Covers vs. the original

Although this has nothing to do with television, it's no secret that Watchin' Stuff also loves music, so I decided to take a little time out to discuss the topic of covers vs. originals. Just as in remakes of movies and TV shows, remakes of songs can be done beautifully, not only doing the original justice but surpassing it in some cases, it can be a passible alternative, or it can be outright offensive. I listen to quite a few covers in my daily life, some don't quite win out over the original, some I like far better, but they're all special in their own way. So, here are some of my favorites in covers vs. originals (click on the artist names to compare for yourself):

Cover > Original:

• "I Heard It Through the Grape Vine" - The Slits vs. Marvin Gaye: I know I'm probably in the minority on this one because Marvin's version is undeniably soulful and an absolute classic, but for me, The Slits win out in this one. Featured in my "year in review" a month and a half ago, I love this song for all of the reasons I listed there. 
• "Diamond Dogs" - Beck vs. David Bowie: Those who know me know I am a huge David Bowie fan (so much so that I have a Bowie inspired tattoo on my arm) but, much to my surprise, I like Beck's version of this song (made for Moulin Rouge) a lot better than Bowie's. Whether it's because Diamond Dogs was never my favorite Bowie song, or because Beck just rocked the cover, I don't know, but this is one of my favorite covers of all time. 
• "Femme Fatale" - Dramarama vs. The Velvet Underground: Some might find this one blasphemous but I prefer the Dramarama version of this song. I will say, that it was the first version of the song I heard so that might have something to do with it but, either way, as much as I like Nico's voice, for me, John Easdale wins out on this one. 
• "Rock & Roll" - The Runaways vs. The Velvet Underground: This might make it seem as though I don't really like the Velvets, but that's not true, there are just some good covers of their music, which basically just comes with the territory of being a groundbreaking band I suppose. Anyway, my love of the Runways is just as well known among my friends as my love of Bowie and this cover is by far one of my favorite Runaways songs ever so really, the original just doesn't hold the same draw for me. 
• "Do You Wanna Touch Me" - Joan Jett & the Blackhearts vs. Gary Glitter: Above all of my favorite musicians, Joan Jett is by far the closest to my heart and a good amount of the covers in my itunes library happen to be by her and the Blackhearts. Sometimes her covers win out and sometimes they don't but this one is one of the former. Though I do greatly enjoy Gary Glitters version, this is probably one of my favorite Joan Jett songs of all time so it's not much of a competition. 
• "Androgynous" - Joan Jett & the Blackhearts vs. The Replacements: Here is another Joan Jett cover that I prefer to the original. Just as in the last pairing, I do really love the Replacements version, in fact it's one of my favorites off my favorite Replacements album Let It Be, but there's something about the Joan Jett version that resonates with me more, that's really all there is to it, but it's probably the closest race of all the ones up here. Like, as in, almost a draw.  
• "Woodstock" - Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young vs. Joni Mitchell: As much as it pains me to admit this, I think I like the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young cover of this song better than the Joni Mitchell original. It is honestly my favorite cover of any song I've ever heard, and it has to be for me to say it's better than Joni Mitchell's. Both versions have a quality in and of themselves (Joni's haunting piano vs. CSNY's beautiful harmony), but I can listen to the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young version any day of the week and the just isn't the case with the original. See for yourself. 

Joni Mitchell's original

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young cover

Original > Cover: 

