W♥M

W♥M107: Cover Lover Special

W♥M107 (57min: archive )

Part of the Cover Lover series: this week is Cristina's choices.

This show is pretty epic. We planned on five cover songs and maybe 30 minutes of talk-time. Unfortunately, we derailed. As usual. We spent a lot of time talking about the Runaways. Well maybe it was mostly Cristina talking about the movie, since I haven't seen it. But it was good, the whole thing reminds me of The Fabulous Stains. Incidentally, we kept referring to the punk band as The Professionals, but, in fact, the band was called The Looters (which I have misheard as The Losers when I first saw the movie - which on retrospect, that is a better name).

Grace Jones' version of "She's Lost Control", changing the meaning of the song from the original Joy Division version.

Bimbo Jet's "El Bimbo", which is based on an obscure Afghan song, "Tanha Shudham Tanha" by Ahmad Zahir. According to Wikipedia, it is Paul Mauriat's version that appears on Police Academy.

"Falling in Love" is an old German song, and was covered by many bands, including: Kevin Ayers, The Beatles, Christina Aguilera (dance version), Nina Simone, and Claudine Longet. But the version Cristina loves is the Adicts' version.

Song of the week is Adicts' "Falling in Love".

"Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)" is a classic punk song from The Buzzcocks. The cover version by Fine Young Cannibals is pretty awesome too. Mostly because Roland Gift brings his own element to it with his vocals.

Luna was a 90s dreampop band from New York, who was probably most famous for that revenge-song “Slash Your Tires” off their debut album, Lunapark. After several years and dropping off their major Warner Brothers label, they released The Days of Our Nights under an indie label. Obviously, the album didn’t do that well, but on the album, they closed out with Guns n Roses cover “Sweet Child o’ Mine”. What I generally like about covers is that they try something different, and what’s different here is Dean Wareham’s calm, sad, dreamy vocals over the screamy metal quality of Axl Rose. Other covers we mentioned was Sheryl Crow and Ruby Isle's version. You can read the Ruby Isle/Mark Mallman details and free download here.

Bonus material includes:
Vu remembers man/woman Jane Child. Upon listening to her nowadays, she reminds me of La Roux. No seriously.
The Fighter movie and The Heavy band, "How Do You Like Me Now?"
Richard Cheese's "Ice Ice Baby". Yeahhhh baby.

Subscription Options
Subscribe on iTunes
Subscribe via RSS
Add to Google
Add to Yahoo
____
Archive of this show at archive.org. More information on mypodcast.com

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Appetite for Destruction

Sweet Child O Mine (feat. Har Mar Superstar) Discography [2008] Night Shot [2010] Night Shot - The Remixes [2011] Appetite for Destruction (Unreleased) Read More Mark Mallman Known for years in Minneapolis as a solo artist with headline-grabbing stage antics (he once played a 52-hour marathon show, purportedly consisting of a single song written on some 600 pages of lyrics), vocalist/keyboardist Mark Mallman brings that same inhuman energy to his new project, Ruby Isle.

It's clear to me that Mark Mallman, and his band, Ruby Isle, love, love, love Guns 'N Roses' Appetite for Destruction. I mean, who didn't? I remember back in junior high school how that album rocked so hard, and friends declared the album as the greatest thing ever. So it was a bit of a heartbreak for everyone involved when it was announced last month that Ruby Isle's cover album, Appetite for Destruction, was removed from online music outlets and record stores.

It confused their record company, Kindercore Records, as much as it confused me.

Of course, this is the internet, you can't stop it. Friends of friends of enemies, well they all started sharing this album since you can't legally buy it.... let's face it, there's something really cool about it. Stick it to Axl Rose ! Speaking of sticking it, trivia, but did you know Axl Rose is an anagram for "oral sex"?

I did listen to Ruby Isle's Appetite for Destruction, and although I did not expect it to be an exact replica of the original, it did make me miss hearing GNR's album. As soon as I finished listening to all the tracks, I did put on the 1987 album and it sounds just as fresh as it did in the 90s when I first heard it. I'll say what Ruby Isle brought to the table is that they've decided to make it more synthy, less aggressive guitars and more pianos, if that makes sense.

Some of the more interesting Ruby Isle version is their version of "Mr Brownstone", which kind of sound like a dancey number (especially the robotic vocals). The dance thing plays like it's an addiction to brownies or something, instead of hardcore heroin. Also, the most popular song, "Sweet Child O Mine", has a guest appearance by Har Mar Superstar, which must be heard to be believed.

So let this be a lesson to bands wanting to do a cover lover album, perhaps get permission first before recording? But then again, he wouldn't be Mark Mallman, and that's why we think he's totally awesome and we love him.

Here are some tour dates for Mark Mallman:

3/11 - Upfront and Co. - Marquette, MI
3/12 - Upfront and Co. - Marquette, MI
3/15 - The Aquarium w/ELECTRIC SIX - Fargo, ND
3/19 - 7th St. Entry - ALL AGES - Mpls, MN
3/19 - 7th st. Entry - 21+ - Mpls, MN

Download Ruby Isle's Appetite for Destruction.

vu () ♥ kindercore.com ♥ markmallman.wordpress.com

Ruby Isle

Ruby Isle - Night Shot (feat. Tay Zonday) Ruby Isle Tour Dates 10-01 Lawrence, KS - Replay Lounge 10-02 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive 10-03 Fort Collins, CO - Road 34 10-04 Albuquerque, NM - Burt's Tiki Lounge 10-06 San Diego, CA - The Casbah 10-07 Hollywood, CA - On the Rox at Roxy 10-08 San Francisco, CA - Annie's Social 10-10 Omaha, NE - Slowdown 10-12 Fargo, ND - The Aquarium Live Photo Ruby Isle - Kitty Cat Club (Aug 29 2008)

Known for years in Minneapolis as a solo artist with headline-grabbing stage antics (he once played a 52-hour marathon show, purportedly consisting of a single song written on some 600 pages of lyrics), vocalist/keyboardist Mark Mallman brings that same inhuman energy to his new project, Ruby Isle. He joins Wisconsin childhood friend Dan Geller (of I Am The World Trade Center) and drummer Aaron Lemay (International Espionage) to form one of the best party bands to hit my radar in a long time. There can be no argument: Ruby Isle is Fun. A hell of a lot of Fun. Ohh yeah; with a capital "F". The electro-dance-pop trio today officially release their debut full-length "Night Shot" on Kindercore Records.

This album comes together so nicely - and with such intensity - it's impossible to single out any one track as being head-and shoulders above the others. From the obviously drug-referential "So Damn High" and "One Trip" to the Na-Na-Na-laden super-anthem "Atom Bombs '09;" you WILL dance your ass off. Don't resist. Even the seriously-titled "How It Hurts" has me unconsciously twitching in my chair as I write this. There's also a mean up-tempo cover of Peter Gabriel's Solisbury Hill (featuring Amy Dykes of I Am The World Trade Center) which is nothing short of genius - balancing both originality and a measure of reverence for the original; which is really the hallmark of any decent cover track.

"Night Shot," the album's over-distorted-yet-strangely-poppy title track, features backing vocals by Tay Zonday. Yeah, that guy. But don't rush to judgment. His presence on this track is little more than an album footnote and should accordingly be treated as such. I only mention it because it serves as an example of the level of fun-for-fun's-sake on offer here. I was skeptical at first - immediately homing in on the song, prepared to express my disappointment/horror/outrage - but was quickly won over. And then some.

Ruby Isle evokes a future in which, not only do super-intelligent aliens rule the Earth, but they force the human race to pop caffeine pills and dance eight hours a day under blinding multi-chromatic neon lights. High-pitched vocal filtering is a consistent theme, giving much of the album that robot-glee-club feel the kids all go for. Some might call their style tongue-in-cheek, even cheesy. But it's extremely entertaining, without crossing the line into "novelty act." You won't find weepy love ballads or angry rants about social inequality with Ruby Isle. But you may just find yourself drenched in sweat on a dance floor somewhere with a red-lit Mark Mallman precariously perched atop a chair above you with neither a stray thought about the inevitable forces of gravity or the physiological dangers of dehydration. You have been warned.

Links: myspace.com/rubyisle kindercore.com

 09/16/2008 07:02:30  ♥ written by andrew ()

Ruby Isle

Ruby Isle - Night Shot (feat. Tay Zonday) Ruby Isle Tour Dates 10-01 Lawrence, KS - Replay Lounge 10-02 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive 10-03 Fort Collins, CO - Road 34 10-04 Albuquerque, NM - Burt's Tiki Lounge 10-06 San Diego, CA - The Casbah 10-07 Hollywood, CA - On the Rox at Roxy 10-08 San Francisco, CA - Annie's Social 10-10 Omaha, NE - Slowdown 10-12 Fargo, ND - The Aquarium Live Photo Ruby Isle - Kitty Cat Club (Aug 29 2008)

Known for years in Minneapolis as a solo artist with headline-grabbing stage antics (he once played a 52-hour marathon show, purportedly consisting of a single song written on some 600 pages of lyrics), vocalist/keyboardist Mark Mallman brings that same inhuman energy to his new project, Ruby Isle. He joins Wisconsin childhood friend Dan Geller (of I Am The World Trade Center) and drummer Aaron Lemay (International Espionage) to form one of the best party bands to hit my radar in a long time. There can be no argument: Ruby Isle is Fun. A hell of a lot of Fun. Ohh yeah; with a capital "F". The electro-dance-pop trio today officially release their debut full-length "Night Shot" on Kindercore Records.

This album comes together so nicely - and with such intensity - it's impossible to single out any one track as being head-and shoulders above the others. From the obviously drug-referential "So Damn High" and "One Trip" to the Na-Na-Na-laden super-anthem "Atom Bombs '09;" you WILL dance your ass off. Don't resist. Even the seriously-titled "How It Hurts" has me unconsciously twitching in my chair as I write this. There's also a mean up-tempo cover of Peter Gabriel's Solisbury Hill (featuring Amy Dykes of I Am The World Trade Center) which is nothing short of genius - balancing both originality and a measure of reverence for the original; which is really the hallmark of any decent cover track.

"Night Shot," the album's over-distorted-yet-strangely-poppy title track, features backing vocals by Tay Zonday. Yeah, that guy. But don't rush to judgment. His presence on this track is little more than an album footnote and should accordingly be treated as such. I only mention it because it serves as an example of the level of fun-for-fun's-sake on offer here. I was skeptical at first - immediately homing in on the song, prepared to express my disappointment/horror/outrage - but was quickly won over. And then some.

Ruby Isle evokes a future in which, not only do super-intelligent aliens rule the Earth, but they force the human race to pop caffeine pills and dance eight hours a day under blinding multi-chromatic neon lights. High-pitched vocal filtering is a consistent theme, giving much of the album that robot-glee-club feel the kids all go for. Some might call their style tongue-in-cheek, even cheesy. But it's extremely entertaining, without crossing the line into "novelty act." You won't find weepy love ballads or angry rants about social inequality with Ruby Isle. But you may just find yourself drenched in sweat on a dance floor somewhere with a red-lit Mark Mallman precariously perched atop a chair above you with neither a stray thought about the inevitable forces of gravity or the physiological dangers of dehydration. You have been warned.

Links: myspace.com/rubyisle kindercore.com

 09/16/2008 07:02:30  ♥ written by andrew ()