchester Orchestra's Andy Hull. On these tours, Lacey was known to bust out a few Mangum covers which makes me wish he'd perform acoustic more often.The snot and scuzz of Brand New's first record still resonates with the seventeen year old burried beneath my hip and happenin' exterior but I can't say I like what Brand New has become. Wouldn't it be cool if Lacey made like his pal, the aforementioned Kevin Devine, and went for some folk-influenced introspection, ditching Daisy's lackluster lyrics and inaccessible sound?

Devine, naturally, loves Neutral Milk Hotel just as much as his good friend Lacey. When I interviewed Devine a year or so back, we talked about the lingering influence of Mangum. When he told me "Well, that record is a really special record and I think it’s a record that continues to reveal itself to you the longer you listen to it. It’s timeless music." Stating the obvious? Sure! But that doesn't make it any less spot on.

Kevin Devine - Holland 1945

Last week we talked about Eisley's take on "In The Aeroplane Over the Sea" and while I must admit I feel strange posting about Sherri Dupree in a post about Jesse Lacey after the two had a fairly publicised breakup, Dupree's Garage Band version of "Two Headed Boy, Part Two" is chock to the brim with gorgeousness.

 

 

Sherri Dupree Bemis of Eisley - Two Headed Boy Part Two

I hear you. Out there. At your computer. Muttering to yourself "But Amber, surely there must be more Neutral Milk Hotel covers out there, perhaps ones that aren't from In The Aeroplane Over The Sea." Well, yes, dear readers, there are, but let's save my two favorite covers for another week.

 

People Covering Songs I Love Featuring Neutral Milk Hotel, Part One

There are few bands as beloved to me as Neutral Milk Hotel. In fact, I think only Elliott Smith surpasses my love for the Jeff Mangum fronted band and that's saying quite a lot because dang, I sure do love Elliott Smith.

I discovered Neutral Milk Hotel by pure luck. I frequented a record store down the street from my Detroit home, using my lunch money to buy albums instead of sustenance, and In The Aeroplane Over The Sea was recommended to me shortly after it's release. I was 12. It was a revelatory moment in my life. From the iconic title track to the "Holy shit!" exclamation at the end of "Oh, Comely", I knew at the time that everything was changing for me, that I'd just stumbled upon something that was going to be very important in my musical existence.

It's sort of criminal now to be an "indie kid" and not worship at the elusive feet of Mangum which warms my heart to no end. Aeroplane was a record that impacted my life so intensely and to know that other people feel the same about it makes me happy. When you meet other people who love Neutral Milk Hotel, you feel an instant connection with them, as if you're both in on a secret that's glorious and wonderful and sharing that connection with someone, even if it's just for one conversation, even if it's just in passing, is a pretty cool thing.

Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea

Since Neutral Milk Hotel is so beloved these days, it's no shock that indie musicians far and wide are covering the band. I've always wanted to compile a mix of Aeroplane, covered track for track, but sadly, covers of songs like "Ghost" and "Communist Daughter" are tricky to come by.

What's not hard to come by, however, is various renditions of title track "In The Aeroplane Over The Sea". A quick search on youtube will not only expose you to hundreds of "kids with a macbook and a guitar" covers of the tune but also more than a few legit artist's take on the seminal classic.

The sugar voiced siblings in Eisley covered "Aeroplane" a few years back on a British radio show  and the recording's made the rounds on the internet since then. There's few things the Dupree sisters sweet harmonies aren't suited for and Neutral Milk Hotel covers are no exception. Whereas Mangum's voice grated and shocked in the most revelatory of ways, Sherri and Stacy Dupree, who trade on vocal duty here, seduce you in the least sexual way possible. I mean, let's face it, girls as cute as the Eisley brigade are adorable, they're gorgeous, they're beautiful, but I just can't see them as sexy. It makes me feel like a total molester thinking sexy thoughts about the Eisley gals (Except for maybe that Chauntelle... A-WINK!). Part of that might be due to the fact that I'm a straight female but regardless, the point at hand is the fact that Eisley are seductive, yet not sexy. That's not a bad thing! The fact is that their voices are sort of like hot cider with a shot of whiskey in it. It's saccharine and wonderful and envelops you with it's warmth and then, oh! It has a little kick too that keeps the warmth in you for just a while longer!

Their cover of "In The Aeroplane Over The Sea" is no exception. The Dupree siblings sweeten up the original without making the song into an overly-charming mess, adding a few particularly lovely "Oohs" here and there. Never does Eisley's version of "Aeroplane" sound more beautiful, however, then during the bridge. It's no secret that I love evocative music and hearing Stacy's syrupy voice sing the words I've come to adore so much during my adolescence and (now) adulthood reminds me of all the times I listened to Mangum's original version of this song, so many times over so many years. And memories like that are one of the most beautiful things about music.

