10 REASONS TO DIG ELVIS IMPERSONATORS

Actually, 8 reasons and two reasons to love Elvis remixers. And before you start commenting about what an ignoramus I am, I do know that Elvis wasn’t much of a songwriter. But I submit that these songs are Elvis covers because the songs wouldn’t be famous but for The King’s involvement.

1. Little Sister-Pearl Jam. Is there any song Eddie can’t sing well?

2. Stairway to Led Zeppelin-Neil Pepper. The only better Stairway parody is “Stairway to Gilligan’s Island,” which, if you’re lucky, I’ll post some day.

3. Suspicious Minds-Bush (unreleased studio outtake)

4. Crying in the Chapel Elvish mashed up against the Wailers

5. Suspicious Minds-My Morning Jacket

If you get enough plastic surgery, you can impersonate yourself!

6. A Little Less Conversation (dance remix)-Elvis himself

7. Play House-Pee Wee Moore. I love this version.

8. Elvis Presley Stole My Car-Drive By Truckers. Not a cover, a tribute, but hilarious.

9. Go here to find a bunch of remixes of The Pet Shop Boys doing “Always On My Mind.” Yeah, they’re about as major lable/un-indie as possible, but I always enjoyed this cover.

10. Can’t Help Falling In Love-Pearl Jam.  Eddie bookends!

9TH WONDER AND MURS-”SWEET LORD” (FREE PROJECT!)

Sometimes, I wonder if the only regular reader of Berkeley Place who digs the hippity hop is me. I wonder that.

But in the event that there are some headz out there, I’m letting you know that 9th Wonder (producer extraordinaire, best known for his work with Little Brother) and Murs (reknowned underground rapper) have teamed up for a third project (if you don’t have 3:16, you don’t love underground hip hop). There were a few leaks of it, but this is the official version. You can download it, free and legal, and you can give a donation. Looks like the duo are taking a cue from Saul Williams, who distributed Niggytardust the same way about 6 months ago.

Go here to get it!

And while I’m on the subject of rap music, I recently read that Game is going after the white king of hip hop because Eminem allegedly told Dr. Dre not to make music with Game anymore. I haven’t heard if the track has actually been released, and apparently The Game denies the whole story, saying he’s focusing on acting right now. Huh? Focusing on acting? Doesn’t L.A.X. drop soon? I got to say that I’m really looking forward to L.A.X., ’cause I think Game drops some of the most consistently good gangsta rap on a major label, but his recent mixtapes are showing age. Like so many giants before him, he may be suffering burnout. We’ll see, I guess, when the album finally comes out.

D. STICKER ENSEMBLE and WAR TAPES

Today, a double feature.

First, the D. Sticker Ensemble band. When I saw the cover of the new album, “Seasons of Sticker,” I thought this was a joke band. First of all, the font made it look like “Seasons of Sucker.” Second, the track names included “Born With 3 Eyes,” “That’s My Bah!,” and “Space Noodles.” Then I played the first two tracks, and still thought it was a joke band. But as I continued to listen, I realized there’s some real talent here. The music is incredibly varied (”Space Noodles” turned out to be a very interesting instrumental jam), the lyrics are as bizarre as they come, and the album overall is quite good. Theh band’s press release puts them out as a kind of Gnarls Barkley thing, creating a fictional “reclusive Sticker” person, so it’s hard to tell what’s really the deal wtih this group. But from what I can tell, they’re a California group. You can stream a few songs here, which I recommend doing before you buy. This album isn’t for everyone, but those who will like it should really enjoy it.

For fans of: Morphine, Dresden Dolls, Neutral Milk Hotel. And Adam Ant.

Nowhere

Ballad of Han, Luke and Leia

I Wanna Hold Your Hand (Beatles cover)

The other band I’m featuring today is War Tapes, who are releasing their eponymous EP on Sarathan Records. I’m featuring it along side D. Sticker because it’s got a similar sound, although War Tapes is a far more traditional, 1980s Joy Division/New Order/gloom sound kind of band. I know, there are lots of bands with this sound. But this one is a cut above the rest. In particular, “My Mind is Ugly” is a great tune.

Dreaming of You

THE DRESDEN DOLLS A to Z

For those who don’t know, The Dresden Dolls were partly responsible for the goth cabaret movement to which current bands like My Chemical Romance owe a great, unacknowledged debt. They’re a power duo, and they’ve got a new album out called “No Virginia,” which is basically previously unreleased stuff and B-Sides, but it’s got a great cover of the Psychedelic Furs on it. It’s also got a cool studio version of their Jane’s Addiction cover (”I Would For You”), which I won’t post to encourage you to buy the album and support the band.

Plus, the new album gave me the idea for this post: Dresden Dolls covers! I’ve also included some originals that are available at their website, so you can hear a little more of what they’re about.

There’s a zip file of the ones that aren’t direct links from their site, so if you don’t see a savefile link for a song you want, it’ll be in that file. All covers are live except for Pretty in Pink, which is off “No Virginia,” as a teaser to encourage you to buy that album!

A is for A Night At The Roses.

