The Thorn

Here's a haunting new psych folk track from UK band The Thorn (FKA Large Plants), a rework of traditional French ballad "La Pernette."  Listen below and download it here from the artist.

Daily Jam - I Only Have Eyes for You

Today is my 18th wedding anniversary with Paige.  Here's LA shoegaze band Tashaki Miyaki covering a track made famous by The Flamingos.  Listen to "I Only Have Eyes for You" below, our Daily Jam.

Daily Jam - Slowest and Saddest Waltz

Here's a little psychedelic jazz pop from Shades of Joy to get your morning started.  Here we have the group performing music from Alexandro Jodorowsky's "El Topo."  Wild stuff.  Check out "Slowest and Saddest Waltz" below, our Daily Jam.

Medicine

I probably heard LA alt-rock/shoegaze band Medicine for the first time on "The Crow" soundtrack way, way back in 1994.  And though the lineup has evolved, the band has continued making music all these years.  August sees the release of "We'll Run Away," a collection of material originally released digitally by the band's Brad Laner, but getting a proper vinyl pressing this time around.  The album's opening track, "Keep an Eye on Summer," has me sold.  An instant, dreamy summer jam that feels old and new at the same time (being that it's one of a baker's dozen of Beach Boys covers, i guess that makes sense).  This one's going to be on repeat here for awhile as the season rolls on.  Check it out below and pre-order the LP here from Painted Air.

Daily Jam - Mussolini's Exit

I'm lounging at a hill country resort with my family for the next couple of days before my work schedule gets crazy.  Sip a cocktail with me and toast to the death of a fascist with Alvarius B's cover of Ennio Morricone's "Mussolini's Exit."  Check it out below, our Daily Jam.

Daily Jam - Moon Light

You maybe didn't think that you were going to hear Japanese composer and guitarist Shoji Yokouchi and Japanese violinist Shigeru Toyama play a jazzy neo-classical rendition of Beethoven's "Piano Sonata No. 14," AKA the "Moonlight Sonata," today, but here we are.  Listen to "Moon Light" below, our Daily Jam.

Xiu Xiu

A few years ago, long-running experimental band Xiu Xiu paid tribute to David Lynch and Angelo Badalamenti by covering the music from "Twin Peaks."  This July, they give a nod to Lynch once again with "Eraserhead Xiu Xiu," a new live concert with an accompanying film and album.  Listen to their surreal take on Peter Ivers' "In Heaven" below and pre-order the LP here from Polyvinyl Records.

Jumprope

I got to got see Tripping Daisy last night, scratching off a major miss from my high school / college days.  They were great.  Opening for them was the lovely Houston garage pop band Jumprope.  Here they are covering Enya.  Listen to "Only Time" below and download it here.

Daily Jam - The Man Who Sold the World

Here's Midge Ure's excellent darkwave synth pop take on David Bowie's "The Man Who Sold the World."  This just might be my favorite version of the song.  Listen below, our Daily Jam.

Daily Jam - Winterlong

Here's the Pixies covering Neil Young just because i love you.  Listen to "Winterlong" below, our Daily Jam.

Chat Pile

Oklahoma hardcore punk/black metal/screamo band hybrid dropped a new 7" on Friday that i missed out on whilst working all weekend.  The A-side is a beast and the B-side is a cover of an old Nirvana song.  Check out both "Masks" and the "Sifting" cover below and download them here from Sub Pop (the vinyl is already sold out).

Daily Jam - Any Way that You Want Me

It's my youngest son's birthday today.  He's 10.  This life just goes so damn fast.  Anyway, he has no idea who they are, but i'm listening to some Spiritualized this morning before work since they're one of those bands that puts me in my happy place.  Here they are covering "Any Way that You Want Me," a track written by Chip Taylor and first recorded by Tina Mason.  The song has since been covered by a ton of different groups, most notably The Troggs in 1966.  Check it out below, our Daily Jam.  And happy birthday Robbie!

