Jenny Owen Youngs- Hot In Herre

I love this cover for two reasons. First, the music video is amazing. The music video is corky, hilarious, and it expresses the humor of Jenny Owen Youngs. Second, Jenny Owen Youngs, a typical awkward white girl, is covering a rap song, a Nelly song nonetheless. It's just out of the norm but this is by far one of my favorite covers. With dancing penguins, polar bears, and Bigfoot, you just can not go wrong.
The simplicity of the cover is also great. I really enjoyed the chorus of the cover much more, actually, than the original. Nothing to fancy was done in this cover but if you count a break dancing polar bear as fancy, then yes, they got fancy. It's really just a fun, easy to sing along to cover. Enjoy!




Original:
Hot In Herre by Nelly
http://youtu.be/m6tn9yjY05U

Tori Kelly- Suit & Tie

I think I've reviewed one of Tori Kelly's cover before or it may have been one that she was featured in. Anyways, she is definitely one of my favorites on YouTube and I'm always looking out for her new videos. She has an amazing voice with many different ranges AND she's awesome at guitar. 

A friend of mine had showed me her cover of Thinking Bout You and I was instantly hooked on her songs/covers. She is definitely talented and I'm surprised that more people have not heard of her. So check her out on YouTube! Enjoy!

Original: 

Suit &Tie by Justin Timberlake 

http://youtu.be/IsUsVbTj2AY

Kait Weston- Wide Awake

I recently just discovered Kait Weston as I was looking for cover songs for this post. So I'm not familiar with her work but from the few videos that I've watched so far, she has talent! Her voice is definitely powerful and every note she sings comes with such ease for her.

Her cover of Wide Awake originally performed by Katy Perry is really good. With her powerful vocals, she brings new elements to the song. Also, having just a piano accompany her voice definitely allows for her vocals to stand out more. If she was just doing an acapella version, it still would have been great.



Original:
Wide Awake by Katy Perry
http://youtu.be/k0BWlvnBmIE

The Clientele- Paper Planes

The Clientele  cover's M.I.A.'s hit Paper Planes. The original is very loud and there's a lot going on in the song at once. There's not synths or sound clips of gunshots in this cover. It was a very well done cover and there was some things that The Clientele did that I really enjoyed. For starters, I was able to understand all the lyrics and as I said earlier, it was not cluttered with noise.  That's nothing against the original and I love the original. The original has a "hustle" style quality to it while the cover is more chill and laid back. The addition of a violin and what appears to be an upright violin but I'm not sure on that, added a some nice sounds to the song. The xylophone was a nice touch as well. Enjoy!



Original:
Paper Planes by M.I.A
http://youtu.be/zAJA-bz1uo0

Portland Cello Project and Alan Sparhawk- Institutionalized

Institutionalized by Suicidal Tendencies is a classic. If you've never heard it you are missing out. This has to be that one song that every teenager related to. I mean when you are a teenager everyone always thinks there is something is wrong with you when there isn't. 

The original is heavy sounding song with a raunchy lead guitar. If you haven't guessed it yet, the majority of the instruments in this cover are cellos. Usually, cellos are associated with classical music, genres that lean towards elegant and graceful. Having cellos in a hardcore punk song is definitely unusual but it worked out great. The cellos did not sound out of place at all. It gives it a more heavy sound and maybe sound a little more psychotic. The french horn (am assuming that's what it is cause I'm not an horn expert) adds a nice sound to the cover as well. Enjoy!

Original:

Institutionalized by Suicidal Tendencies

http://youtu.be/9tBaMlAUj08

Filter- Happy Together

So I'm pretty sure everyone has heard this version of Happy Together from The Great Gatsby trailer.When I heard it in the trailer it immediately caught my attention. The original song by The Turtles is upbeat, light and happy type of song. It's simple to sing along to and sort of embodies 1960's innocent carefree lifestyle.

Now Filter's version is the exact opposite of that. The beginning is slow-paced, I mean really slow. The singer is practically enunciating every single syllable as if trying to teach someone who doesn't speak English to at least mimic the sounds. Ok, maybe not that slow but it still slow. Although, the slow tempo is what makes it so good. It makes it sound darker and more psychotic. It actually sounds like the song is about a extremely psychotic and "love-sick" individual is singing (stalking) the one he loves/admires from afar but this person wants nothing to do with him or even knows he exists. It really felt like he was singing this while looking through the window of this girl, it was just that creepy but good. The delivery of the way they song is sung actually was able to change the entire meaning of the song altogether. I really don't know any other song that has done that but Filter has definitely succeeded in that area.

However, the chorus sections get a little too hardcore for my tastes. Some people might enjoy it but I didn't care for it much. I really just liked the verses and that's about it.



Original:
Happy Together by The Turtles
http://youtu.be/LFyTHc9IgKU

The Wood Brothers- P.Y.T (Pretty Young Thing)

The Wood Brothers cover Michael Jackson's P.Y.T. It's a pretty iconic song so covering it has be done well, real well. I feel like The Wood Brothers were able to accomplish that. Consisting of an acoustic guitar with some slide guitar elements, a upright bass, a melodica (key-flute/pianica), and an improvised, non traditional instrument known simply as a shit-ar. When laying eyes on it, you'll realize why they refer to it as that. However, I will give them points for creativity and uniqueness for this instrument which is basically a beat up guitar with various "noise makers" attached to it.

