Every band has those songs that when you hear them live they take you to a whole other place. That’s not to say the studio version isn’t good, it’s just that the live version adds a bit more and you really feel it. One of my favorite up and coming bands, Minor Strut has a song that I have loved since I first heard it. Every time they play it live I get completely drawn in and don’t want it to end. The song is called “Gotta Tell You” and it rocks in more ways than I can describe. The song has a really great melodic sensibility along with a very pulsating rhythm that balances it all. Then you add in singer Coryn’s soaring vocal and you’ve got a recipe for a great song. I seriously can’t get enough of this song! You can see Minor Strut live on March 28 at The Cobalt Presents/Audioeclectica concert at Hotel Ziggy along with 5 other up and coming bands!
Ah yes the elusive cover song. My it’s been a long while since there was a cover song article on Audioeclectica. The musical landscape these days has so many cover songs that there needed to be a moratorium on talking about them. Seriously, how flooded did things get with all the covers that were coming out?! It feels like there needs to be a bit of a refresher when it comes to cover songs. The point of a cover is to make it your own and that more often than not doesn’t happen. Thankfully there are some bands out there that know how to do it right, like Metallica. Back in 1998, Metallica released their double covers album, Garage Inc. Across two CD’s, Metallica paid tribute to the bands that inspired them from Black Sabbath, Diamond Head, The Misfits, Discharge, Thin Lizzy, Motorhead and more. The cover of Bob Seger’s “Turn The Page” is one of the best covers of all time. But there has always been one cover on this album that has been a favorite of mine and that is their version of Killing Joke’s “The Wait.” Originally this cover was included on Metallica’s 1987 Garage Days EP. The Killing Joke version appears on their 1980 debut album. When you hear “The Wait” by Killing Joke, you can instantly tell that this band inspired and influenced Metallica. In fact you more than likely have heard this song used in countless films and TV shows. Let’s get cover songs back on track! Here’s a great way to start it off!!!
Nine Inch Nails are one of those bands that truly have masterful deep cuts. You can go through each album and find premium choice cuts all throughout. Hesitation Marks is a great example of a Nine Inch Nails album with amazing deep cuts. I’ve recently been diving deeper into this record and it’s been quite the trip. The latter half of the album contains my favorite song off the record in “Various Methods Of Escape” but, that’s not the song that has been compelled to write this. The song that peaked my thought process on this was “In Two.” What a song! The way the quiet synth layers open the song, then sway into the drum loops and pulsating bass mixed with the delicate piano is slightly hypnotic. Then you add in the vocals which compliment all the dynamic parts so perfectly. The lyrics match the music in the best way possible. It’s also noteworthy to mention that Adrien Belew of King Crimson and Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac play guitar on this song. One other stupendous aspect of “In Two” is how the ending flows so well into “While I’m Still Here.” Seriously, you can’t go wrong with Hesitation Marks!
Every so often a mainstream artist really surprises me. For a while now, I’ve had my hear and eyes on Yungblud. When I first heard him in 2018, I wasn’t too into what he was doing. Then as time went on and the evolution of Dominic Harrison grew, I could tell that there was more than what was happening at first. Deep down, you could tell he wasn’t going to sit idly by and let others dictate where he was to go. So instead, Yungblud/Dominic committed to his vision and went for it. The end result is the album Idols. Since I don’t believe in guilty pleasures anymore, I have to say this album is quite enjoyable and full of rather interesting songs that explore more than just a surface level that pop music usually does. Instead, digging into the bands and artists that fed into Dom becoming “Yungblud” makes Idols a great listen. The song “Zombie,” and no it’s not The Cranberries song or a cover, has really taken things to another level. The song is now nominated for a Grammy and has an all new, reimagined version that features The Smashing Pumpkins. Since this alternate version with The Smashing Pumpkins arrived last week, I’ve been stuck on it. The original version of “Zombie” already had a Pumpkins gloss to it and now, it’s fully realized with this collaboration. When Billy Corgan sings the lyrics and especially the second verse, the chills and goosebumps will appear! If you get the chance to, check out Billy’s interview show, The Magnificent Others, and watch the couple interviews he’s done with Dominic/Yungblud. They are great intereviews and gives a really good insight into who he is as a person and artist. This kid is the real deal and I’m quite interested to see what comes next! And who can forget his absolute stellar performance of Black Sabbath’s “Changes” at the Back To The Beginning concert!