Daily Jam - Hurt

I'm not one of those people that thinks some artist was born to sing some other artist's song or whatever nonsense.  I just like a good cover, something an artist can make their own while still giving a nod to the original.  Johnny Cash's take on Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt" is one of those.  Listen below, our Daily Jam.

Sprints Cover Le Tigre

I'm a few minutes out from a company-wide Zoom meeting (ugh!), so let me leave you with a raucous and propulsive new post punk jam from Irish band Sprints.  Dig on their fun cover of Le Tigre's "Deceptacon" below and download it here from Sub Pop.

Daily Jam - A Whiter Shade of Pale

When you woke up this morning, did you want to listen to a cheesy, Italo-disco cover of Procol Harum's "A Whiter Shade of Pale" featuring synth work from Georgio Moroder?  Of course you did.  Here's Moroder and Munich Machine with our Daily Jam.

Daily Jam - Bitter-Sweet

Back in the '90s for the "Velvet Goldmine" soundtrack, the filmmakers put together a supergroup called The Venus in Furs consisting of Radiohead's Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, Suede's Bernard Butler, Grant Lee Buffalo's Paul Kimble, and Roxy Music's Andy Mackay.  Here they are covering Roxy Music's "Bitter-Sweet."  Listen below, our Daily Jam.

Hey! You! It's my 5 Favorite Cover Songs of 2025

To make some extra room on my favorite songs list from yesterday, i removed all the cover songs.  And now i'm posting them today.  While outdoing an original can be a nearly impossible feat, though it's been done a few times, these artists certainly give it a go.  And i love them for that.

Andy Bell (featuring Dot Allison and Michael Rother) - "I'm in Love... (Justin Robertson's Deadstock 33s Remix)"

A whole lot of people, including Ride's Andy Bell, singer/songwriter Dot Allison, Neu!'s Michael Rother and producer Justin Robertson come together for this excellent version of The Passions' "I'm in Love with a German Film Star."

Deary - "No Ordinary Love"

Shoegazy London duo Deary have been one of my favorite acts of the last couple years and this year, they made Sade's "No Ordinary Love" their own,

My Transparent Eye - "Candy Says"

Anyone who likes The Velvet Underground is okay in my book, so kudos to New York's My Transparent Eye.

Cody Blanchard - "I Don't Wanna Go Down to the Basement"

Shannon and The Clams member Cody Blanchard provided the B-Side to a posthumous Jay Reatard 7" released earlier this year.  He takes a Ramones classic and turns it into something haunting and uniquely his own.

SUSS - "This Land Is Your Land"

New York ambient country and Americana band SUSS essentially provided a soundtrack for the appalling state of things back in January with an absolutely devastating instrumental rendition of Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land."  It nails the mood completely.

And on that somber note, tune in again tomorrow for some of my favorite songs of 2025 that did not come out in 2025, though for some reason or another i just now heard for the first time in 2025.

Xiu Xiu

Long running experimental band Xiu Xiu have been making interesting music for years and years now, and in the mix of all that have been numerous cover versions of songs that the band really make their own.  January sees the release of new album "Xiu Mutha Fuckin' Xiu: Vol. 1," a collection of covers from the band spanning everyone from The Talking Heads to The Runaways.  Check out their absolutely gutting version of Daniel Johnston's "Some Things Last a Long Time" below and pre-order the LP here from Polyvinyl Records.

Daily Jam - True Love Will Find You in the End

Here's Spectrum covering Daniel Johnston's "True Love Will Find You in the End."  Happy Thanksgiving everybody.  Listen below, our Daily Jam.

Pulp Covers Cash

Fresh off of their first new album in over two decades, legendary Britpop act Pulp are back again, this time around covering a late track from The Man In Black.  Johnny Cash's "When the Man Comes Around" opened his final album before his death back in 2003.  And now we have a Pulp version.  Listen to it below and download it here from Rough Trade.