Eisley - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

Even though Eisley's cover of "Aeroplane" is superb, I have to say that out of every version I've ever heard (excluding the original), Fanfarlo's version takes the top notch in my heart. I know why that is. It's all because of Simon Balthazar's voice. Sure, the music's lovely but Balthazar has been melting my heart into a gooey pile of blood and viscera with his crooning since stumbling across Fanfarlo some time back. Balthazar's vocals remind me of those of Shearwater's Jonathan Meiburg in the sense that those voices are the best instruments in both bands. Just like Eisley's version of the song, Fanfarlo's version of the track makes me think of that time I was driving my college crush, my best friend at the time, home and "Aeroplane" came on my iPod's shuffle. I asked him if he'd heard it, getting the same manic excitement I get whenever Neutral Milk Hotel is brought up. He hadn't. I pulled the car over on the side of the dirt road near his rural home and we sat there, watching the sun set in our autumn jackets, listening to Mangum sing about how strange it is to be anything at all.

The boy didn't like me, of course, as is usually the case with boys with whom I'm good pals (a.k.a. "one of the guys" - Curse you, friend zone, for cock blocking me many-a-time!). In fact, we never so much as kissed. I was hung up on the fella for years afterwards but sometime three or four years back, I finally gave up the ghost. I didn't need to hang on to unrequited love any more but I'll always have Neutral Milk Hotel and their loyal worshippers to remind me of that feeling of fresh faced optimism and the kind of passion that makes you pull over an unheated car in the dregs of Michigan's chilly fall because a song is just that good.

Fanfarlo - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea

   

People Covering Songs I Love With The Rural Alberta Advantage

Choosing a song to cover can be very, very difficult. A song that's too well-known risks being obvious, exposing a lack of imagination. Plus, what if your version sucks? A song that's too obscure, on the other hand, risks being unrecognizable and coming off as--God forbid--pretentious. And anyway, why cover a song at all if not for the gasp of delighted recognition from the crowd?

But there exist certain songs, recognizable without being too highly-regarded, that very often work as covers. For example, one of the best cover performances I've ever seen was an acoustic, solo rendition of Toto's "Africa" at an open-mic in Mount Pleasant, MI. Hell, it made me love the song. The guy, whoever he was, played it totally straight, closing his eyes and belting as if the lyrics stirred the very depths of his soul. It gave me chills, I shit you not.

 

I can only assume that the Rural Alberta Advantage was going for a similar effect when they released a cover of Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" as the b-side to "Drain the Blood," the first single off their debut album, the very excellent Hometowns. Check it out:

The Rural Alberta Advantage - Eye Of The Tiger

On paper, it's the perfect cover, especially for a band like the Rural Alberta Advantage. Say what you will about Survivor's original, but it's performed with an energetic sincerity that can be taken as, at least, kind of charming. Energetic sincerity is what the Rural Alberta Advantage does. They take emotionally honest, post-Neutral-Milk-Hotel indie-folk and play it as hard as they can. "Drain the Blood" is a perfect example (you can stream it, along with the rest of Hometowns, here)--in the verse, Nils Edenloff croons "In time you said you would/change my heart into petrified wood" before launching into a furious chorus, the backbone of which is Paul Banwatt's epic drumming. Their "Eye of the Tiger" could have showcased the Rural Alberta Advantage's mastery of loud-quiet-loud dynamics, and given us a nostalgic cover backed up by the dynamism that makes the Rural Alberta Advantage a great band.

But... it doesn't. In fact, it somehow manages to be kind of boring. First of all, there are no drums, and the Rural Alberta Advantages sound is all about the drums. Secondly, there is absolutely no dynamic variation--it's all buildup with no payoff. Granted, it's not all bad--the finger picking is quite pretty, and Edenloff's understated delivery carries a certain amount of tension. And there's that great moment when the song reaches the chorus and everyone in the room finally recognizes it. Once you get past the initial "Holy crap, the Rural Alberta Advantage is covering 'Eye of the Tiger,'" though, it very quickly loses steam. Unfortunately, the most interesting part of the Rural Alberta Advantage's "Eye of the Tiger" is hearing Edenloff sound less like Jeff Mangum and more like Billy Corgan singing "Landslide."

For the record, though, you really should listen through Hometowns if you haven't. It's incredible.

People Covering Songs I Love: Lissie Reimagines Bad Romance

Who am I to resist the trappings of a perfect pop song?

