Today would have been Chris Cornell’s 56th birthday, and his family is marking the occasion by sharing his previously unreleased cover of Guns N’ Roses’ “Patience”. Listen below. In a message posted to Facebook, Cornell’s family said, “His birthday seemed the perfect time to share this and celebrate Chris, his voice, music, stories and art. It is true a man is not dead while his name is still spoken… and, through his art, an artist’s soul still burns just as bright as ever upon all those that look up to him and his memory. Releasing music that was special to Chris keeps a part of him here with us — his heart and his soul. His love and his legacy.” In related news, Cornell’s daughter, Toni, is following in her father’s footsteps. She recently released her first-ever solo single, “Far Away P...
During the onset of the outbreak, Hayley Williams delivered her rendition of Phoebe Bridgers’ “Smoke Signals” from quarantine. The Paramore leader is back this week with another homemade cover, this time taking on the Icelandic queen herself, Björk. Performing from her own couch, Williams offered up an acoustic version of “Unison”, a track off Björk’s 2001 album Vespertine. “I’d actually hoped to cover a different song of hers live this year, but I guess that will have to wait until some other time,” Williams wrote on Twitter. “anyway, this one has to be in my top 5”. We’re curious to know what songs make up the rest of her Björk list, but we’ll settle for this magical cover in the meantime. Watch video footage below. Editors’ Picks This past spring saw Williams release Pet...
Captain Marvel just might be the biggest Ariana Grande stan in Hollywood. Last year, Brie Larson covered “My Everything” and “God Is a Woman”. Now, she’s back with a new spin on another Grande classic: “Be Alright”. The breakout single from Grande’s 2016 album Dangerous Woman is light and catchy, and Larson upholds those qualities while giving it a stripped-down sheen. Armed with her own guitar and the quiet background of her peaceful home, the actress nails each note and vocal scale, proving once again that she’s just as good at singing as she is at acting. Watch her cover below. It’s not just a coincidence that Larson semi-regularly shares cover songs on social media and totally nails them. Back in 2005, before she was an A-list movie star, she dropped an album called Finally Out of...
Back in April, legendary songwriter John Prine passed away after a battle with COVID-19. Dozens of artists covered his songs to pay tribute to his life and long-lasting influence. One of those musicians was Phoebe Bridgers, who performed his late single “Summer’s End” on Instagram earlier this spring. Now, months later, she’s unveiled a more polished up version for SiriusXM. Listen below (via Stereogum). In her original cover of “Summer’s End”, Bridgers could be seen in her house playing the song live to a computer camera while dressed in pajamas. The setting may have been extremely casual, but her vocals — however poorly mic’d they were, if at all — sounded gorgeous and empathetic. It seems like she was quite moved by Prine’s track, because this new touched-up take sounds much fuller and ...
James Blake fans have been treated to a number of special covers during this quarantine season. Over the course of just the last few months, the UK crooner has tackled originals by Radiohead, Billie Eilish, Frank Ocean, and Joni Mitchell. For his newest reimagining, Blake ambitiously rolled out his take on the Nirvana classic “Come As You Are”. The performance was part of an hour-long “piano improv concert” streamed on Instagram Live on Saturday. As requested by a fan, Blake’s rendition of the Nevermind single was “soft” in tone. However, though it was without the angst and volume of the 1992 original, Blake’s cover was still urgent in its own fragile, ivory-tinged way. Watch video of the Nirvana cover below, followed by the full concert (come for the tunes, stay for a glimpse of Blake’s a...
On Saturday, a number of big-name musicians, actors, and other celebrities teamed up for the “Global Goal: Unite for Our Future”, a benefit concert raising money for the coordination and development of COVID-19 tests, treatments and vaccines, and to ensure equitable access to citizens across the globe. Among the participating musicians was Miley Cyrus, who performed a cover of The Beatles’ “Help!” from an empty Rose Bowl Stadium in Los Angeles. Cyrus dedicated her performance to “those who are tirelessly working on testing, treatment, and vaccines so all of us can come together in places like empty stadiums again.” Watch Cyrus’ full performance below. Cyrus, who recently celebrated her sixth month of sobriety, has delivered a number of compelling covers as of late. She sang Pink Floyd...
T. Rex’s Marc Bolan (photo via Ian Dickson/Wikipedia) and Kesha Later this summer, Marc Bolan and T. Rex will be celebrated with a massive tribute album called AngelHeaded Hipster. Produced by the beloved Hal Willner prior to his death, it features Bolan classics covered by prominent acts like U2, Father John Misty, Elton John, and Joan Jett, among others. Following Nick Cave’s rendition of “Cosmc Dancer” comes a second preview of the release, 1972’s “Children of the Revolution” as reimagined by Kesha. While known for her catchy pop hits, the High Road star also possesses incredibly powerful pipes, which she showcases on today’s cover. Whether the note’s high or low, the singer punches each one with fierce passion — the kind that would make Bolan proud. Check out the c...
Cat Power (photo by Inez & Vinoodh) and Cassius’ Philippe Zdar (photo via Dyane de Serigny) Today marks the one-year anniversary of the tragic death of Cassius’ Philippe Zdar. To honor the late French producer, his friend and collaborator Cat Power has shared a cover of Cassius’ 2006 hit “Toop Toop”. Cat Power (aka Chan Marshall) and Zdar worked together numerous times over the years, with the former appearing on a handful of tracks on Cassius’ 2016 LP Ibifornia. Zdar even worked pro-bono on Cat Power’s classic 2012 album Sun. Their close relationship led Marshall to pay homage to Zdar at his funeral, where she teamed with -M- (French rocker Matthieu Chedid) for a performance of “Toop Toop”. Zdar’s widow, Dyane de Serigny, recalled in a press release how she joined the duo at Cas...