Stars, they're just like us—stuck in their homes and probably pretty bored.
Here in the states, we're going on a month and a half of practicing social distancing. We could very well go the rest of 2020 without being able to safely attend large gatherings like concerts, which is a huge bummer for both musicians and their fans. Thankfully, plenty of singers have turned to the magic of the Internet to help us get our live music fix, and there's nothing that spices things up quite like a good cover of somebody else's song.
Here are just eight of our favorite covers we've heard over the past month or so to help make your quarantine a little less bleak.
The Offspring - “Here Kitty Kitty,” made famous by Tiger King
<p>Just about everyone and their mothers have tuned in to Netflix's <em>Tiger King </em>since quarantine started, including the members of the Offspring. The band came together (six feet apart from each other, of course) to perform a rendition of "Here Kitty Kitty," the modern classic made famous by <em>Tiger King</em>'s instantly-infamous Joe Exotic.</p>
Brazilian singer, songwriter and drag performer Pabllo Vittar tapped Charli XCX for a new song called "Flash Pose," a fun and clubby cut about looking really hot and posing for pictures––and feeling confident while doing it. As was to be expected coming from two of pop's biggest icons, "Flash Pose" sounds instantly infectious. The last time Charli XCX and Pabllo Vittar put out a song together, it was for Charli XCX'S 2017 excellent album Pop II on the song "I Got It"––you know, the one that goes, "I got it, I got it, I got it, I got it, I got it" ad infinitum.
2. Chance the Rapper - "Do You Remember" (Feat. Ben Gibbard)
Reader, the day is here. Chance the Rapper just dropped his long-awaited official debut album, which features a whole host of guest appearances from Bon Iver to Nicki Minaj to Death Cab frontman Ben Gibbard. As a veritable Death Cab fanatic and Chance the Rapper enthusiast, this is the collaboration I never asked for but absolutely needed.
"Do You Remember," is a nostalgia trip of a groove where Chance wistfully raps about past summer memories and features Ben Gibbard's distinct, melancholic voice on the chorus: "Do you remember how when you were younger / The summers all lasted forever? / Days disappeared into months, into years / Hold that feeling forever." At this point, I will forgive BG for never putting out the other Postal Service album he promised. Some ideas for a future supergroup include: Chance Cab For Cutie. Alternatively, Death Chance The Rapper.
3. White Reaper - "Real Long Time"
White Reaper is gearing up to put out their fourth album after recently signing to Elektra Records. A few months ago, the Louisville rockers shared the forthcoming album's first single "Might Be Right," which marked the band's first new music since 2017's The World's Best American Band, and this week they unveiled a new power-pop track called "Real Long Time."
While the guitar tones on the new songs can lean into '80s rock revivalism, both "Might Be Right" and "Real Long Time" show White Reaper continuing to hone their instantly recognizable brand of flashy, energetic power-pop—both vintage and novel—by blending together garage rock scuzz and Thin-Lizzy-approved riffage.
4. Rico Nasty - "Time Flies"
Hot on the heels of her latest project with Kenny Beats (Anger Management), Rico Nasty is back with a new track, and this time she's adopted a (slightly) pared-down vibe from her usual rapid-fire style verses. Her new song, "Time Flies," is a little less incensed and shows off a more melodic approach, with Nasty waxing introspective on a sing-songy hook: "I don't wanna be on the ground when the time flies / Had so many friends goin' / Wonder when it's my time / I live every day like I'll die by the night time / It took me so long getting back to my right mind."
5. Loving - "Vision"
This week, Canadian indie rock trio Loving unveiled a new single called "Visions" via Last Gang Records. Loving is made up of David Parry, Lucas Henderson, and Jesse Henderson, and together they create lovely, easy-going tunes that pair well with the sunny stretches of late July afternoons or aimless drives. On "Visions," drowsy guitar slides and warm acoustic strumming take shape around soft percussion as Jesse Henderson muses about the "strange prison" of how we envision our futures.
6 + 7. Caroline Polachek - "Parachute" and "Ocean of Tears"
Last month, Caroline Polacheck (formerly of Chairlift) shared "Door," the first single she's released officially under her name, marking both a return and a new beginning. Polachek previously put out songs under the moniker Ramona Lisa and went on to explore more ambient territory in CEP before shifting to her latest project. This week, Polachek followed up "Door" with two new songs: the sparse slow-burner "Parachute" and the pulsating, R&B-tinged "Ocean of Tears."
8. Palm Haze - "Almost Soon"
Vancouver-via-Brazil shoegaze duo Palm Haze released a new track today called "Almost Soon," which comes off of their upcoming album Rêve Bleu (out August 30th via YHS Records). With a sound that's reminiscent of gaze-y heavyweights like My Bloody Valentine, "Almost Soon" is a stunning display of control of texture as the band strikes the perfect (maybe even Lynchian) balance between sounding heavy and dreamlike. Vocalist/bassist Anna Wagner's cool-toned voice curls around waves of anesthetic, foggy distortion as she assures the listener: "Whatever you do, whatever you say, it's okay."
