Where are you?

I still love the originals, but these covers... I love covers, so it was really hard to choose. I may do another set in a day or two, just because I love them so much. However, I distilled down the first batch, and here they are.

Somebody I Used to Know, by Darren Criss & Matt Bomer. The original, by Gotye
The two men here, Darren Criss and Matt Bomer, sing like angels. Love the song, and there are a half a dozen covers of it I could have chosen, but this is the winner!

Needles and Pins, by Smokie in 1977. The original, by the Searchers in 1963.
It's hard to top the Searchers version, but I was ready for the Smokie version when it came out, over 20 years later.

From Me to You, by Walk Off The Earth in 2012. The original was by the Beatles back in 1962.
I grew up with the Beatles, but this was the first intro I had to Walk Off The Earth. I saw this in an ad on TV and had to google to find them. It was worth it.

I Dream of Wires, by Robert Palmer. Here's the original, by Gary Numan from 1977.
I love the worlds that Gary Numan built in his songs. He is the synth player on Robert Palmer`s version, so it isn`t quite without direction from the creator.

Madness, by Street Corner Symphony. This is the original ,by Madness in 2012.
I love A Capella music. Street Corner Symphony is A Capella at its best.

Finally, because I couldn't decide on just 5, here's a bonus.

I'm Gonna Be Strong, by Cyndi Lauper. The original is from the 60s , by Gene Pitney
Cyndi has an extraordinary voice. End. Of. Story.

I am writing, I promise, but in the meantime, I thought I would start something different. I'm going to (hopefully) spread music. I'll post 5 tracks a day til I run out, and they'll each have a theme. They'll probably be old. They might even be older than you, since I am very old indeed, but I promise you that I love music and have followed it and loved it since I was a tiny. If I'd only had talent, I'd be #1!

So please listen to the songs, if the topic is to your taste. Talk to me about them. Tell me if you like them, hate them, and why. Music is possibly more important to me than anything, and I'd love to dialogue with you about what tweaks your senses.

Today's 5 are songs that made me tear up.

1: I've Seen the Word, by Blancmange.
Blancmange were an 80s synth duo that never made it to the US, so I suspect many of you never heard this, but when I first heard it, it gave me chills and made me cry. If you like them, you might like Feel Me.

2: You'll Answer to Me, by Cleo Laine
I think this was the very first song I really ever fell in love with, and holy shit, it's 55 years old. Cleo's voice, and the whole concept of the song got me. I've never really loved Jazz, and Cleo is really a jazz singer, but her voice is like cream poured into Irish coffee. She's 88 or so now, but this will never get old for me.

3: The Garden of Jane Delawney, by Trees
Eerie song from 1970. Trees were a minor British folk group, but the song... OMG, the song is emo enough to grab and not let go. It grabbed me. One of my first Sam/Dean fics was based on this song, and I still think there's a much better fic in there, somewhere.

4: The Boy in the Picture, by the Seahorses
This band only ever produced one album, to my eternal regrets. This song brings the weeps on, because of the lost youth and the lessons to learn that somehow got lost on the way. All the things I could've done... but didn't!

5: Thief, by Belly
I'm really not a fan of girly voices, but the sheer hurt and emotion in this song makes me shiver to this day. I first heard it on the Tank Girl soundtrack, and I've loved it ever since.

So this is Day 1. There's fic to come, and more songs tomorrow. Tomorrow I'll do songs that make me happy, just to counterbalance the sad here.

Please tell me what you like/hate.

List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they're not any good, but they must be songs you're really enjoying now. Post these instructions in your livejournal along with your seven songs.