• "River" - Joni Mitchell vs. Sarah McLachlan: Had to give Joni a little recognition after doing her like that in the last category. Personally, I think her version of "River" was not surpassed by the Sarah McLachlan cover. Though Sarah has the beautiful voice that reminds me of my childhood, Joni has the unique voice that does the same. I feel like what it really comes down to is the fact that Sarah's version is too pretty. It's beautiful, soothing, holiday music to be enjoyed with cocoa by the fire but Joni's has heart, meaning and originality and for me it can't be beat. 
• "With A Girl Like You" - The Troggs vs. Alex Chilton: While I do enjoy Alex Chilton's cover, the Trogg's version of this song is still better in my opinion. I think the biggest factor in this failure to surpass the original is the fact that it's too similar and the Troggs were better at it. I wish Alex had been a little more innovative with it, but still, I will gladly listen to both versions. 
• "(I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone" - Paul Revere and the Raiders vs. The Monkees: This is probably the first experience I ever had with cover songs as a small child. I used to listen to both versions in my elementary school days and have alway preferred the Paul Revere version. Just as in the last pairing, I feel like the Monkees made a cover that was far too similar to the original and unfortunately Mickey Dolenz couldn't bring it like Mark Lindsay.
• "Gloria" - The Shadows of Knight vs. Patti Smith: Hard to say whether this is actually a cover or if it's a completely different song that just shares some of the same lyrics but I'm using this as an indication that, despite what it seemed like from the last two comparisons, it's not just about changing up the original for me. Don't get me wrong, I love both versions and I understand and respect what Patti was doing, but personally, I enjoy the Shadows of Knight version a little more. It's a preference thing more than a quality thing here (and probably for this whole list), I just love the original. 
• "Ask The Angels" - Patti Smith Group vs. The Distillers: I had to get Patti back here and show that although I don't prefer her "Gloria" cover, her originals are hard to (if not impossible to) touch. Neither the Distillers cover of this song nor the 10,000 Maniacs version of "Because the Night" come close to the original for me. That being said, I think it's an admirable cover, it's a lot of fun and if the Patti Smith version didn't exist it would be a great song. But the original is still better. *Side note: there is a version of this song that falls between the Patti Smith version and the Distillers one, though not quite as good as Patti Smith it is not just a valiant effort but a great cover that's a bit better than The Distillers' but it has yet to be recorder. So, as an honorable mention, here is Wild Flag's live version. 
• "Be My Lover" - Alice Cooper vs. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts: As I said before, Joan Jett does a lot of covers and not all of them are better than the original, which is the case with this one. Though I do like her version and I do prefer the speed of hers, the original edges the cover out by a bit. Plus, there's a line in there somewhere about a girl asking "why the singer's name was Alice," which is a little too personalized to really fly in the cover and that has always bothered me. 
• "I Wanna Be Your Dog" - The Stooges vs. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts: For this one, Joan had some crazy big shoes to fill, so I can't fault her too much for falling short. The Stooges version of this song is actually my favorite song ever recorded so, despite the fact that this is actually one of my favorite Joan Jett & the Blackhearts songs (and one of the best ones she does in concert), it wasn't gonna beat Iggy and the boys. That being said, I must note that even though sometimes Joan's covers do fall a bit short of the original, a good number of them improve upon the one that came before it and not a single one of her original songs can be touched by others. Or at least that's the way it seems based upon the fact that I have yet to hear a cover of a Joan Jett song that has done the original justice (in fact most are downright offensive). But, anyway, here are the two versions of this song for comparison's sake. 

The Stooges original 

Joan Jett & the Blackhearts cover 

Kait's 2012 "Year in Review"

Since, for me, 2012 was the year of Watchin' Stuff I'd like to end the year that has treated us so well with a little recap. Here is list of my favorite shows, movies and songs that kept me occupied throughout the year. None of this actually came out in 2012, but I highly recommend them all nonetheless.

Top 5 TV Shows:

• Portlandia: My love for this show is no secret to those who have listened to even one episode of Watchin' Stuff, but I will take this opportunity to give it one last shout-out for the year. Though I did technically discover this show in late 2011, it has been a major aspect of my 2012 and I highly recommend it to the the few of you who have yet to see it. 
• Misfits: Though I don't have the same attachment to Misfits as I do to Portlandia, this is a show I came to greatly enjoy over our summer hiatus. It's fun, well-written and British. What more can you ask for? 
• Louie: Though I've been watching Louie for a while, this is another show I grew to love over summer hiatus. I always thought season one was good but, in my opinion, it just got better with season two and three. If you're a fan of dark humor and can take a bit of discomfort in your comedy, Louie is probably for you. 
• American Horror Story Season One: I'm gonna be very specific about the fact that I'm recommending season one only. I rang in 2012 with this creepy, Ryan Murphy show and didn't regret it one bit. Season one is now on Netflix and I highly recommend it for fans of horror on any level but, unfortunately, season two has been a bit of a letdown. 
• Lip Service: A show for a niche audience perhaps, but a very entertaining Scottish, lesbian drama in any event. If you liked The L Word, you'll most likely enjoy this one. Although, I will say, things kinda fall apart at the end of season two so just bear that in mind. 

Top 5 Movies: 

• The Skin I Live In: Recommended to be by "friend of the show Chloe Holtzman", this was the best movie I saw in 2012. The best Almodovar film I've seen thus far, The Skin I Live In has plot twists, drama, intrigue, sexuality and Elena Anaya, everything you could ever hope for in a movie. I can't say too much for fear of ruining it but just do me a favor and watch it. 
• Paris Is Burning: Since watching this documentary for the first time in September I have watched it three or four more times with others in order to show them it's beauty. By giving an in-depth portrayal of the Harlem drag scene of the late 80s, Paris Is Burning basically serves as the dark precursor to RuPaul's Drag Race. 
• Paper Man: A spontaneous Netflix choice of my roommate Sarah and I, Paper Man was probably the best surprise like of 2012 for me. Do you like Jeff Daniels and Emma Stone? Of course you do. So, you should probably watch this movie. 
• Tomboy: Over the summer, many of my nights were spent watching things that sounded interesting on Netflix; this was one of those late-night picks. A French film about a pre-teen trans boy, Tomboy was the best of all the films I saw from the gay & lesbian category on Netflix all year. 
• Billy Elliot: A movie that has been recommended to me countless times since I was about thirteen, I finally got around to seeing Billy Elliot over the summer and it didn't disappoint. If you like heartwarming movies about kids who must overcome adversity to follow their dreams, you will love Billy Elliot and it will make you cry.  

Top 10 Songs: 

• "Violet" - Hole: Though I've owned this song for years I only just formed an emotional connection with it this year. I basically love everything about it, the guitar, Courtney Love's aggression, the lyrics, the rise and fall of energy, just everything. 
• "Future Crimes" - Wild Flag: As much as I hate to admit it, I have to confess that I only started listening to Wild Flag after I started watching Portlandia. Though I was a bandwagoner of sorts in that respect, I fell in love with song as soon as I heard it. My favorite Wild Flag song to date and it was even better live at the Fillmore in April. 
• "Here I Am" - Tegan and Sara: Though I started listening to this song a bit before 2012, it has remained one of my favorites until this very day. No matter how many times I hear it, the end still gets me. Most of the time when it comes up on shuffle I have to hear it multiple times in a row before I'm ready to move on to the next song. Early Tegan and Sara at their very best here. 
• "Sail" - Awolnation: The only song on the list I discovered through a friend, I first heard this song on my friends Alyse and Dylan's radio show in May. Since then it's been one of those songs that I just love to walk down the street to. The driving beat gives me so much determination that (even though I'm the only one who can hear it) makes me feel like a much more intense and important person and I like it. 
• "Waiting Room" - Fugazi: Over the course of the last few years I've been working on diversifying my music library by branching out into offshoots of styles I already enjoy. At the beginning of 2012, I finally found my way to Fugazi. Although it's not exactly a deep cut, I've had a great affinity for this song all year. 
• "How To Play Dead" - Sleater-Kinney: Although I was already familiar with Sleater-Kinney before I started watching Portlandia, I'm not gonna lie, it did inspire me to dig a little deeper into their catalogue (deeper as in all the way to the bottom). I have too many favorite S-K songs to reasonably mention on here so I decided to go with this ditty off their first album because, for whatever reason, we formed a special bond the very first time I heard it. Whether inspired by my love for the recently formed band grit of the song overall or Carrie Brownstein's aggressive, pseudo-feminit, anti-blowjob lyrics, "How to Play Dead" will always hold a special place in my heart. 
• "Commit a Crime" - Mr. Airplane Man: I was originally inspired to go out and find this song in order to play it on our Music Show many months back and since then I've come to love it dearly. As I said on the show, I first heard it in an episode of The L Word and thought it was one of the (for lack of a better word) coolest songs I'd heard in quite a while. If I knew how to play the guitar, I would learn this song and play it all the time.
• "Eye" - Smashing Pumpkins: This song from David Lynch's Lost Highway was one of my best pandora finds of all time. Though not always accurate, sometimes pandora is spot on and gives you gold like this song. I was never a huge Smashing Pumpkins fan but this song made me reconsider. It's like if Smashing Pumpkins, Nine Inch Nails and Depeche Mode had a beautiful, synth-filled baby and I love it. 
• "Color Me Once" - Violent Femmes: The slowest of all the songs I've included on the list, this Violent Femmes song from The Crow is very dark, a little creepy and, in my opinion, incredibly sexy. I'm not sure if it's my favorite Violent Femmes song, or if it's just tied for first with "Add It Up" and "Kiss Off" but it's certainly the one that makes me feel the most. Do me a favor, turn off all the lights, light some candles and listen to this song as loud as you can handle. You won't regret it. 
• "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - The Slits: I've had this song around for a while now but I didn't really come to appreciate it until we played it in our Eastbound and Part Down show. Possibly my favorite Slits song and definitely my favorite version of this tune, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" makes me happy every time I hear it. It's one of those songs I'll forget about for a while then hear it again and realize I've missed it. And, for some reason, I love that they didn't change the words from the original to match their gender. They were just too cool to give a shit about that. 

