radiohead will always hold a very special place in my heart and no matter what, with the more music i listen to, its great to enjoy and stumble back to what ive already known. over the years, ive listened to terrible, interesting and meaningful radiohead covers. when one is performed, its important to me when artists have strength to forget and give into someone else’s vision, show their own feeling, are open-minded and most importantly, are respectful of others creativity. theres something about the way music and melodies feel so familiar and far away at the same time that its easy to try to analyze and put into words about how much they never live up to the originals… but it sure is nice to listen, when they take on their own distinct characteristics and bring you to a completely different place overall.

these versions are special secrets.

• sarah slean :: climbing up walls

• toots & the maytals :: let down

• gillian welch :: black star

• ellipsis :: pyramid song

• sebadohead :: fog

these versions are recent favorites.

• sia :: paranoid android

• flaming lips :: knives out

• dresden dolls :: karma police

• brad meldahu :: exit music for a film

• christopher o’riley :: everything in its right place

these versions kind of freak me out.

• john mayer :: kid a

• damien rice :: creep

• the darkness :: street spirit

• alanis morrissette :: fake plastic trees

[.sometimes these lists can be interchangable.]
photo thanks to dead air space.

u g l y c a s a n o v a // cat faces

my heart stopped pumping
but my blood was still alive.

for years, fans were under the impression ugly casanova was the nickname of an insane, lonely and very sad man named under the pseudonym of edgar graham who followed modest mouse everywhere on tour, made fan inspired music and wrote them hundreds of letters. however one day, when the letters stopped and the band thought he had died, ugly casanova was designed in memory of him.

although today, the illusion behind it seems to be no mystery at all. this was modest mouse’s singer/guitarist isaac brock’s special lil side project and perhaps edgar graham was made up after the eccentricities of issac himself. together with casual friends of the black heart procession and red red meat, they all created some magical music. for awhile the band remained as a factious identity as isaac had wished to share another part of himself where no interviews, no questions and no spotlight would be able to shine on him.

fortunately for us, the rough ugly casanova demos secretly went off to subpop records and their only album sharpen your teeth was released in 2002. perfect with cool-warm breezes on the end of august summer days, its beautiful music. all the harmonious emotions that were reminiscent of modest mouse are completely taken over by melodic intelligent lyrics and swirling electronic acoustics that signal very strange, spellbinding feelings of mixing innocence with ultimate mortality.

cat photo by automatt.

recommended for midnight drives along deserted roads to all those new destination unknowns.

cocorosie’s
sierra casady
and her friend
matteah baim created

metallic falcons

with special appearances from antony, jana hunter and devendra

colorful drums, guitar distortion & those lil piano sounds makes everything seem extra haunting & beautiful.

listen ~*~
snakes & tea
[from desert doughnuts released 6.6.06]

[.the best medicine is to laugh.]

you tube video
dane cook
the bk lounge

you tube video
jim gaffigan
hot pocket

thanks to keri smith.

[...you killed the better part of me...]
i said what i said and you know what i mean
but i still can’t focus on anything

inside the cover album tiny cities, sun kil moon’s mark kozelek truly brings me back to the reasons of why i love modest mouse. strictly full of isaac brock’s experimental harmonies, sun kil moon shares an earthy haunting richness that highlights the music’s underlining fragility.for some this may not seem ground breaking,
but it doesn’t have to be.

this is no rendition, just simply a modest mouse tribute made by a real fan inspired by music and giving back to what they’ve already received. for those who have never experienced modest mouse before, please start with their track dramamine and then give into sun kil moon‘s version. its perfect for summer days like these.

listen ~*~

modest mouse :: dramamine
[this is a long drive for someone with nothing to think about 1996]

sun kil moon :: dramamine
[tiny cities 2005]

in the midst of constantly searching for something worthwhile to listen to, it was very easy to stumble onto the official site of morr music and randomly select a choosing. so it seems, that with anything listened to from that label, instantaneously without a second doubt, i love what im listening to. how amazing to find a place where you can go and for the music to always be good.

characterized by the colorful cover of their most recent release, plans drawn in pencil, isan takes me to my own private version of never never land. its been four months a secret and the complete love for every song they have created has seeped into my subconscious with pure unspoken subtlety.

its all those lil sounds again.

by connecting via the internet and working separately in the UK, isan’s antony ryan and robin saville have been releasing heartfelt electronic dreams for the last 10 years. collaborating and remixing with friends like psapp, the notwist and mum, the duo’s result always seems to end in nothing less than magical.

from plans drawn in pencil 2006

• look and yes
• cinnabar
• amber button

~*~ highly recommended remixes

solvent :: for you [isan remix]
the notwist :: scoop [isan remix]
psapp :: about fun [isan pet visor mix]
flotel :: bowd [isan 'timber falls motel' mix]
see feel :: when face was face [isan remix]
ezekiel honig :: more human than human [isan remix]
mum :: please sing my spring reverb [isan catena mix]
piano magic :: the canadian brought us snow [isan remix]

[one day, wandering in the park, i stared upon this.]
…
red is an indication of raw energy, force, vigor, intensity, aggression, power, courage and passion. the color red has deep emotional and spiritual connotations. red is also the color of danger, shame, sexual impulses and urges. if you are dreaming in red, perhaps you need to stop and think about yr own actions.

elbow :: red
[asleep in the back 2002]

zero 7 :: red dust
[simple things 2001]

okkervil river :: red
[dont fall in love with everyone you see 2002]

jonny lang :: red light
[long time coming 2003]

heather nova :: ruby red
[siren 1998]

pinback :: this red book
[summer in abaddon 2004]

iron and wine :: red dust
[iron & wine tour ep 2002]

vetiver :: red lantern girls
[to find me gone 2006]

patty griffin :: flaming red
[flaming red 1998]

fiona apple :: red red red
[extraordinary machine 2005]

neko case :: deep red bells
[blacklisted 2002]

angelo badalamenti :: red bats with teeth
[lost highway soundtrack 1997]

nick cave & the bad seeds :: red right hand
[let love in 1994]

black rebel motorcycle club :: red eyes and tears
[b.r.m.c. 2001]

have another *color* song to share?
feel free to email.

photos by musicisart

…in a bathroom in paris we found ourselves. steamed up windows, infinite rainy days, the kettle’s constant hiss and the weary moan of a dying ambulance summoned songs from another time…

sierra and bianca cassidy of cocorosie are formerly estranged sisters that bonded over music. together they have created a delicate taste of folk and trip hop mixed within some strange sad darkness surviving through their own mysterious journey of drifting, conscious unfulfilled regrets, fantasies and memories.

in 2005, believer magazine issued a cd full of amazing covers by amazing artists. cocorosie gave their own spellbinding sound to the melancholy story-telling of damien jurado‘s ohio.

i ask where she’s headed she tells me,
“ohio, ive not seen my mother in ages
its been a long time, a real long time.”

listen ~*~

damien jurado :: ohio
[rehearsals for departure 1999]

coco rosie :: ohio
[believer magazine summer 2005]