Monday, April 14, 2008

Mix #10 - Girls on Boys

Creator: Nelle Blevins
Occupation: Architect
Theme: Covers
Title: Girls on Boys (Double Disc)

This is a great concept for a mix. All songs originally performed by men covered by woman. Cover songs are interesting - especially when the transcend the original version (in quality or popularity), and take on a new meaning. Like mixtapes, covers change meaning based on how it is used, and who uses it. Which ones hold up? Who can really own it? I once saw a friend do "Every Rose has Its Thorn" in a strip-mall bar filled with rednecks, I promise to you it was just as powerful as the original and I was standing on a table by the end. That is one of my personal top 10 covers.

Also, I had read once, and have no idea if this is true, that (the Prince of Darkness) Trent Reznor and (Duke of Douche Bags) Zack De La Rocha were recording Zach's new record at Trent's haunted mansion/recording studio when Johnny Cash's version of Hurt (+ video) were delivered. Trent was unhappy Cash decided to cover it. They put the tape in and watched. By the end of the video both men were crying, and Trent said to Zach, "That is now a Johnny Cash song." Wouldn't that have been a sight to see? The Goth and the Activist weeping to Country. Some things just pull the heart strings.

I know the theme was Girls On Boys -- Girls covering Boys songs, which means technically speaking, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy shouldn't be included in with the girls. I can understand how you would think that, but I have a couple of things I would like you to consider in defense of this mix. First, the last time I saw Will Oldham (in the wild), he was wearing a pink head-band, very very short jean cut-offs, a pink shirt and snow boots and eating an vanilla ice cream cone. Second, relatively speaking this makes R. Kelly look like Ernest Hemingway.

Track Listing:

Girls
1) Satisfaction - Bjork
2) Love Will Tear Us Apart - Nouvelle Vague
3) Starman - Mates of State
4) $20 - M.I.A
5) This Charming Man - Stars
6) Highway 61 Revisited - Karen O and the Million Dollar Bashers
7) Two-Headed Boy - The Dresdon Dolls
8) Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis - Neck Case
9) Pennyroyal Tea - Kristen Hersh
10) Yesterday is Here - Cat Power and Steve Shelly
11) Stuck Inside of Mobile with Memphis Blues Again - Cat Power
12) Between the Bars - Metric
13) Trouble - Kristen Hersh
14) I'm Not in Love - Tori Amos
15) War Pigs - The Dresdon Dolls
16) Ignition - Bonnie 'Prince' Billy

One of my favorite "Girls on Boys" is Neko Case covering The Everly Brothers, "Bowling Green" off of her first album, The Virginian. It is a song about country folk going to city to get wasted and bird-dog chicks. Find it, you will enjoy it!



The play-list that follows was included with the first mix. It is all the originals. Compare and contrast. . .

Boys
1) Satisfaction - Rolling Stones
2) Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division
3) Starman - David Bowie
4) Where is my Mind - The Pixies
5) This Charming Man - The Smiths
6) Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan
7) Two - Headed Boy - Neutral Milk Hotel
8) Christmas Card From A Hooker in Minneapolis - Tom Waits
9) Pennyroyal Tea - Nirvana
10) Yesterday is Here - Tom Waits
11) Stuck in Mobile with Memphis Blues Again - Bob Dylan
12) Between the Bars - Elliot Smith
13) Trouble - Cat Stevens
14) I'm Not in Love - 10cc
15) War Pigs - Ozzy Osbourne
16) Ignition - R. Kelly