B is for Beasties! Fight For Your Right to Party (Beastie Boys)

C is for Cosmic Dancer (T-Rex cover)

D is for David Bowie! Life on Mars (Bowie cover).

D is also for

Help me get higher ratings!

E is for Eisbar.

F is for Blueprint (Fugazi cover)

G is for Golden Age (Beck).

H is for Herr! Mein Herr (Liza Minelli from Cabaret).

I is for I Would For You (Janes Addiction)

J is for Amsterdam (Jacques Brel).

K is for Karma Police (Radiohead cover) with Jerome Dillon .

L is for Lennon! Imagine (John Lennon) with Ryan Ross of Panic! at the Disco

M is for Mad World (Tears for Fears).

N is for Nilsson, and O is for One feat. The Ambitious Orchestra (written by Harry Nilsson).

P is for the Psychedelic Furs!

Pretty in Pink (Psychedelic Furs).

The Ghost in You (Psychedelic Furs)

P is also for In the Flesh? (Pink Floyd).

R is for Rid of Me (PJ Harvey).

S is for the hilarious Sheep Song.

T is for 2 Headed Boy (acoustic) (Neutral Milk Hotel)

U is for Ultimate Esperanza.

W is for War Pigs (Black Sabbath)

Z is for ZIP FILE!!

TANYA MORGAN-”The Bridge EP”

I don’t know if you heard yet, but Tanya Morgan ain’t a woman
Tanya Morgan is three guys, surprise surprise!

That’s the opening couplet from the song, “Tanya Morgan is a Rap Group,” the title track of the excellent 2008 mixtape.

Brooklynatti is back in the house, with The Bridge EP. Their last official release was the 2006 record, “Moonlighting,” a stupid deep release that showed amazing promise. The follow up isn’t a full-length, but it’s far superior to the first record. The trio (Donwill and Ilyas of Cincinnati, Von Pea of Brooklyn) have even smarting lyrics, and even better beats. One of the things that makes Tanya Morgan better than the average intelligent underground rappers is their ability not only to laugh at themselves but also to laugh at their own ideas. Black power and street philosophy can be brilliant (check out Nas’ new record), but it can leave one feeling heavy and full. Tanya Morgan never stop urging hip-hop to improve, but they do it without sacrificing the art form’s most powerful tool: Moving your butt. Not since Tribe Called Quest’s first album have I heard a band so able to mix message with music.

I’m told a full length will come in the fall. Can’t wait.

How Low

Bonus:

Tanya Morgan is a Rap Group

3 QUICK HITS . . .

NEGATIVLAND-”Thigmotatctic”

Sampler masters Negativland have dropped a new album, and this one is more song oriented. Usually their collages are pretty vague, but these come closer to forming actual musical compositions, complete with lyrics (albeit sampled ones). This group always surprises.

Richard Nixon Died Today

JIHAE-”After Thought”

Jihae is pretty much the opposite of Negativland. I first wrote about her in 2006 on my old site–sweet, honest songs. But she’s back with a remix EP! So maybe she’s not as far from Negativland as I thought . . .

Do I Move You (Nina Simone cover)-Jihae (remix)

THE DIRTY HEARTS-”Pigs”

Want high energy postpunk that won’t rock your world, but should make you move your feet? Check out the Dirty Hearts.

Pigs.

PICTURE OF THE DAY

LEE SCRATCH PERRY-”Repentance”

I’m far from an expert on reggae, ska, or dancehall, or any of its related genres, so I can’t claim to know that the new album by Grammy winner Lee “Scratch” Perry is a great example of its kind, but I do know that I’m really digging it, and I usually find this kind of music annoying. I’m sure you’ve all heard of Perry, a.k.a. “The Upsetter.” He’s been doing dub for close to 40 years, inspiring Bob Marley and having worked with the likes of The Clash and Junior Murvin. This, Perry’s 54th(!) album is co-produced by Andrew W.K., which probably is part of the reason it has such a “modern” sound. You show me another artist with this many albums under his belt who is still able to make music that sounds relevant. I can’t think of one.

There’s a lot of songs on the album that stand out: The trippy “Fire”; the hot dance number “Pum Pum”; the creepy “Baby Sucker”; and my personal favorite, “Santa Claus.”

Fire

Santa Claus

WIN A FREE SUNDANCE/BLACK KEYS SWAG BAG! A tremendous giveaway!

This is a totally awesome contest to promote The Black Keys’ performance on “Live From Abbey Road,” a music series which airs on the Sundance Channel on Thursday nights at 10pm. I don’t get Sundance, but if I did, I’d surely watch this. The series is going to feature 36 artists at the legendary Abbey Road studios–get Exclusive Performances, Interviews and photos here. The show will also feature folks like Matchbox Twenty, Def Leppard, Elbow, MGMT, Alanis Morissette, The Fratellis, The Subways, and Brian Wilson. And many more. As for The Black Keys, here’s clips of their interview and performance.

If you don’t know, The Black Keys are a fantastic blues duo known for rootsy blues-rock. Their latest album was produced by Dangermouse (of all people!), but their first handfull of releases were 100% indie. The Black Keys’ performance is this Thursday, July 24th. Maybe they’ll do my favorite BK cover?