In high school, I was an indie kid. I wore thrifted little league tee shirts and skinny jeans and converse. I dyed my hair a different color every week. I listened to Rainer Maria and Neutral Milk Hotel and Owen. I was also  kind of a pretentious snob. But even then, I rocked Justin Timberlake's solo cd like you could not beleive. You see, being an indie kid is all about an appreciation for good music, be it written by a team of producers from L.A. or David Bazan and any way you slice it, "Cry Me A River" is a fan-freaking-tastic song.

Seven-ish years later and not much has changed. I've traded out the little league tees and jeans for deep v-necks and high waisted skirts and I don't dye my hair nearly as often but I'm still the same Mangum loving indie kid with an appreciation for a perfect pop song and no one knows how to deliver those these days like Lady Gaga.

Lady Gaga - Bad Romance

 

There's no need to talk about how perfectly blissful "Bad Romance" is becuase it's been done ad neasuea by everyone from Rolling Stone to Entertainment Weekly to, I assume, Perez Hilton. (I don't read Perez Hilton so I don't know for sure but if I were a gambling woman, I'd say he's a little monster.) What we do need to talk about, however, is how a gal from Rock Island, Illinois (Represent!) took a great song and stripped it down to it's most skeletal form and somehow, made it greater.

Someone once said on twitter that the world is a better place with Lissie's voice in it. I don't remember who said that but I wish that I did because I want to shake their hand for they speak the truth. It's been said before on RFC that Lissie just might be the entire package - Talent! Beauty! And that voice, dear god, that voice!

Lissie - Bad Romance (Lady GaGa Cover)

 

From the opening "Oh", Lissie let's you know that this isn't Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance". This is the song stripped down to it's most exposed nature and without the sugary gloss Gaga brought to her version, "Bad Romance" stands out lyrically moreso here than it ever has. What it comes down to is that "Bad Romance" is a gorgeous love song about a girl pleading for the object of her affection to give her not what she wants from him, but what she needs. The yearning of "Bad Romance' truly comes across in Lissie's version and songs like this are the exact reason I love cover songs as much as I do.

People Covering Songs I Love: Dawes Takes On Blake Mills

Everyone here is familiar with Dawes and my love for the California quartet. In fact, sometimes, I think my adoration for Dawes (a-dawes-ration, if you will) borderlines on obnoxious, then I remember that my adoration for Archie Powell & the Exports is far more obnoxious and feel better about writing another article about Dawes.

What people might not be so familiar with, however, is the humble beginnings of them Dawes boys. Once, you see, Dawes was known as Simon Dawes which is sort of like Dawes, just minus one Goldsmith and keyboardist Alex Casnoff and plus a Stuart Johnson and a Blake Mills. After Mills left Simon Dawes, the Simon part was disbanded and Dawes became a lot more than anyone probably imagined they would.

Blake Mills - Hey Lover

 Now, Mills is releasing solo material, starting with this summer's stellar Break Mirrors and despite the fact that he and the Goldsmith's aren't in the same band anymore, they remain friends, as evidenced by the fact that Dawes has taken it upon themselves to cover Mills' "Hey Lover".

Mills' "Hey Lover" is a sexy, sunny jam that recalls an endless summer that's equal parts the best time of your life and a weary mix of ceaseless, booze-fueled parties that wear thin.

Dawes - Hey Lover

Dawes strips the tune down on their take on "Hey Lover", making the song into a d.i.y. folk country singalong. Whereas Mills' version recalls the California beach where both bands call home, Dawes' version reminds me of the Midwest, of drinking 40's on porches in your sunglasses and cut off jeans. Do one of these outshine the other? It's hard to say because, while they're the same song, they simply feel so different.

People Covering Songs I Love: Delta Spirit Edition Part 2 - Featuring AA Bondy!

I never thought I'd get married. I mean, let's face it, I'm 26 and, since I've beem 26, I haven't had a boyfriend. 25? Well, that was spotty too. And let's not even talk about 24. I've never been in a serious relationship and I've certainly never dated someone I was in it to win it with. Regardless, like any girl, I've had daydreams about an ideal wedding. Only my daydreams have never included my perfect dress or  fanciest cake or swankiest honeymoon destination. Instead, my daydreams have more centered on the music that'd play as I walked down the aisle (assuming I didn't high tail it out there before then because we are, after all, talking about the girl who's high tailed it out of dates before due to cold feet). Neutral Milk Hotel, Cat Power, Eisley, Elliott Smith, and Built To Spill all make the cut in true "quirky girl alt-wedding" fashion but the first dance at this non-existent reception of mine would undoubtedly be AA Bondy's "Lover's Waltz".