Anyway, their cover was so amazing. Oliver Wood has really unique vocals especially for this type of song. Not only did their instrumentation bring new flavor to the song but his vocals did as well. They made this song their own while giving the original justice. I may even go as so far to say that I prefer this cover to the original. They gave it an upbeat folk feel and the slide guitar parts were awesome. Especially, during the bridge/break when they substituted MJ's 'na na na's" for a slide guitar riff. Amazing.



Original: 
P.Y.T by Michael Jackson
http://youtu.be/_-3JYuv9w4U

Bass Causality- Can't Stop

I don't know what this guy's name is so I only can only go by his YouTube name but he just made me find a whole new appreciation for the bass/upright bass. I'm a fan of rockabilly music so an upright bass is nothing new to my ears but the way this guy performs this instrument puts it into a whole new light. The original is fast-paced and extremely intense but he covers the song with such class and grace. It's as if I'm listening to a whole new song, it's just that beautiful. Some of his (Bass Causality) covers are played with the same qualities. Everyone must definitely and immediately check him out! Enjoy!



Original:
Can't Stop by Red Hot Chili Peppers
http://youtu.be/o-_cjgTz7ZM

AJ Rafael and KZ Tandingan-Titanium

Yet again Aj Rafael is making another appearance on my blog. He should really start paying me or at least make me his publicist for all the exposure I am getting him. The exposure consisting of the eight, possibly nine  people that read me blog.

KZ Tandingan sings along with AJ in their cover of Titanium originally by David Guetta ft. Sia. KZ Tandinagan was the first winner of The X Factor Philippines and it's no surprise because she has an extraordinary voice. When I first heard her sing I was immediately jealous of her voice but then that jealousy turned into admiration. Both their voices complement each other so well that as soon as they started singing together, I got chills. No joke.

The simplicity of the cover was just perfect. There was no synths, effects, drums to distract you from the pure talent. Most songs now are overloaded with these things and it becomes extremely distracting, for me at least, when listening to the song. The basics of the song is drowned out and all that you can hear is just noise. I'm not saying every artist does this and some have actually found a good balance such as David Guetta but it is nice to hear once in a while a singer(s) and their one instrument. AJ and KZ definitely are able to bring the raw emotion and essence out of the song by sticking to the basics. It really is an amazing cover and one of my favorites so far. Enjoy!



Original:
Titanium by David Guetta ft. Sia
http://youtu.be/nYFw_lia0_k

TwentyForSeven- The A Team

TwentyForSeven covers Ed Sheeran's The A Team and they do a magnificent job at it.  Don't let their appearance fool you because they are extremely talented. I let it fool me when I watched one of their covers for the first time. I saw the plugs and messy hair and thought pop-punk band. Then I heard them play and it was complete opposite. It was alternative but mellow too. I also judged the lead singer's ability to sing based on his looks. I thought he was way too good looking to have any type of vocals. To my surprise, he had amazing vocals! He's got the looks and the voice. He's one of the lucky one's I guess. But, seriously this band is amazing. They did a great job with the cover but they kept it straight to the original. Not much of their own style in it. I would have loved to see more of their own originality in the cover but besides that they were amazing! Enjoy!



Original: 
The A Team by Ed Sheeran

Wye Oak- Mother

Mother by Danzig, in my book, is considered a classic. It's one of the few songs I like from him after he left The Misfits. Mother has a definite dark vibe to it but, really, what Danzig doesn't?! Everything Danzig does is dark, menacing, and gothic. I once saw a video of Glen Danzig discussing his book collection and even that is dark, both figuratively and literally.

Anyway, on to the cover. Wye Oak is your typical indie band of today. Their sound is pretty mellow at times but when they get their energy going, they really bring it hard. There are only two members in Wye Oak which is pretty amazing considering the complexity of their songs with the different instruments. In fact, Andy Stack plays the drums, keyboards, and sings backup vocals. Jenn Wasner's is lead vocals and plays the guitar. She kind of reminds me a little of Florence Welch's voice for Florence + The Machine. You may noticed that they do not have a bass player. Well, actually Andy Stack plays the bass notes on his keyboard with his left hand while playing the drums with his feet and right hand! Talk about multitasking!

When I saw that they were covering Mother I was a little put off. Wye Oak's sound is on the opposite side of the the spectrum compared to Danzig. Wye Oak is indie dream pop while Danzig is heavy metal. So you can see why I was extremely skeptical that Wye Oak can pull off this song.

To my surprise, Wye Oak nailed it! They incorporated their own style and still had the dark elements of the original. I also love how they added a tuba to the mix which gave their cover a heavier sound. It did start of slow but as soon as they got into the chorus it began to pick up. Though, I will admit that after a few times listening to it I began to love the crawl of the intro into the chorus. The break after the second chorus is insane! I wanted a kick-ass guitar solo like in the original but after hearing the break, I loved it even more than the solo. The break is definitely a hardcore build up, bringing the song home and pumping up the listener. Like I said earlier, I wasn't really convinced Wye Oak can pull this song off but the proved me wrong.