Revolution Earth - B52s
Disappointed - PIL
New Drug - De/Vision
Dragnets drag - Peter Murphy
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Jensen Ackles
Madness - Street Corner Symphony
Some Nights - Walk Off The Earth and Julia Nunes

And because I can't just stop at 7:

Tower of Strength - The Mission
The King of Spain - Moxy Fruvous
Songbird - Eva Cassidy
What Goes Around - Steve Carlson
Go Mad - Caleb Kane
Somebody I Used to know - Darren Criss and Matt Bomer
Cough Syrup - Young the Giant

Hugh Dillon of Hard Core Logo, and Flashpoint fame is not just an actor, he's a pretty mean rock 'n roller. He's trying to kickstart a new album with his band, the Headstones, and they are so close to making their stated need. If you're curious about why I love this band so much, go HERE to see what I'm talking about, and then maybe HERE.

Also, in other news, tonight I go to see David Byrne. It's all good! *beams*

Things are just too funny. I have to share this because it's unexpectedly brilliant!

I posted this in response to something in a friend's LJ, but I think I need to repeat it, because I feel incredibly strongly about it.

See, I don't ever buy something if I don't know for sure that I want it. These days, radio stations have incredibly restrictive playlists and most of them are the same anyway. They consist of the stuff that's being pushed at the moment, and most of it is (IMO) crap. About once a year I find something that made it onto the payola list that is actually bearable, but I can't hear the kinds of music I want to hear without paying for something I don't know if I like - unless I download it to listen first. Why would I buy a pig in a poke?

I buy CDs, I do. I own around 2,000 of them and counting. If I really like something I buy it. Often I'll give the artist the benefit of the doubt later and buy their new stuff without downloading first, but all that will stop if I can't hear what they do first.

I have a rec blog for indie music. IF I can't download and listen to stuff, there will be a lot of artists that will be at least one rec lighter.

Then we have TV. Canada is a third world country as far as TV is concerned. Americans have their genre shows and so on (and cancel them) often long before they air in Canada, because so much Canadian TV has to contain Canadian content... and no, SPN is not Canadian content. Canadian content is mostly real and earnest, humourless bilge that is loved by only the pretentious, or amateurish stuff that is very poorly written. There have been exceptions, but guess what! They were canceled. Bah! well, mostly. I sympathise with you guys because your plight is worse than mine.

Let's look at a show like Leverage. I love that show. When they finally started to air it in Canada - on a channel people have to pay extra for - it was starting its third season. Burn Notice is another one. If I hadn't actually seen them (by downloading them) and been caught up in them, they'd have missed out on those Blu Ray sales. They wouldn't have had my money for the merchandise, and the conventions etc.

Make them available to me for download, and it won't stop me buying them. I am not alone. I'm one of many.

And I watch Supernatural twice on a Friday, then I download it and watch it some more, and I have it all on my hard drive, but I also own all the DVDs AND the Blu Rays, and T-shirts and books and comics and I go to cons when I can, and it's what I do. I vote. I promote, I hook my friends and colleagues and I provide huge PR for the shows I love.

You too. We need to make this known to the media owning freaks that think they are missing out on cash. They'll miss out on so much more if they cut us off. However most of the time I can't even see the goddamned trailers until some kind soul takes pity and uploads them to Youtube to snare them.

We need to fight for fans everywhere.

/rant

Steve's Stageit gig was awesome today. He played the usual suspects of course. One of these days, he'll do a gig without Pinata Novia, and that will make me happy, but he finished up with "Running to Stand Still," which is, and will always be one of my favourites, and to make it even better, Jensen joined Steve and Jonah to play Steve's guitar while Steve played mandolin.

I am becoming very impressed with Jonah Dolan's musical abilities too. He sings very nicely.

I had bought the album back in 2008, because I'd read that Jared paid for it. It's okay - a little boring. I certainly wouldn't pay $200 for the privilege of hearing the band. If you want to make up your own mind before bidding to sit next to Bad Actress and her main man, here's your chance:



"For Her" by Brian Buckley

XFM - It's a Cool, Cool Christmas

Chris Isaak - Christmas

Christmas Mix '07

Christmas Music Assorted

Superstar Christmas

Winter, Fire & Snow - Songs for the Holidays

Comment if you take, please.