Act Nice and Gentle-The Black Keys (Kinks cover)

So what can you win? Well, it’s a bag that’s so bursting it’s not even done being filled yet! But among other things, it will include a Vy and Elle messenger bag filled with a number of things including t-shirts, speakers, coffee mug, Sigg Water Bottle, Speakers, and hopefully a little Black Keys music . . . All told, it’ll be worth about $180.00. Whether you claim it on your taxes will be between you and your God. And what do you have to do to win?

Easy! Drop me a comment or send me an e-mail with your e-mail address in it. I will contact two winners this weekend, and the first to respond to me by providing their name and mailing address will win. So make sure you check your e-mail this weekend! This is a truly great prize, and we should all be grateful for the opportunity to win.

THE TOP 10 NONSENSE WORDS IN POP MUSIC

First things first, go here to get some awesome covers of 80s songs from Buffet Libre. It’s truly a great site.

Now then.

The other day I was watching VH1’s tribute to The Who and saw a bunch of musicians imitating Daltrey’s famous Baba O’Reilly scream . . . ‘YeeeAAAAHHHH!” . . . And I thought, “That must be the best ‘Yeah’ in the history of rock.” But then I remembered that The Beatles really made “Yeah” a household word for rock musicians. What makes Roger’s so special is the phlegm and the power, the oomph and the rage, the victory and the ear-bleeding volume. It’s not just a “Yeah.” It’s a movement. It doesn’t mean, “Yes,” it means . . . Nothing and everything. It got me thinking about what are the best nonsense words in popular music. And I do love to make lists.

Then Fong Songs posted a tribute to the greatest nonsense song in history. So I got off my ass, put pen to paper, and came up with this list.

Plus, I’m flat on my ass, virtually immobile due to an injury caused by an angry tornado. My ass time is your benefit. Note: I’m sure I’ve missed some, so drop a comment and school me!

THE TOP 10 NONSENSE WORDS IN POP MUSIC

10. Mmmm-mmm-mm-mmmm. Mmm Mmm-The Crash Test Dummies. A vastly underrated Canadian band who never got better than they did on the album this came off of, “Afternoons and Coffee Spoons.”

9. Yow! Alphabet City-Prince. The sound that starts what is one of my favorite Prince tunes from one of my favorite Prince records.

8. Mmmbop. Mmmbop-Hanson. Say what you want, I love this song. I thought the whole album was fantastic, actually. The band didn’t really go anywhere after this, but for one summer this was as crystal pure as pop could get.

7. Oooooooooooooooooooo. Cha! Welcome to the Jungle-Guns and Roses. That’s not the wind blowing at the beginning of the greatest metal song ever, it’s all Axl. (And the producer, of course.)

6. Sizzurp. Through the Wire-Kanye West. I’ve never been a “fshizzle my nizzle” fan. Snoop was okay hen he was young and backing Dr. Dre, but he’s gotten to be too cute for a pot-smoking gangsta. Which is kinda gross. But Kanye West seems to have gone to a similar school of rapology: When you can’t think of a rhyme, make up a word! Which he did, when he matched “sizzurp” to “bezerk” (which doesn’t even rhyme, really). And in so doing, he took the technique away from Snoop without looking like a biter.

5. Aye aye aye! Crazytrain-Ozzy Osbourne.

4. Mhaow hao haow. La Grange-ZZ Top. The opening, lecherous chatter. If you don’t love this, you don’t love rock and blues. And on this cover by The Eels, which is an instrumental, if you close your eyes you can even hear the sounds.

La Grange-The Eels

3. Hee-eee! Hoo! The Way You Make Me Feel-Michael Jackson. Mike did his signature bleepy sounds on so many of his songs, but my favorite is this one, right at the beginning.

2. Yeaaaaaah! Baba O’Reilly-The Who. Roger Daltrey’s post-inspiring scream only places second on the list here.

Baba O-Reilly-Pearl Jam (live version).

Sorry, Rog. There’s one better word here. A word that has inspired an afore-mentioned post. A word that has spawned dozens of covers. And that word is . . .

1. Mnah Mnah. Mnah-Mnah-The Muppets. Subjected to dozens of spellings, dozens of covers, and never as brilliant as the original. I’m not posting any here, as Fong has done this song justice over at his site.

BONUS: 11. Papa ooo mow mow-The Rivingtons. Like all great lists, this one goes up to 11. Because it’s louder.

Papa Ooo Mow Mow-Supersnazz.

AND THE DISQUALIFIED SOUND:

3. Ti esrever dna ti pilf, nwod gniht ym tup I. Work It-Missy Elliot. Yes, after she threatens to put her thang down flip it and reverse it, she does just that. Forcing DJs and music nerds to go out and buy vinyl so they can play it backwards. Backwards messages don’t count for this post because they aren’t sounds that can be reproduced through ordinary speech. Hence, no “I buried Paul.” But this was so much more. People actually sing along to this one. So I almost included it. But I didn’t. But then I wrote about it, so I kinda did include it after all.