AA Bondy - Lovers' Waltz

 

So imagine my supreme jealousy when two of my dear friends (and sometimes contriburors!) John and Steph not only had their first dance to the tune but had their first dance to this tune played live by Delta Spirit at the third Daytrotter Barnstormer tour.

Does it get cooler than that? A wedding at a barn, orhcestrated by Brooks Strausse, Pearly Gate Music, Ra Ra Riot, and Delta Spirit? I don't think it does.

Delta Spirit - Lover's Waltz

"Lover's Waltz" just might be the perfect love song. It's certainly the most affecting, simple, and gorgeous love song of our generation and it's a toss up whose version is better - AA Bondy's original or Delta Spirit's slight reworking. I'm tempted to say Delta Spirit's only because of my emotional ties to their version of the tune but regardless, "Lover's Waltz" can't lose, no matter which of these two musicians are taking the reigns.  

Lyrics like "Your shipwreck eyes, they sing to me as we ride a killer whale across a diamond sea" conjure up the type of love that's hard to come by, the type of love that at once makes everything phenomonal and insigificant.

I'm of the mind that "Lover's Waltz" played at a wedding is a good omen, a sign that this marriage will not end in heartache accompanied by a messy divorce. Take note, aging hipsters. It's time to settle down, find that special someone and queue up "Lover's Waltz" for the first dance at your very own wedding.

People Covering Songs I Love: Delta Spirit Edition Part 1 - Featuring Dawes!

For as unique and interesting of a person as I try to be, I sure am predictable. For instance, if I'm reading a book and the cover's obscured, it's safe for you to assume it's a graphic novel, probably about the X-Men. If I'm about to put on a record, chances are it's gonna be folk music. And if I suggest a movie, it'll either have superheroes or zombies in a featured role. What can I say? I like Hellboy and I like Marvel and I love Elliott Smith.

My predictability, as a human, stretches through all walks of my life. My clothes (Minidress and leggings, all day, every day), my hair (Brown with bangs, in varying degrees of bob), and my sleeping patterns (Did the sunrise yet? No? Well, I'll still be awake.). So it's only natural that the same types of songs get spun over and over at RFC HQ. To assist you with understanding, I've made a handy pie chart for you.

You may notice that there's a lot of folk music there, a bit of indie pop, a healthy does of rock n roll, some French pop (Who can resist Francoise Hardy?), and... Novelty covers.

Nothing pumps me up like a band I love doing a song I love, be it a song I genuinely adore or a guilty pleasure track, ala Miniature Tigers' tackling Abba's "Mama Mia" or Lissie's gorgeous rendition of Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance". When an artist I love tackles a guilty pleasure song of mine, I feel it's easier for them to come out ahead than when an artist I love covers a song I love by an artist I simply adore.

Enter Delta Spirit's cover of Dawes' "Peace In The Valley".

I don't even need to talk about Dawes and what that song means to me because you can already guess based upon my many blogs lavishing praise upon the Goldmiths. Yes, I love them, I think they're incredibly wise, incredibly charismatic, and cute as buttons. Every track on their debut, North Hills, holds a special place for me, from the heartbreaking "Bedside Manner" to the seething "My Girl To Me" to the somber, depressed "Peace In The Valley". 

Dawes -  Peace In The Valley

Of course, part of what makes each of these songs so incredibly powerful is Taylor Goldsmith's voice so when I saw that Delta Spirit had covered "Peace In The Valley", I was apprehensive to say the least. '

"Peace In the Valley" played an imporant role in my life, earlier this year. I was displaced. Lost my job. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with my life, let alone where I was going to live. So I returned to my homestate of Michigan to suss things out. Dawes was - and still is - a staple in my daily listening and during this time, when I was helping my stepmom move into her new house, "Peace In The Valley" caught my ear. In particular, the following lines - "Our actor ends his love song as all these lovers sit and stare - If I don't find peace in the valley, it's because there wasn't any there."

Delta Spirit - Peace in the Valley (Live At Daytrotter)

First hearing Delta Spirit's version of the song was jarring to say the least but after a fair few repeated listen, I realized I loved it - It's not who sings the song that matters in this case. Rather, what's important is that they understand the meaning behind the song, that they feel what Goldsmith feels when he sings it. I believe that Delta Spirit get it. And it shows. The band manages to leave all of the beauty of the original intact and let each lyric hit with the impact Goldsmith had intended.

It took a while for Delta Spirit's "Peace In the Valley" to grow on me but now that it has, dare I say it's surpassed my love for the originality?

I must say that whether it has or it hasn't, it's dang close.