9. Germano - "Lost Crowd"
Brazilian-born pop artist Germano isn't sure of what the future may hold, but he's taking it in stride. Today he's sharing his first single, "Lost Crowd," a moody electro-pop tale that reckons with feeling lost and finding comfort in the unknown and celebrates the beauty of contradiction. The song kicks off with Germano's magnetic vocals and eases into a lush swirl of electronic instrumentation and settles into a laidback chorus that perfectly balances Germano's introspective lyrics with the song's wistful melody. The song is accompanied by cinematic visuals featuring Germano and three others dressed in matching white t-shirts and jeans as they go through synchronized acts of hanging out in empty loft apartments and parks. Germano's debut EP is expected out later this year.
10. Alexander Noice - "Affectation"
Alexander Noice wears many hats; the LA-based composer, guitarist, producer, and bandleader is known for his experimental, often genre-defying compositions that dip into minimalist art-rock and jazz. His latest, "Affectation" welcomes you into Noice's eclectic menagerie of sounds through a flurry of layered of vocals and eerie harmonies—the result is wholly mesmerizing. Alexander Noice's forthcoming LP, Noice, is out August 23rd.
Fresh Music Friday is here to give you a breakdown of new singles, EPs, and albums to check out as you make your way into the weekend.
Get ready to jam out with some of our favorite up-and-coming artists, plus celebrate new releases from those you already know and love.
1. Lil Nas X - "Panini"
Lil Nas X isn't stopping anytime soon. In anticipation of his forthcoming EP, the country-rap pop sensation released a new single called "Panini," which incorporates Nirvana's "In Bloom."
2. Mark Ronson - "Pieces Of Us" Feat. King Princess
Mark Ronson's new album, Late Night Feelings, is out this week and features an impressive list of features from artists like Camila Cabello, Lykke Li, and Miley Cyrus. The legendary producer tapped singer/songwriter King Princess for the soulful, atmospheric single "Pieces of Us."
3. Spoon - "No Bullets Spent"
Everyone's favorite indie rock band, Spoon, is gearing up to put out an album of greatest hits called Everything Hits At Once that will feature 12 classics, plus a new song entitled "No Bullet Spent." The new track harnesses much of the same laid back, melodic energy that made the early Spoon records so lovable and compliments the early Spoon catalog well.
4. Devendra Banhart - "Kantory Ongaku"
Devendra Banhart recently announced that he has a new album in the works entitled Ma, and this week he shared the first single from the new collection, "Kantori Ongaku." It's a quintessentially mellow Banhart track with lackadaisical vocals to match and, according to the singer, it's an homage to Japanese musician Haruomi Horsono. Ma is out September 13th on Nonesuch.
5. Sheer Mag - "Blood From A Stone"
Philadelphia shredders Sheer Mag are back with the first glimpse of their upcoming sophomore album, A Distant Call, by sharing a blistering new single called "Blood From A Stone." Relentless and riff-heavy as always, "Blood From A Stone" is a promising glimpse of Sheer Mag tapping into their unbridled potential on the forthcoming record to secure their status as one of the most exciting rock bands in the game. A Distant Call is out August 23rd on Wilsuns RC.
6. Caroline Polachek- "Door"
For the first time, Caroline Polachek (formerly of Chairlift) has released a new solo song under her full name. The new track is called "Door" and showcases Polachek's signature airy falsetto, which floats through a bright, chirpy hook uplifted by scuttling synthesized beats. The song is accompanied by a seriously enchanting music video co-directed by Polachek and Matt Copson.
7. Beeef - "I'm So Sorry" (featuring Sidney Gish)
Allston indie rock quartet, Beeef, teamed up with DIY juggernaut Sidney Gish to put out a new single called "I'm So Sorry." It's a breezy but heartfelt coming-of-age track helmed by Beeef's jangly melodic sound and Gish's bittersweet vocal delivery. "I'm So Sorry" is Beeef's lead single from their upcoming sophomore LP entitled Bull in the Shade, due out July 26th.
8. The Ocean Blue - "It Takes So Long"
Dream pop legends The Ocean Blue are back with their first new album in six years––Kings and Queens / Knaves and Thieves. "It Takes So Long" is the last single from the LP and it hearkens back to the band's '80s new wave sound while presenting a fresh spin on nostalgic indie pop. "It Takes So Long" weaves Schlezel's effortlessly emotive vocals with the band's jangly guitar melodies awash in warm tones; the result is a dreamy, seraphic tune. Kings and Queens / Knaves and Thieves is out now via Korda records.
9. HUNJIYA - "give it/what i get"
HUNJIYA aka Alice Kim's latest offering comes in the form of a new single called "give it/what i get," the follow-up to her 2017 EP, Lineage. On the new song, the 21-year-old artist deftly creates an atmospheric soundscape by combining soulful vocals with her enticing production skills.
10. REYNA - "The Way I Loved You"
If you're craving some more sugar rush pop and have exhausted listening to the latest Carly Rae Jepsen album, you might want to look to REYNA. The Milwaukee-based Mexican-American sister-duo is back with another glossy, '80s-inspired electro-pop song. Their new track "The Way I Loved You" continues their string of infectious, glimmering pop following previously released singles "Cool With It," "Baby Forget It" and "Heartbeat." Here's what Reyna had to say about the song: "TWILY is about wanting to love someone new with that same intensity, without caution or fear. But it's almost impossible because every new relationship you're more and more guarded. It's almost like you're protecting your heart instead of letting yourself fall in love."
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