Cover(s) Me Up

Nirvana, Taylor Swift, and Jimmy Eat World covers. Also, introducing Phoebe Bridgers.

If there's one thing I can't stand

It's this bar and this cover band

Trying to fake their way through 'Castles Made of Sand'

That's one thing I can't stand

-Jason Isbell

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Earlier this week we were texting about covers - the powerful high-risk/high-reward art form in the world of music. A good cover somehow pays tribute to the good and beautiful of the original while also bringing it to life in ways never before heard. Sometimes a cover can even outpace its predecessor. Other times a cover elicits a reaction we, like Isbell, can’t stand. This edition of The Music Swap shares three covers we CAN stand! 

Also, we’re excited to welcome Patrick Schreiner to the Swap. He wants to introduce you to his “voice crush,” Phoebe Bridgers, who happens to have some great covers of her own.

Sturgill Simpson Covering “In Bloom” by Nirvana (Jonathan)

Cover songs can be great for numerous reasons, one of those being when a great song is covered by an artist of a different genre. That is why my cover track today stands out to me—the song of an early 90’s grunge icon sung by a young county artist with an old soul. Without having given this one a good listen, I might have passed on it, but I think Sturgill nails it.

Also available on Apple Music.

Ryan Adams Covering “Blank Space” by Taylor Swift (Ben)

The entire album is worth a listen, but I am selecting Blank Space. I’m a sucker for a chill acoustic song; I am a big fan of Ryan Adams; and I really like most of Taylor’s stuff. Sharing a playlist with three daughters on car rides requires us to find music we can all sing along to… Taylor tops that list. The Adams/Swift cover was an unexpected project that worked - I think about it like putting salt on top of a cookie (think salted caramel or sea salt chocolate chips) - sometimes two disparate things come together to make a new, good thing. Blank Space does that.

Also available on Apple Music.

Audrey Assad Covering “The Middle” by Jimmy Eat World (Kody)

Emo music dominated the soundtrack of my high school years. And no Emo band formed my musical interests during that period more than the genre's greatest achievement, Jimmy Eat World. The lyrics of their most popular hit “The Middle” are kind of hidden by the catchy tune of the song. That’s one reason I love Audrey Assad’s cover. Her slower and more melodic version brings out the song’s prophetic voice that has something to say to those of us harassed by voices, either real or imagined, that tell us we don’t belong.

Also available on Apple Music.

Bonus Track: Introducing Phoebe Bridgers by Patrick Schreiner

My wife makes fun of me because she says I have a voice crush on Phoebe Bridgers (not bridges). She has an intimate, whispery, breezy, and subtle way of communicating. She sings about the beauty and hopelessness of sadness in falsetto. Sometimes it comes across in a sweet way, other times it is painfully raw and angry. You get the sense that she is intimate with despair (listen to the lyrics of Funeral). One of her more famous songs exhibits her writing ability.

I have emotional motion sickness

Somebody roll the windows down

There are no words in the English language

I could scream to drown you out.

Below are my 10 favorite Phoebe songs in no particular order.

1.     Georgia

2.     Moon Song

3.     Summer's End

4.     Funeral

5.     Graceland Too

6.     The Gold

7.     Waiting Room

8.     Me & My Dog

9.     Chesapeake

10.  I Know The End

Don’t overlook her work with Boy Genius or Better Oblivion Community Center. You can also find some of her covers on Spotify.

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This week we asked some friends about their favorite covers via text and tweet. Here’s a playlist of covers we’ve started curating. What are we missing? Email us or reply to this post and we’ll respond.

-TheMusicSwap