Category Archives: Jose Gonzalez

Yeah!

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Finally feeling a little more upbeat this morning, if not drastically improved. If the image for yesterday’s post was a sunset (a reflection of my state of mind) then today’s is that of reaching towards the sun (more for Vitamin D than anything else, mind). The first track below may have helped.

Usher -‘Yeah.’ mp3

Seriously, I love much of the American R&B of this decade. I couldn’t get into the whole New Jack Swing stuff that I heard in the 90s (R.Kelly, Boys II Men, etc) but the impact of the Neptunes and Timbaland has created something that I am a total sucker for. This is a cover by Biffy Clyro of one of this year’s finest singles -‘Umbrella’ by Rihanna

Biffy Clyro -‘Umbrella (Rihanna cover).’ mp3

And talking of covers, who is the king of the cover version? Mark Ronson or Jose Gonzalez? I like the Mark Ronson stuff I have heard this year -but Jose’s versions of these tracks really hit the spot:

Jose Gonzalez -‘Hand On Your Heart (Kylie Minogue cover).’ mp3

Jose Gonzalez -‘Teardrop (Massive Attack cover).’ mp3

These will be up for a week. Enjoy, and if you like the tracks concerned, support the artists.

See you soon…

Some covers for Sunday

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Alright, so not particularly Sunday related, but a few more covers that I thought I would share with you:

I know I posted an Arcade Fire track yesterday, but I do like this cover of the Talking Heads song from 1983.

Arcade Fire ‘Naive Melody (This Must Be The Place)(Talking Heads cover).’ mp3

Having posted a Jose Gonzalez song yesterday, I was reminded by Elizabeth over at The Roaring Machine about this track. And…Why not?

Jose Gonzalez -‘Love Will Tear Us Apart (Joy Division cover).’ mp3

Driving back from the Glasgow gig last night with the soon to be Mrs. 17 Seconds, and two friends, (see below) one of them, Gordon, said that as an old raver he couldn’t get into The Klaxons. I’m really hoping this will change his mind.

The Klaxons -‘Not Over Yet (Grace cover).’ mp3

I like the Voxtrot bits I have heard so far, but I haven’t heard a huge amount. I like this New Order cover…

Voxtrot -‘Love Vigilantes (New Order cover).’ mp3

I do love Bond films. Octopussy has not dated particularly well, but I do think the title song is underrated (and I would much rather Rita Coolidge singing this, than say Sheena Easton doing ‘For Your Eyes Only’ or Gladys Knight’s Licence To Kill). Here Jarvis and co. work their usual magic.

Pulp -‘All Time High (Rita Coolidge cover).’ mp3

Considering how much of an influence they have been on me, I don’t know why I haven’t posted more Siousxie and the Banshees here. But whatever…here one Britain’s first lady of alternative music and her merry men take on the Beatles.

Siouxsie and the Banshees -‘Helter Skelter (Beatles cover).’ mp3

Hope you’re all having a nice weekend, wherever you may be.If you like these tracks, they will, as ever, only be up for one week only. Remember to support the artists, whether by going to Amazon or iTunes or wherever.

Be good xx

Links removed April 30.

…And on the sixth day

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There were six covers.

Hope you enjoy these folks…

This is from a gig in London in January this year, where the Arcade Fire (above)cover the Clash classic from London Calling.

Arcade Fire -‘Guns Of Brixton (Clash cover)’. mp3

Years ago, working in a record shop I was virtually sent to Coventry for a day for daring to ask ‘What’s wrong with Bruce Springsteen?’ I stand by that comment, the man is a hero to many, and just as an articulate observer of American life as many rappers or Bob Dylan. And Damon Gough knows it too.

Badly Drawn Boy -‘Thunder Road (Bruce Springsteen cover).’ mp3

At fifteen I thought Prince was a genius, but I started to get the feeling throughout the nineties that his work was not as good as it had been. Then I came to Scotland, and amongst the hundreds of albums I have bought in second hand records shops here since I arrived are much of his output from 1980-1988. I’ve also realsied that Country music can be cool too. Here the two collide beautifully.

The Be-good Tanyas -‘When Doves Cry (Prince and the Revolution cover).’ mp3

Having got into Sonic Youth at fourteen through Goo, I remember thinking that ‘Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star’ was a bit of a disappointment when I heard it, though the first single ‘Bull In The Heather’ was a gem. Here the Go! Team offer their take on it.

The Go! Team -‘Bull In The Heather (Sonic Youth cover).’ mp3

OK, so this track was a hit, and it did through an advertisement, but what the hell, it’s beautiful, and a genuinely different version of the original by the Knife.

Jose Gonzalez -‘Heartbeats (The Knife cover).’ mp3

Speaking of songs that start out electronica like, and end up acoustic, what better way to finish this than with Iron and Wine’s take on a Postal Service song.

Iron and Wine -‘Such Great Heights (Postal Service cover).’ mp3

Links removed April 28.