SoCal SoRock

Local Natives are a great refreshing listen to what well crafted straight up rock should sound like. These Southern Californians' debut album has been released in the UK and will be available in the US on February 16th. The song Camera Talk has everything including strings, killer drumbeats, harmonies, and of course some good ol' rock.

Local Natives - Camera Talk mp3

This track, Sun Hands, may start out slow, but it picks up and gets awesome so listen up. 

Local Natives - Sun Hands mp3

Still not a fan? How about an acoustic barn Talking Heads cover of Warning Sign.

This is the mp3 for the full band electric version .

Local Natives - Warning Sign (Talking Heads cover) 

And here is the original by the Talking Heads performed live in the mid-70s at the legendary CBGBs.

Can't replace these kind covers

The band Kindness are from the UK and boy do they got some funky goodness going on. From what I can tell these guys have only released one 7" so far which means I don't have much info on them. But the B side on their single is called Gee Up and you should take a chill groove break to check it out.

Kindness - Gee Up mp3 

The A side is a cover of one of my favorite bands The Replacements. Here is their electro pulsing version of the already great song Swingin Party.

Kindness - Swinging Party mp3

And this is an endearing acoustic couch performance of Swinging Party by

the amazing Paul Westerberg. 

Musical museums and the return of sneaky Swedes!

Last month I post about the awesome Swede Jonathan Johansson here, but sadly was unable to find much info on him. Well the Swedish group Museum Of Bellas Artes are proving to be just as mysterious as our friend Jonathan Johansson. I do know that they are from Stolkholm Sweden and their cover of The Sapphires1964 hit Who Do You Love? is so chill and addicting.

Museum Of Bellas - Who Do You Know? mp3

The original is not too shabby either.

A bright day for misfits to fit in

I don't think I could call this a legitimate music blog without posting something by The Misfits. Luckily, shoegaze rockers A Sunny Day In Glasgow have recently decided to cover one of my favorite Misfits songs, Hybrid Moments.

A Sunny Day In Glasgow - Hybrid Moments (Misfits cover) mp3

And now of course Danzig's original off the album Static Age.

Misfits - Hybrid Moments mp3 

Jeff Mangum's voice cracks?

Of course not! But, I just found a cool Rural Alberta Advantage Hear Ya session performance of Edmonton. You may remember these hard folk rockers with a wacky drummer from my older post here. During the drum breakdown of this performance, Nils Edenloff's (who's voice is very reminiscent of Neutral Milk Hotel's Jeff Mangum) voice squeaks and he smiles hoping nobody will notice. But I noticed, I liked it, and now I'm posting it for all to see. Sorry Nils.

The Rural Alberta Advantage - Edmonton mp3

Of course I am going to include some Jeff Mangum. Here he covers the 1961 Phil Spector produced Paris Sisters hit I Love How You Love Me.

How many Swedes does it take to play Piano?

I'll be honest I can't find much info on Jonathan Johansson and most of what I find is not in English. However, I do know that he is a super chill Swedish songwriter and his song Aldrig Ensam doesn't seem to want to get out of my head. The acoustic version is particularly interesting and requires four Swedes playing one piano at the same time. Just watch and bob your head to Jonathan Johansson's sweet melodic grooves.
This is the original version with laid back Junior Boys electronic vibes.

Don't even act like you don't know this cover in Swedish.

That is right it's Tears For Fears' Everybody Wants To Rule The World.

Not new, not in English, but its Jeff Buckley, so you know its good

So we all know how tragic and amazingly talented Jeff Buckley was. But a refreshing reminder of a song you may not have heard never hurts. Especially with the recent confirmation of the Jeff Buckley movie to be released in the future. Various rumors for who will play Jeff range from James Franco to Ryder Strong. Regardless, here is Jeff Buckley's cover of one of his idles Nusrat Fateh Ali Khaneh's song Yeh Jo Halka Halka Saroor Hai.

Now here is the original by your favorite teen heart throb Nusrat Fateh Ali Khaneh.

Its just too many names for one man

Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson's self titled debut was one of last year's most overlooked albums. Grizzly Bear's Chris Taylor and TV On The Radio's Kip Malone helped produce and record this great gritty rock album. But lately I just can't get enough of his raspy mumbling cover of Otis Redding's(Sittin On)The Dock of The Bay performance at The Laundromatine.

Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson - (Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay mp3
This was his first single off his self titled album, Buriedfed.

Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson - Buriedfed mp3
You're not going to not post the Otis original if someone covers it.

Otis Redding - (Sittin On)The Dock of The Bay mp3