If you liked this band, Wye Oak has an album released called Civilian. You should definitely check them out. Enjoy!




Original:
Mother by Danzig
http://youtu.be/vgSn0SbQJQI

Bonus Video:
Just for laughs, here's Glen Danzig talking about his book collection :)
http://youtu.be/weNO9k1TXS0

Pentatonix- Gangnam Style

I don't know what it is about this video but I laugh every time I watch it. It might be the cheesiness of it, the ridiculous dancing, the hilarious attempt at singing in Korean, or maybe the high-pitched scream towards the end. In fact, it could be all of these things that make this cover hilarious but fun to watch.

Besides all that, Pentatonix did an amazing job with this cover. Vocals were crazy good and each one's individual part was great. As far as his attempt to sing in Korean, I'm guessing it was good. It sounded like Korean to me. But how would I know since I don't speak Korean. I'm pretty sure fluent Korean speakers would criticize differently but from me they get two thumbs up! 

Pentatonix is an amazing acappella group and if you really like that style of music I encourage you to check them out. I mean, they won The Sing Off so they have to good, right? :) Enjoy!

P.S. the part that made me laugh the hardest is at 2:30. 

Original:

Gangnam Style by Psy
http://youtu.be/9bZkp7q19f0

Caroline Brooks- California Love

Caroline Brooks covers California Love originally by 2Pac and kills it! I thought it to be impossible to do what Caroline Brooks did and actually make it...great.  She does the song justice and still is able to make it her own. 

Even though she covers a rap song, a gangsta rap song at that, she does not give in to rapping in her cover. That's something that I really enjoyed about her cover. She sang the lyrics instead of rapping them and made them audible, just kidding. In no way am I dissing 2Pac's rapping skills. :) He was and will always be one of the best rappers of our time. Too bad I can't say the same thing for rappers today.

I also love how they kept the instruments simple too. A piano and a very basic drum set was all that was used, nothing too fancy. They didn't find a need to add pre-recorded drum samples or synths which is a plus in my book! I would have loved it if she added some harmonies but with or without them it was still an amazing cover. And trust me, this is probably not the last time she'll be featured on this blog :) Enjoy!

Original:

California Love by 2Pac

http://youtu.be/uWbXQQG9B6c

James Hill-Billie Jean

I may have spoken to soon when I wrote that Jake Shimabukuro was the best ukulele player I've ever heard.  James Hill can definitely hold his own against Jake Shimabukuro in a ukulele contest. Better yet, how awesome would it be if they combined their amazing ukulele skills to create a song so awesome it's mind-blowing!? For now, we have to enjoy their talents separately and that's not bad at all.

James Hill covers Michael Jackson's Billie Jean in this video. He starts off light in this cover with some hammering. When he gets into the intro of the song, it begins to sound familiar and a few audience members quickly recognize the riff. Little by little he adds more into the song until it's almost impossible to ignore what tune he is playing. The audience react in disbelief and amazement as they realize it's Billie Jean. I feel that they also can't believe that he is able to play this song on just a ukulele and is able to recreate the drum, guitar, and bass part from the original. I've never in my life heard a ukulele played like that and I know I had a look of amazement on my face as a watched this video.

It really is such a fun and unique cover. Also, not only is this covered by a ukulele but James Hill just doesn't sing the lyrics, he speaks them! Yup, that right, it's a spoken word ukulele cover. Enjoy!



Original: 
Billie Jean by Michael Jackson
http://youtu.be/75sx7U6dAB4

Amy Winehouse- The Girl From Ipanema

The Girl From Ipanema is an iconic song from the 60s. It's sound symbolizes the cool cat, swinger lifestyle of many people during that time while the lyrics tell a different story. The original was performed by Astrud Gilberto and Stan Getz in Portuguese and later in English. The original is slow paced with a jazz feel or also known as bossa nova. Bossa Nova was a style of music in Brazil that mixed samba and jazz and became popular in the 60s. The Girl From Ipanema definitely embodied that style back then.

Over the years, this song has been covered countless times by various artists with various musical styles. Even Ol' Blue Eyes, Frank Sinatra has covered it and I have to tell you, I almost changed this post to his cover! It was just so amazing! Don't worry though, I'll put a link to his cover at the bottom.

Now on to Amy Winehouse's version of The Girl From Ipanema. Her version sticks to original as far as instrumental. The drums are more profound and the tempo is sped up a little but other than that it stays in the regions of the original. Her voice is great as well and definitely differs from the delicate voice of Astrud Gilberto. Amy Winehouse voice is more powerful and intense which is a nice addition to the song. She even does some scatting at the end and you just can't go wrong with scatting.



Original:
The Girl From Ipanema by Astrud Gilberto & Stan Getz
http://youtu.be/8prwLMEFLx0

Frank Sinatra's cover
http://youtu.be/NldPFVKYmiw