The year is 2006 and Alice In Chains have begun their triumphant return. Getting out there and bringing the songs we all know and love back to life was one of those things that the universe got right. When this all started going again, you could tell that the fans were really glad to have Alice back. Granted the late Layne Staley was not a part of this but, William DuVall has truly shown he is up for the job and does a stellar job. During Alice In Chains summer festival run in Europe back in 2006, the band welcomed a very special guest to join them on stage for “Would?” That guest was the one and only James Hetfield of Metallica. This version of “Would?” is fantastic and will give you chills for sure. I still hope for the day we can get a Metallica and Alice In Chains tour! Can you imagine the how awesome that would be? I sure can! Enjoy this really memorable performance!!
Today would’ve been Scott Weiland’s 58th birthday. Scott was one of those talents that truly had a gift of song. The way he wrote lyrics, conjuring sweet melodies, and his performances, there was no denying Scott was one of the best. With it being Scott’s birthday, why not highlight one of my all time favorite Stone Temple Pilots songs, “Atlanta.” This song is absolutely divine. There’s moments throughout the song that makes it feel like The Doors are a part of the song. And I do LOVE The Doors. I still remember the first time I heard this song when I bought the CD and got it home. I wound up putting “Atlanta” on repeat for at least a good hour. It’s also one of the best ending the night songs as you pull into the garage or parking spot. STP has always had a knack for writing great songs with a vibe. “Atlanta” is a great example of that! Happy Birthday Scott!
Atlanta (Through The Eyes/Ears Of Robert, Dean and Eric):
I’m not sure where or how Incubus popped in my head the other day. It was definitely out of nowhere and then suddenly I wound up with their song “Sick Sad Little World” playing in my head on repeat. I’ve always enjoyed this song. In fact I’d dare say it’s one of the best songs in the Incubus catalog. So, as it always tends to happen, I went down the rabbit hole of Incubus and remembered their captivating performance at Red Rocks in Colorado that happened during the A Crow Left Of The Murder tour cycle. This version of “Sick Sad Little World” is otherworldly and epic! The song is already epic by nature but with the extended version and added live goodies, it just makes the song so much better! Here’s to hoping Incubus can at least get back to this level on their upcoming new album!
Incubus- Sick Sad Little World (Live At Red Rocks / 2004):
It’s not a surprise to anyone that’s been reading Audioeclectica for a while that I’m a giant fan of The Smashing Pumpkins. Their catalog is one of my all time favorites and there’s always something new to discover among all the albums, b-sides, live versions and then some. During the pandemic, The Smashing Pumpkins released an album called CYR that is quite the under appreciated album in their repetoire. After countless listens and hearing a handful of these songs live, it became very apparent to me that I need to talk more about this underrated gem. One song that I really want to showcase is the song “Birch Grove.” This songs is quite a beautiful song. The version that I’m featuring was performed by Billy Corgan solo while a guest on the Howard Stern show. I love this song even more after hearing this version, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. And Happy Birthday WPC!
2025 is the year Helmet’s album Betty turns 30. It gets crazier and crazier to me seeing all these album that as a young kid I listened to all the time. Betty is one of the best and underrated albums of the 1990’s. There has always been one song in particular on Betty that I’ve loved since first hearing it and that song is “I Know.” This song is so damn good. It’s got this great rhythm that drives it all and it hits like a sledgehammer through concrete walls. Then you add in the textured guitar part that gives you that moment of “oh shit.” And when you put it all together with the riff and vocals it just takes you to another world! The version you hear on the album is a bit different than the early versions of the song. Take a listen to both and see which one you like better! Enjoy!
Helmet- “I Know” (Demo Version- Live In Italy / 1993):
It’s been quite a while since I listened to Tool but, last night I was thinking something related to them and wound up putting Lateralus on for bed. As I listened and got to track 9, I remembered why I liked this album so much. I also believe that this was the last good thing they have put out in years (but that’s for another topic and another day). “Lateralus” was actually released as a single to radio in February of 2022 with a Radio Edit version that’s about 6 minutes long (5:47 to be exact). This is also the song most well known for using the Fibonacci sequence in its creation. I’ve also heard that this song is about an acid trip. Either way this song is awesome, epic and a phenomenal title track to a great album.
