10 November 2020 - Nirvana - About A Girl

Most of you know this version of this song.  It was recorded before Kurt Cobain's death as part of an MTV Unplugged special, and released as a single in late 1994, after his death.  It's a pretty sounding song....

.....that was actually on their debut album, Bleach, in a very different version.  What I find amazing, though, is that the same emotion shines through in BOTH versions.  

9 November 2020 - Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit

It's been a long time since we've used the Hall of Fame label.  

I decided that Nirvana deserved it.  

I don't usually open a Hall of Fame week with a band's biggest hit, but this one was so intensely genre-breaking I wanted it to go first.   I want to put it in 1991 context, though.

In 1991, when Nirvana made this video, which completely mocks music videos in general, they were big in Seattle, but not really anywhere else.  They had major label money, but they didn't spend a lot of money on this video, in relative terms.   And we know the day the video was made - August 17, 1991 - because they advertised for it.

Actual casting call for "Smells Like Teen Spirit"

Turns out this little video, which Kurt called his attempt to "rip off the Pixies", struck a chord with the youth of America, including me.    Here's the song that started it all.   

7 November 2020 - Miley Cyrus - Party In The U.S.A.

We rarely post on Saturday.  But when a decade-old song reenters the Billboard charts..... well, we notice.  

And, according to Variety, that's exactly what's happened today   The song last was on the charts in 2009, when it peaked at #2.  We will be watching closely to see how high it goes this time.  

Now, it's important to note that we are not posting this song as a political statement (feel free to PM this page if you want to know how we voted.  We are not shy), but we DO recognize that a lot of people are happy about today's news, so we're happy to share music we enjoy.

And, because we love the song (written by a Brit, Jessie J, no less!) and we love live alternate versions, here you go.

28 October 2020 - Lena Katina - Never Forget / No Voy a Olvidarte

Frequent readers of Totally Covered already know who Lena Katina is.  Longtime readers of this blog know she's been here before.  

For the rest of you - Lena Katina was one half of a Russian duo named t.A.T.u., who played up a public lesbianism that wasn't real (evidenced by her bandmate's deeply homophobic statements about a decade later).  After t.A.T.u. went on hiatus to pursue solo careers in 2009, Lena took full advantage of the shot and made some really good pop music.  

I don't think it takes a genius to know that this song is about the death of t.A.T.u.  No, Yulia, her bandmate, isn't dead - but they didn't end on great terms (but did reform in 2014 for the Winter Olympics). The song, from 2011, was Lena's debut single and her biggest hit to date.  The video itself is a funeral for Lena and Yulia, as a symbolic and respectful end to t.A.T.u.   It became a worldwide hit.   

 

Of course, this being a member of t.A.T.u., there is an uncensored version of the video.

12 October 2020 - L7 - Pretend We're Dead

 In the early to mid 1990's, it was cool to be a hard rock band made entirely of females.  

Seriously.  This was a thing.  And, for some reason, it was a novelty.

L7 was no novelty act.  L7 was four very talented women who knew how to rock and rock hard.  That doesn't mean their music didn't have feeling.  Take this song, the band's biggest hit.  Donita Sparks (primary vocalist on the song) wrote this while going through a devastating breakup.  It was easier for her to pretend that the guy was dead - that helped her cope.  Thus, a song was born.

While they were no novelty act, L7 knew how to have fun live.  On this live television performance from 1992, you can tell they're enjoying themselves.

Also, Donita drops trou at about 2:49.  Oh yes.  I included a performance with nudity.  

By the way, I have a personal L7 live story.   I was in attendance at the 1995 Warped Tour in Northampton, MA.  I decided this time to do something I had never ever done at any show, and that's wander into the mosh pit for the last two bands - one of which was L7 (Sublime was the other).

I didn't expect the band to crowdsurf.  

They DID stay fully clothed for that experience, but I can honestly say that I've have L7 in my hands, indelicately.  This is not something I was going for - but when you have Donita Sparks surfing over your head, you don't want to be the one who dropped her.  

The Warped performance here is from the same tour, different show. 

15 September 2020 - Lush - Ladykillers

I've certainly posted about Lush in the past - but I posted about their shoegaze stuff.   

This is nearer to the end of their time together, in the mid-1990s, when they were starting to get poppy and score a radio hit or two.

3 September 2020 - Foster The People - Pumped Up Kicks

 Let's be very clear.

This is a very dark song.

To be clear, when Mark Foster wrote and performed the song, he was trying to write from the perspective of a homicidal kid thinking about shooting up his school.  Written in an afternoon, Foster had been writing commercial jingles and plowed through writer's block to get this song done. 

And, for a song that was just a demo, with Mark Foster singing and performing every piece, it's pretty rich and strangely beautiful.  

\

Of course, Foster DID put a band together, and they made the song even richer..... but he still does pick up a couple of instruments!