I had several different ideas for this week’s Tune in Tuesday, but one song kept popping into my head and would not be ignored. I am unapologetic in my love for the band Cake, and I really dig the groove of this song in particular — it’s got a definite funk/soul flavor, in my opinion! I’ve also been a little bit obsessed with love songs lately…I blame too much “Say Yes to the Dress”! Anyway, here is Cake with “Love You Madly”:

So remember how last week I featured Ted Leo’s kickass cover of Kelly Clarkson? And how I gushed that he is one of my favorite musical artists ever? Well, I found a really interesting cover of one of HIS songs, thanks to the A.V. Club! So this week I give you Basia Bulat covering Ted Leo’s “Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone?” The actual song starts at [1:10], but if you have time, you should also listen to her comments about why she chose to cover this particular song. I like that she actually thought about the song’s meaning and how it fits into a broader musical tradition. I also really like her cover (although obviously I prefer the original)! I’d never heard of Basia Bulat before, but I’m digging her voice and her folky style. Plus, it looks like she’s having a ton of fun! I’ll have to check out more of her stuff now.

Cover:

Original:

I’m really warming up to the cover edition of Tune in Tuesday now. As you may recall, I was a bit flummoxed by this theme initially, since I didn’t think I could come up with four covers I liked more than the originals. But I’m starting to appreciate covers a little bit more now…it’s not always a question of being better than the original song, but rather presenting that song to listeners in a new way. So today I’m sharing a cover that I really like, of a song that I don’t really like! The cover artist is Ted Leo, whom I love love love. Seriously, he is one of my all-time favorite musical artists, and I wholeheartedly recommend that you check out lots and lots of his stuff! (I’ll undoubtedly feature some of his original songs in a future Tune in Tuesday post, so stay tuned for that.) And in the meantime, here’s his cover of Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone” (with a little bit of “Maps” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs)! As I said, I don’t particularly like the original, but when I heard Ted Leo’s version, I was like, “Hey, this song’s not so bad after all!” Sometimes all you need is a fresh perspective. 🙂

Cover:

Original:

It’s the second week of Tune in Tuesday’s cover theme, and I decided that I definitely needed to feature a Reel Big Fish cover! RBF was one of my favorite bands in college; I’ve seen them live more than once, and they are still solidly on my iPod rotation. They’re so goofy and high-energy and self-deprecating, and they’ve put their ska/punk twist on a bunch of really fun songs! I actually had trouble deciding between their version of “Boys Don’t Cry” and “Take on Me,” but ultimately I decided to go with the latter. (But go here for “Boys Don’t Cry” if you want it!) I love how they replaced the catchy synthesizer line with brass instruments! So here’s Reel Big Fish covering “Take on Me,” originally performed by A-ha. P.S., the original video is a thing of beauty!

Cover:

Original:

Time for another themed month at Tune in Tuesday! During September, we’ll be sharing our favorite cover songs. I think this will actually be a pretty difficult theme for me, since I generally tend to prefer the original song to the cover. But it’s always interesting to hear a different spin on a song you like, and there are some very creative bands out there! So this week I’m giving you a cover I actually like: “Come On Eileen” as performed by Save Ferris, covering Dexys Midnight Runners. You may recognize Save Ferris from their cameo in “10 Things I Hate About You” (they were the band that played at the prom)!

Cover:

Original:

I’ve said it before, and I’m sure I’ll say it again: Pandora has been introducing me to some really great songs these days! I got this week’s Tune in Tuesday pick from my Mumford & Sons station, and it’s a sweet, folksy tune with a very catchy melody. Here’s “Either Way” by Beta Radio…hope you enjoy!

Strangely enough, the first place I ever heard this song was an episode of “Gilmore Girls”; it played underneath the first kiss between Lane and Dave Rogowski in “A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving” (3×09). It’s hard to imagine a more incongruous song for a romantic moment…this song is heavy and kind of heartbreaking. But I love the haunting guitar riff at the beginning! So for this week’s Tune in Tuesday, I give you “The Man Who Sold the World” by David Bowie:

I first heard this week‘s song on an episode of “Chuck” (4×17, “Chuck vs. the First Bank of Evil”) and was immediately charmed by it. I love how it builds in complexity, starting with a simple guitar accompaniment and gradually adding voices and instruments. I also like the very strong, driving beat underneath. And of course, the singer’s Scottish accent doesn’t hurt a bit! So without further ado, here’s “Squealing Pigs” by Admiral Fallow:

My pick for this week was influenced by the weather: it’s overcast and threatening rain, so I was in the mood for something very quiet and slow. I actually discovered this song recently…the title was mentioned on a blog I was reading, and I loved it so much that I had to go and listen to the song immediately! Here’s The Magnetic Fields with “Love Is Like a Bottle of Gin”:

My pick for this week’s Tune in Tuesday is once again taken from a TV show. This time it’s “Bunheads,” a charmingly quirky ABC Family dramedy that has unfortunately been canceled. (Side note: ABC Family, whyyy? Do you really have anything else going on?) This is actually quite an old song — originally published in 1927, according to Wikipedia — but I really like this performance in particular! Here’s the Beatles with “Ain’t She Sweet”: