Cover versions that I'm listening to

Because if you know me, you know I like eclectic covers. So here's my top 10 of the last month:
  • José González singing Kylie Minogue's "Hand On Your Heart", which I think is great. (Thanks NPR!) Seems like something only a European indie singer would do - do Americans even know the early oeuvre of just-out-of-"Neighbours" Kylie? Ah, the days of Stock Aitken and Waterman.
  • Scissor Sisters' version of Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out". Bringing out the lounge essence of the song.
  • Ryan Adams finally deigning to do Bryan Adams' "Summer of '69" (after famously getting into a snit about the Bryan/Ryan Adams confusion) (gets in a nice snipe at Bryan: "There was no way that he wrote that song / Motherfucker's only 53")
  • Cat Power and Karen Elson, "I Love You (Me Either)" - an English version of Serge Gainsbourg's incredibly louche "Je T'aime Moi... Non Plus" - still with heavy breathing and innuendo-filled lyrics.
  • Jill Sobule and Warren Zevon dueting on Mott the Hoople's "All the Young Dudes" (man, I love covers of this song...)
  • Ben Gibbard doing Avril Lavigne's "Complicated" and sustains the ironic singing throughout. I like the joking at the end "the thing about that song that I love, I don't know what's that complicated. Like, it seems pretty cut and dry."
  • Dashboard Confessional and Michael Stipe doing Dashboard Confessional's own "Hands Down".
  • José González's take on Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" - showing that González can do something other than the restrained (I take it that is the Swede in him) folk.
  • Belle and Sebastian doing a live version of the Smiths' "The Boy With the Thorn In His Side". You'd think Belle and Sebastian covering the Smiths would equate "songs to slit your wrist to", but they actually cover it with gusto.
  • Heather Nova's take on Bruce Springsteen's "I'm On Fire". All heat, all desire.

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