25 February 2026 - Kasey Chambers - Last Hard Bible / Sunny Sweeney - Last Hard Bible

I debated making this two posts.  

I decided not to. 

So, for the first time ever, I decided to do a post about two female country artists doing versions of the same song. 

(Guys, the joke is that I did it 14 years ago today WITH THE SAME ARTISTS)

But my writing style has changed since then.  This time, I'm going to start with Kasey Chambers, the Australian country star who wrote and released this song on her 1999 album The Captain, produced by her older brother (and acclaimed producer) Nash Chambers. 

The song is spectacular.

For her 2025 album Rhinestone Requiem, Sunny Sweeney covered this song, and it is a FAITHFUL cover.

The cover is spectacular. 

So, the one change I made since 2012 is that I endeavor to include live performances for all these songs.  For Kasey, I decided to go with a 2011 performance that literally closed her whole US tour, from Dallas and featuring her father, musician Bill Chambers. 

Sunny literally uses the song as her encore now.

And, the best part is, she gives full credit.

Now, if only they'd do a performance together!  I'm not even sure they've ever met!

24 February 2026 - Olivia Rodrigo - drivers license (and a bonus)

It's been a bit since we posted about Olivia Rodrigo, so we felt we were due, since her 3rd album is expected to drop sometime this year.   

We went all the way back to the beginning - to 2021, and her debut single (not counting her High School Musical stuff), from her debut album SOUR. The song, co-written by Rodrigo and her producer, Dan Nigro, is mature and drives right into the multifaceted feelings one might feel after a breakup. 

The song was a record-breaker - it debuted at #1, making 17-year-old Rodrigo the youngest artists to ever do that (Billie Eilish was younger at #1, but did not debut there).  It spent its first eight weeks, in fact, at #1.  

It's actually quite a sad song, lyrically.  And it's not one that I initially liked, although it's grown on me. 

There are so many great performances of this song.  I chose her Austin City Limits performance because, well, she is very clear about how much the song means to her.... and also, that's probably the youngest audience in ACL history. 

In January, Rodrigo announced a project where other artists would be covering songs from SOUR.  Alongside that was this version of "drivers license" by David Byrne.  

He gets it.

23 February 2026 - Air Miami - I Hate Milk

In 1995, I went to see Throwing Muses in concert in Northampton, Massachusetts.  Kristin Hersh was wearing a black t-shirt that said "i hate milk".   

A few songs in, she explained her shirt.   It was a labelmate of hers, Air Miami - it was a name of one of their songs.  

So, naturally, I had to seek it out.

Air Miami was a DC duo comprised of Mark Robinson and Bridget Cross, both formerly part of the trio Unrest. They only lasted from 1994 until 1996, but managed to get this classic song released.  Their music was released on Robinson's Teen Beat Records as well as 4AD.  

Here it is.  It's amazing.  

20 February 2026 - Roméo Elvis - Orangé (Nelly)

You know, this close to Maple Leaf March, I really shouldn't be doing another French artist, right? 

Well, Roméo Elvis - the stage name of Roméo Johnny Elvis Kiki Van Laeken, and yes, that's a really long name - is Belgian, so I guess that makes it OK.  

But seriously, he also makes great music.

He was born in a household where the performing arts were important and central - his father is famed singer/songwriter Marka - and yes, I know most of you haven't heard of him, but trust me.  His mother is actress and musician Laurence Bibot.  I think his sister did something, too. 

But he's a talented rapper and producer in his own right, and since I enjoyed this song by an artist I definitely found because of Angèle, I wanted to share it with you. 

And yes, he does perform live, and yes, it is entertaining.

19 February 2026 - LISASINSON - Deberíamos Vernos Más

LISASINSON is not a band you're going to understand.  

They aren't like anything I've ever heard, and yet, also exactly the right kind of bright pop/rock fusion - they call it "punky pop" - I needed.   

From Valencia, Spain, the band released their latest album, Desde Cuándo Todo, last month.  This is a single from the album, and I think you're going to hear the bright punky pop pretty clearly.   

There are actually two versions of the video (the song is remixed here by David Van Bylen and this version also features La Casa Azul).

18 February 2026 - Ela Minus - UPWARDS

I did not put Ela Minus's album Día on my Wicked 25 last year... although she did make the very long honorable mention list.  If I was making that list today, I'm not sure that album wouldn't make it.   This album is growing on me over time. 

The Colombian native artist started off as a drummer, but her time in college in Boston shaped her electronic/jazz stylings that are her signature now. 

This song, from Día, was co-written by Minus and Katie O'Neill (who also did sound engineering and additional production on the album).

I want to make something clear.  A lot of electronic artists are DJs.  Ela Minus is first and foremost a live artist, and I think this video - where she is appearing with analog equipment - illustrates that well. 

So, by the way, does this actual live performance.

17 February 2026 - Agust D - Agust D

Holy crap.

It takes a cast iron set to name a song after yourself.  

It takes a bigger one to name it after your alter ego.  

Meet Suga, best known for being a member of BTS.... you know, that Korean boy band you love.  He's done some solo stuff as Agust D, his rap alter ego. 

This is not BTS music.

This is just.... awesome.  It's strong, angry hip-hop that happens to be mostly in Korean. Using heavily a sample from "It's A Man's Man's Man's World" by James Brown, it is unabashed and in-your-face.  That sample held up its release on streaming platforms for five years - as clearance was needed to use it.  That clearance finally came in 2023. 

I was actually not expecting to find a live performance of this song.

I did.

It is possibly more bombastic live than recorded.