Please Like Me - YouTube Babies

I can’t imagine a bigger mistake than casually mentioning to other people that you write. It’s so loaded. People ask too many questions and it’s always impossible to satisfy whatever lofty requirements they have to qualify someone as a "real writer." It’s usually around when I’m done telling them that I’ve never been on the New York Times Bestsellers List that they’ve assessed that I’m just a loser that fucks around on a blog here and there. That’s when it gets really ugly.

Random Person: Oh you know what would be a good idea for your music blog would be to do like, Best Songs for Valentine’s Day. Or actually, did you see the Grammys? You should do a review of that.

Me: I think they already have someone doing that stuff.

Maybe do like, Best Songs For French Kissing Underneath a Waterfall?

Me: Wouldn’t the force of the waterfall knock you both unconscious, like immediately?

"Waterfalls” by TLC comes to mind…

Me: Isn’t that song about getting AIDS? But yeah, those are all really good ideas. The idea I was batting around for this week was I finding YouTube covers that are better than the original versions or some shit like that.

That’s dumb, you can do better.

Me: Nope.

"CREEP" by RADIOHEAD

Cerealgye

“Creep” is definitely Radiohead’s best song. It’s like listening to a puberty time capsule. I couldn’t even change before gym without listening to this song on my Discman. My only beef with the song is that no one’s going to buy that a drop-dead handsome bastard like Thom Yorke is feeling that alienated.

Now check this kid out: who's in that room with him? No one. He's unabashedly alone in this world with nothing but his pain and his guitar to keep him company. Also this kid is a sick guitarist. He kinda reminds me of Arto Lindsay with those all those extended techniques he busts out like it’s no big deal. No wave rules.

"EVERLONG" by THE FOO FIGHTERS

Basement Nation

Did you guys see Dave Grohl at the Grammys? Oh my god, he was wearing a Slayer shirt! That ties him for coolest person ever with that one blonde chick from the “What I Got” video as far as I’m concerned. Now I don’t usually listen to Christian rock so I’m not the biggest fan of these guys but I’m not made of stone when it comes to “Everlong”. I never thought I’d hear a better cover than the one Oxes did but that was before I found out about Basement Nation. During Dave Grohl’s acceptance speech at the Grammys he let us all know that when it came time to kick out the jams, the “human element of making rock is the most important”. Amen, brother.

What can be more human than hanging out in your parents living room with your best friend and amazing hairdo, just jamming out? Sure, they make some mistakes, but it’s those little moments that make this version even better than the original. Humans aren’t perfect, so why should rock 'n' roll be? If you want to listen to robots play music, go buy “Trans” by Neil Young. Seriously do that, it’s pretty good.

"FIONA APPLE'S COVER OF "ACROSS THE UNIVERSE" by THE BEATLES

gitarainseamoon

When you think of incredible date movies what immediately springs into your dome? Across the Universe, right? Any fellas who've taken their special someone to see this heartbreakingly gorgeous achievement in American film gets a Nobel prize for Best Boyfriend to Ever Live. I don’t know what it is about that song but Fiona Apple really knocked it out of the park from a songwriting standpoint on this one. You can’t write a song as good as that and not expect tons of people to cover it. Law of averages says at least one of those covers is going to surpass its predecessor.

I like this version more because I’m big into ethnic ambiguity.

"LANDLOCKED BLUES" by BRIGHT EYES

grisgutt14

I love sexual tension. It’s always there to make work days awkward and cannibalize friendships. It’s also the muse for some of the greatest bands of all-time. Whether it be Big Star or High Places, it seems like a lot of bands were just started as an excuse to hang around someone while your eyes secretly turn into cartoon hearts. Sadly, the tension often goes unresolved and the bands end up splitting. I’m just speculating here, but I’m pretty sure Blur would have never broken up had Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon just shared a bottle of Jameson one night and just banged it all out (I wrote some fan fiction about it, if anyone is interested).

Now check out this kid and way cuter friend duo singing a precious little Bright Eyes song together. That’s some very obvious sexual tension right there. Sure, she’s trying to play it cool but she clearly can’t keep her shit together as he soulfully strums his guitar. I hope they figure it out someday because they clearly belong together.

@joesomar

Previously - The Return Of The Return Of Bruno