I’m taking a week off from theme-mongering to bring you many different things, all ground up together.
Glass Eye “Minnie The Moocher” (Cab Calloway)
Whoever these Glass Eye people are, they bring a definite rock attitude to the jazz standard.
Diodes “Red Rubber Ball” (Cyrcle)
I’ve heard that the Diodes recorded this song after learning that Paul Simon (who wrote it) hated punk rock. But try as they might the song’s sunny pop nature shines through. I’ve often thought it would be really fun if Motorhead covered this one.
Petra Hayden “Don’t Stop Believin'” (Journey)
Journey is one of the bands that made me start hating commercial radio when I was in high school. I thought that there was nothing redeeming about any of their songs until I heard this charming a capella version. It’s from the very excellent Guilt By Association CD.
Anna Fermin’s Trigger Gospel “The Box It Came In” (Wanda Jackson)
For the uninitiated, Wanda Jackson is a longtime rockabilly/country performer who is still performing and inspiring woman musicians to this day. Anna Fermin is simply one of the most talented singers on the planet.
Jaymz Bee and the Royal Jelly Orchestra “You Oughta Know” (Alanis Morissette)
No, it’s not an Avril Levigne song, it’s an Alanis Morissette song. I gotta stop writing this stuff when I’m sleep-deprived. And while I appreciate readers writing to point out when I make a mistake, there’s no need to be hostile about it. This is just my hobby, after all.
Anyway, it’s still a fun, goofy song on a miserable February day.