Recap of episode 10: Adult Swim

Hey, sorry it's taken me a while to get this up but here is a recap of things we discussed throughout, perhaps our nerdiest show ever.

Adult Swim bumper

My favorite Adult Swim bumper ever

The Verne Troyer/Yao Ming commercial Talor mentioned

Music by the bands we saw in concert Wednesday April 18th: 

• Wild Flag
• Refused
• The Bronx
• The Hives

More music by bands played on the show:

• Flying Lotus
• Ludacris
• Jimi Hendrix

Theme songs played by Talor during:

• Aqua Teen Hunger Force
• Metalocalypse
• Squidbillies
• Home Movies
• Superjail!
• 12 oz. Mouse
• Venture Bros.
• Sealab 2021
• Robot Chicken
• Harvey Birdman Attorney at Law
• Space Ghost Coast to Coast
• The Office (UK) 

"Handbags and Gladrags" - Rod Stewart 

Podcast of Episode 2: Portlandia

Hey everybody, for those of you who missed this morning's show, or just want to hear it again, here is the podcast of our Portlandia episode! I hope you enjoy it.
*Note: this podcast has been modified slightly from its original broadcast.

WS - Portlandia 02.17.12 by Watchinstuff on Mixcloud

And for those who would like a bit of alcohol with their Watchin' Stuff, check out our official Watchin' Stuff drinking Game.

Recap of Episode 2: Portlandia

All right everyone, here are some links to things we discussed on this morning's show.

The Internet videos that started it all, ThunderAnt! My favorite is One Man Show but go to the site and pick your favorite.

Assorted referenced Portlandia clips:

• Dream of the 90s: Fred and Carrie introduce you to the wacky charm of Portland 
• Steve Buscemi cameo: Steve finds out the bathroom really is '4 customers only' 
• Aimee Mann Cleaning Lady: The music industry really is struggling 
• Jeff Goldbloom cameo: Wanna buy an artisanal knot? 
• Wieden + Kennedy: Reference to the ad agency where Carrie once worked
• Wilson lightbulbs: Carrie shows her comedic abilities despite illness 
• Selma Blair cameo: Selma appears in a badly made short film for the Blunderbuss film festival

Carrie Brownstein's NPR Blog, Monitor Mix. Although she no longer writes for the blog it's still a good read.

Fred and Carrie's full Spotify playlists. Click the picture to access the playlist (just so you know, it requires Spotify):

More music from bands played/referenced on the show: 

• Trenchmouth (More Motion is them Red Over Red is not, just to clarify) 
• Excuse 17 
• Sleater-Kinney
• Wild Flag
• And another Carrie Brownstein related band I forgot to mention: The Spells (Age of Backwards and Bat vs. Bird are their's, not Little Oaks) 
• Washed Out: the band that provides the Portlandia theme song
• Portlandia soundtrack music

Some of the other songs played on the show today. 

My 'Put a bird on it' shirt.

Just in case you didn't believe me, proof that Carrie Brownstein is on Rolling Stone's list of the Top 25 Most Underrated Guitarists. 

And finally, proof of the show's quotability, this is the whiteboard on my fridge. This was a running game between my roommates and I for about a week. In case you can't read them, the quotes are: 

• "We have a me no no bring bags" 
• "Cacao!" 
• "A-oh River" 
• "Put a bird on it!" 
• "I made a homemade quesadilla" 
• "I do a lot of canning of jams and I would like to can you" 
• "I'm just a little guy" 
• "Cheese boats are dope" 
• "Whose dog is this, the one with the lips that are falling off?" 
• "Jenna get yo' acupuncture" 
• "I'm not gonna go crazy on the counter or anything" 
• "You've got a neck like a movie star" 
• "No, you go" 

I really hope that was everything. If there's anything else you care to know, please comment. Also, if you have IFC, tune in for the seventh episode of Portlandia season 2. Podcast and drinking game should be posted shortly. Thanks guys.