The songwriter should not be punished for the banal inanity of the singer who sings their song.  This is why I always enjoy when a talented artist brings some emotional depth to a Top 40 cover (Idols, take heed… it can be done!)  A perfect example is the Britney Spears catalogue.  Good musicians love to take notorious Britney singles and reinvent them---probably because they usually sound better by comparison. Here for your consideration are three great Britney Spears covers.

Frankly, we all need a break from 60s, 70s, and 80s theme weeks.  

“Toxic” (written by Bloodshy & Avant, Cathy Dennis, and Henrik Jonback)

as performed by Yael Naïm: 

You’ve heard Yael from those Macbook Air commercials: “I’m a new soul, I came to this strange world… la-la-la-la…”  That’s her.  Born in Paris, Yael spent the better part of her childhood in Israel.  Now she’s back in Paris and recording breathy, hum-able pop songs in English, French and Hebrew.  Her music is perfect for an early morning café au lait (Starbucks… put her on your shelf next to Sia Furler).  Because Yael has been featured in a Mac commercial, you just know she’s going to go all Feist and become HUGE in about a minute. So beat the crowd and check out her self-titled sophomore album.   

Yael’s simple, poetic cover of “Toxic” transforms what was a screechy, intolerable dance single into an evocative ode to an addictive relationship.  Stripped guitars and flutes with echoing Middle Eastern influences create an atmospheric ballad.  Who knew Britney’s vapid track could sound so achingly sensuous (the French-Israeli accent sure does help).

* Close second: Nickel Creek’s “Toxic,” which I first heard when they performed it for an approving crowd at Lollapalooza 2006.  Definitely check it out. 

“Baby One More Time” (written by Max Martin)

as performed by Travis:  

There might never have been a Coldplay, Keane, or Snow Patrol if this renowned Scottish quartet hadn’t paved the way for their fellow folk pop-rockers.  Travis has had huge success with singles like "Why Does It Always Rain On Me" and "Sing," and The Invisible Band was named Top of the Pops’ Album of the Year.  The guys love doing B-side covers (Queen, Radiohead, David Bowie, the Band, Bob Dylan... the list goes on).  One such B-side was “Baby One More Time.”

It is the quintessential Spears cover.  After all, Britney’s debut is one of the most successful pop songs of all-time, and Travis was the first in a long line of artists to cover it.  I first listened to Travis’s version on their Driftwood single (I believe it also appeared on the Turn single) back in 1999, right around the time Britney’s original was jet setting her path to superstardom.  The cover is so deliciously coffee shop, and Fran Healy’s vocals are intense and heart breaking.  The live audience begins the song laughing at the joke (Travis is singing Britney Spears… ha ha!), but by the end chorus, they’re silent, rapt, and bursting into spontaneous applause.  

“Oops! I Did It Again” (written by Max Martin)

as performed by Richard Thompson:  

Richard Thompson is a world-renowned guitarist, an award-winning songwriter, has over forty albums in his repertoire, and his career has spanned four decades.  Despite all of this, I admit (abashedly) I’d never heard of him until 2004, when he composed the haunting score of Werner Herzog’s Grizzly Man.  Since discovering Richard and his Kangol cap, I join the throngs who believe he should be a household name among the likes of John Denver or Neil Young. 

Richard’s cover of Britney’s single came about when Playboy asked him to contribute a list of the ten greatest songs of the millennium.  Like any self-respecting musical connoisseur, he took the “millennium” part quite literally and turned in an all-inclusive list that consisted of medieval dirges, operatic arias, and 19th century folk.  Playboy was really just looking for songs from the last fifty years and turned down his suggestions.  On the upside, the idea spawned Richard’s live concert series and the accompanying album, 1000 Years of Popular Music, which he concludes with Britney’s “Oops!”   In the second half of the cover is a lovely guitar bridge that showcases Richard’s “pick and fingers” playing technique, as well as his proclivity for traditional music. 

You know Richard’s fans aren’t that familiar with Britney when the crowd attempts to sing along and gets the words wrong.  

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Got any ideas for upcoming Good Music Corners?  Convince me at CaricaturesByLaura@yahoo.com

"Thou shalt not put musicians and recording artists on ridiculous pedestals, no matter how great they are or were.  The Beatles were just a band."  This lyric is from the refreshingly acerbic "Thou Shalt Always Kill" by Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip.  The Beatles top a long list of other sacred musical acts (The Clash, the Sex Pistols), and the song serves as a reminder to us all.  These idolized bands didn't cure cancer.  They didn't negotiate peace treaties.  They're just bands. 

Nevertheless, American Idol has decided to feed the frenzy and devote two weeks to the boys from Liverpool.  Really, why do the Beatles deserve an extra week?  Why not dub this week “British Week” and open the floor to hundreds of other great bands that could use the extra airplay?  If I were producing Idol that’s exactly what would happen, and below are a few acts that would make the cut.  To keep in the spirit of the theme this week, I have narrowed down my selection to British bands that begin with the English language’s favorite (or favourite) article.  So, without further ado, I give you The…    

The Zutons:

The city that gave us the Beatles also gave us the Zutons.  Dave McCabe (lead vocals, guitar), Russell Pritchard (bass), Sean Payne (drums), former member Boyan Chowdhury (lead guitar), and the perpetually barefoot Abi Harding (vocals, sax) formed the band in 2001.  You might have caught them when they toured with the Killers in 2004.  They’re a goofy group, attributed mainly to Dave McCabe’s great sense of humor.  Big brass accompaniment and earnest vocals elevate the Zutons’ unique, quirky sound.  Plus, they’re just so darn likeable.  So the next time you’re knocking back a lager, raise a toast to the Beatles, the Zutons, and the awesome Liverpool music scene. 

SUGGESTIONS:  Hooks don’t get catchier than “Haunts Me,” a download-only track from 2003.  “Confusion” from Who Killed… the Zutons? is varnished, twinkling pop music that nicely showcases Abi Harding’s saxophone.  Also check out “Don’t Ever Think (Too Much),” an upbeat track from the same album that crackles with jumping energy. 

The Subways:

I had the good fortune to see the Subways live.  The then-teenage London based threesome (composed of band leader Billy Lunn, drummer Josh Morgan, and pint-sized bassist Charlotte Cooper) performed a frenetic rock show complete with earnest guitar ripping, stage jumping, and a lo-fi garage quality that’s all the rage right now.   The Subways’ on-stage energy has served them well; in just four short years and after some hardcore touring, they’ve gone from home recorded EPs to being featured in The O.C., Live Free Die Hard, and Charlie Bartlett, as well as appearances on late night talk shows.  Right now the only available Subways album is Young For Eternity, but their sophomore effort is out this summer. 

SUGGESTIONS:  “I Want To Hear What You Have Got To Say” showcases both Billy and Charlotte’s vocals… frankly, Charlotte deserves a little more mic time on the next album. “Somewhere” starts as a soft lullaby but builds to a rollicking anthem, while “Rock & Roll Queen” is Billy’s lovin’, rockin’ ode to his girlfriend / band mate (the two have since broken up… assuring a sophomore album stocked with screaming indie heartbreak). 

The Cribs: 

This Wakefield trio has been elected to numerous “Best of Indie Rock” lists, and it’s no wonder: they follow the formula to a tee.  Retro-looking album covers?  Check.  Pretentious musical inspirations?  Check.  DIY promotion?  Check.  Lyrics about the lameness of posers?  Check.  The Cribs are the Jarman brothers (Gary, Ryan and Ross) and they're tormented post punk at its best: scratchy guitars and shouting choruses with catchy lyrics.  Cribs’ music is perfect for stomping it out at your local hole-in-the-wall… or maybe just blasting from your bedroom to piss off your parents. 

SUGGESTIONS:  My personal favorite Cribs’ track is “Be Safe,” a spoken word romp featuring Sonic Youth’s Lee Renaldo, from Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever.  Also check out the up-tempo “Men’s Needs” from the same album.  “Hey Scenesters!” from The New Fellas perfectly encapsulates the Cribs “we are indie rock and you are SOOOO lame if you listen to the Top 40” schtick.  

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Got any ideas for upcoming Good Music Corners?  Convince me at CaricaturesByLaura@yahoo.com

This week was Beatles week.  Ahem, Beatles week.  John Lennon.  Paul McCartney.  So tell me… how did Idol sneak a Stevie Wonder version of "We Can Work It Out" into the lineup?  How do they do that!?  I like Stevie as much as the next girl, but there’s only so much “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” a person can take.   

Gentlemen of American Idol, for the good of good music, stop singing insipid, overplayed pop.  In a perfect world, the producers of Idol would devote some time promoting the surplus of amazing male singer/songwriters out there.  So Idol guys, grab the bull by the horns and remember… you’re men!  The tenor, the bass and the baritone are sexier than the screeching female soprano.  Do a service to your gender, stop singing Phil Collins, and consider the following options:    

Instead of Elton John: 

I’m a KCRW / NPR type of girl.  A Hideout Block Party girl.  But, on occasion, I do like to check up on the real-life incarnations of my caricatures (see banner above).  Was it fate, then, when last Tuesday I tuned in to Fox’s number one haven for bad music and heard the ethereal “Halleluiah” grace the stage?  Has the world ended?  Has hell frozen over?  What in God's name is Jeff Buckley doing on American Idol?  

True, the cover by dreadlocked Idol contestant Jason Castro was blasphemous, but it got me thinking.  What if the contestants of American Idol were allowed to choose from a different kind of catalogue?  No more Phil Collins.  No more Journey.  What would be on that list?  Here I offer a little corner in the Idol universe, an oasis in the desert.   

Good music.   ---- Laura

Today: CHICKS WITH CHOPS  

Girls of American Idol, for the good of good music, stop singing sappy diva ballads!  On Wednesday night, in an effort to show off your range you belted Celine Dion and Whitney Houston with all your heart and soul.  Poor children.  It’s like trying to paint the Sistine Chapel with Crayola crayons.  Do you not realize there are so many other singers out there with better songs?  In a perfect world, a girl wanting to flaunt her vocal chops would not resort to the Carey-Houston-Dion catalogue. Here for your perusal are perfectly viable alternatives.

Instead of Mariah Carey:

Sing some Neko Case.

Like Mariah, this redhead has a massive set of pipes.  Neko is a member of the indie power pop group The New Pornographers and also has a smashing solo career. Reminiscent of retro country singers like Loretta Lynn (with a little Tom Waits thrown into the mix), her honky-tonk songs are tailor made for jukeboxes in smoky bars.  She is a fierce advocate of artistic integrity and has turned down a shlew of major label offers.  Neko also refused to pose for Playboy, despite being voted 2003’s “Sexiest Babe of Indie Rock.”  Her reasoning?  “I didn’t want to be the girl who posed in Playboy and then—by the way—made some music.  I would be really fucking irritated if after a show somebody wanted me to sign some naked picture of myself instead of a CD.”  Someone needs to pass this advice on to Mariah.

SUGGESTIONS: Zero in on her cover of Elvis Costello’s “Runnin’ Out of Fools” from Blacklisted and the unreleased “Holy to the Lord” from Fox Confessor Brings the Flood.  “Thrice All American,” Neko’s ode to her hometown of Tacoma from Furnace Room Lullaby, is a fun romp as well.

Instead of Whitney Houston:

Sing some Alice Smith. 

Up and comer Alice Smith can belt one out with the big girls. Her debut album, For Lovers, Dreamers & Me made top lists across the country, but the girl got zero radio play.  Reviewers tend to pigeonhole her as the next Alicia Keys, but she’s so much more than just another R&B princess.   At times flirtatious, sultry, and soulful, her music is tough to categorize.  Raised in both urban D.C. and rural Georgia, Alice embodies an eclectic mix of pop-blues-soul sensibilities.  Oh, and she has a four octave range.  Suck it, Whitney. 

SUGGESTIONS: “Desert Song” and “Dream” show off Alice’s vocal power, while “Woodstock” is so deliciously bubbly, you’ll be hard put not to bop along.

Instead of Celine Dion:

Sing some Chantal Kreviazuk.

Like Celine, Chantal has the Canadian connection and is a big hit north of the border.  A classically trained pianist, she has written songs for radio poptarts Avril Lavigne and Idol’s own Kelly Clarkson.  With parts in movies and songs on soundtracks, Chantal has made a career out of flying just below the big-time radar.  Her voice is folk heavy, jumping between light as whip creamed and rough as charcoal.  The lady is a hardcore belter.  Chantal belts out her beautiful lyrics with raw, unleashed emotion that puts Celine’s over-produced ballads to shame.

SUGGESTIONS: “Eve” from Colour Moving and Still showcases Chantal’s range and belting ability; “Morning Light” from What If It All Means Something is perfect light pop poetry for romantics.  Like everyone, Chantal has performed The Rolling Stone’s “Wild Horses”; unlike the others’, her live cover gives the original a run for its money.

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Got any ideas for upcoming Good Music Corners?  Convince me at CaricaturesByLaura@yahoo.com.