Sunday 03.21.2010 | 6:23 PM UTC

Undercover: Don’t be fooled by legit imitations

Part 1 of 2

Some things to keep in mind:

1. There’s nothing new under the sun
2. Some ideas are better than others
3. Some ideas’ mothers are bigger than other ideas’ mothers
4. I thought of it first

In 1999 I started amassing a hefty collection of cover songs recorded or performed by big-gun artists and fledgling indies. Lovingly sequenced, badly art-directed and inspiringly named, Undercover became a coveted collection of faithful renditions and inspired interpretations of the pop music canon.

125-tracks strong and still growing, it reminds us of pre-teen years spent in front of a mirror, tennis racket slung low, air-guitaring our way to stardom to the strains of Highway to Hell. Ok, for me it was more like air-drumming with utter precision through the whole of Moving Pictures. It’s the unspoiled yen of a pure heart that aspires a kid to get the band back together again, learning to rock by imitation of our musical heroes.

There’s much to, um, cover on the subject, so for now I say just this:

It’s mine. All mine. Don’t be fooled by legit imitations:

http://10trecords.com/10t-undercover-officially-released-today/

10 years prior to this sham, The Original is so much better. Nyah, nyah. Witness a selection from Volumes 1 thru 5 (hurriedly compiled, unlovingly sequenced, for now). You can hear complete versions of each volume here or in the audio player at the top of this page.

–

–

//More

Tuesday 01.05.2010 | 4:23 AM UTC

Top 30 Studio Drum Sounds Ever

Don’t argue, young’uns. Go to your room and don’t come out till you finish your homework:

Not talking strictly performance or technical prowess. It’s the texture, man.

In no particular order:

1. John Lennon: Watching The Wheels
2. Spoon: All the Pretty Girls Go to the City
3. Dusty Springfield: Son of A Preacher Man
4. The Beatles: (tie) A Day In The Life/Tomorrow Never Knows
5. Cream: White Room. Just for you, hippies.
6. Joy Division: Transmission
7. Led Zeppelin: (tie) Fool In The Rain/Good Times Bad Times
8. PJ Harvey: O Stella
9. The Police: (tie) Roxanne/Every Breath You Take. Don’t lie, you love it.
10. Velvet Underground: Oh Sweet Nothin’
11. Gang of Four: Damaged Goods
12. The Smiths: How Soon Is Now?
13. Prince: (tie) Lady Cab Driver/Pop Life
14. Beastie Boys: Sabotage
15. The Fall: Chicago, Now!
16. Lou Reed: Coney Island Baby
17. Fleetwood Mac: Dreams
18. David Bowie: Five Years
19. Elvis Costello: Lipstick Vogue
20. The Cure: 10:15 Saturday Night
21. The Cars: Candy-O
22. Gary Numan: Cars
23. Psychedelic Furs: Pretty In Pink (OST Version).
24. U2: (tie) New Year’s Day/Elvis Presley In America
25. Adam Ant: Goody Two Shoes
26. R.E.M.: 7 Chinese Brothers
27. The National: Brainy
28. Elliott Smith: Alameda
29. Big Country: In A Big Country
30. The Who: Eminence Front. Surprise! Keith Moon doesn’t play on this track.

Wednesday 12.23.2009 | 4:23 AM UTC

Ancestor of Oughts:
Best (old) Music of the Decade

Everybody’s got ‘em, present company obviously included. Lists and lists of the best of this and that to help mark the passing of another 10 crazy years. But the Ought’s ancestors called, and they want their jaggy guitars, compressed drum tracks, cheesy keyboard sounds and whispery vocals back.

So, here’s to those records without whom our latest crop of honorable pirates and thieves would have starved on the streets. And make no mistake, this is no slight. The bad only borrow. Only the good steal.

Listen up: