When I was…a young boy….WAIT NO. When I was a kid, I won a cassette single of “Friday I’m In Love” by The Cure in some sort of raffle at school that I don’t remember entering. I had never heard of the Cure before, but it had to be good, I mean, it was a major prize. Racine WI elementary school system would never give out a bad prize right? I waited all day to hear it and finally after school I raced to my neighbor’s mom’s minivan and begged her to play it for us. The important part of this story is that my neighbors were about as conservative as it gets, so needless to say, I was greeted with a look of pure horror once she took a look at Robert Smith on the cover of the tape. Needless to say, that just made me want to listen to it even more and a young punk rocker was born. From that point forward is was do everything I could to challenge people’s comfort zones. And it started with The Cure.
I have a major love/hate relationship with cover songs. On one hand, just like remaking movies, I would much prefer original material. On the other hand, I mean, have you heard Johnny Cash’s version of “Hurt?” Its AMAZING. In fact, you can hear it below. Check out some of my favorite Alternative cover songs on today’s mixtape.
As a young kid in 1991 watching cartoons was a necessity on WFLD’s ‘Fox Kids’ afternoon lineup and there is one episode of the second generation Warner Bros cartoon series ‘Tiny Tunes’ that really stands out with my first exposure to alternative weirdo icons They Might Be Giants. The episode called “Tiny Toon Music Television,” and it featured the cast of animated youngsters perform in over-the-top music videos with music replacing their normal dialogue. For many 90’s kids who would go on to be a new generation of TMBG fans who were already established for their eccentric blend of folk, pop, and irreverent storytelling. Two classic tracks ‘”Istanbul (Not Constantinople)” and “Particle Man“.played out on screen with visuals that played up their irreverent lyrics with Plucky Duck trying to find an elusive duck statue in an international adventure and Plucky having to defend micro-biological life in the wrestling ring. You can stream both videos below.
As odd as TMBG is in a delightful way, they have pathed a side path from the alternative world making heart-warming educational music for children. They even produced music for Disney channel shows and full albums. They feature it all on this official YouTube channel.
For well over 30 years, John Linnell and John Flansburgh have redefined the idea of alternative music from coming out of the Brooklyn’s punk scene to sharing music over their innovative ‘Dial-a-Song’ phone number, and much more. These two childhood friends have become the most exceptional duo a genre of music that is about breaking the rules of music. If you want to dive into their catalog, start with 1991’s ‘Flood’ and read this comprehensive piece from Spin.
If Robert Smith of The Cure is the moon, then who is the sun?
Maybe we will find out in the next video from the Gorillaz in anticipation for their 7th album Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez, out October 23. But this is no ordinary album, think of it as a TV series and the upcoming record as part of the group’s Song Machine project, a series consisting of a collection of singles and music videos called “episodes.”
Joining Smith on the album will be Beck, St. Vincent, Elton John, Peter Hook, JPEGMAFIA, Schoolboy Q and many more.
Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez features eleven songs as part of the standard edition with an additional six included in the deluxe edition. You can find the full track listing for both versions below.
Song Machine: Season One – Strange Timez
1. Strange Timez (ft. Robert Smith)
2. The Valley of The Pagans (ft. Beck)
3. The Lost Chord (ft. Leee John)
4. Pac-Man (ft. ScHoolboy Q)
5. Chalk Tablet Towers (ft. St Vincent)
6. The Pink Phantom (ft. Elton John and 6LACK)
7. Aries (ft. Peter Hook and Georgia)
8. Friday 13 th (ft. Octavian)
9. Dead Butterflies (ft. Kano and Roxani Arias)
10. Désolé (ft. Fatoumata Diawara) (Extended Version)
11. Momentary Bliss (ft. slowthai and Slaves)
Song Machine: Season One – Strange Timez deluxe tracklist (includes the 11 tracks from the standard)
1. Opium (ft. EARTHGANG)
2. Simplicity (ft. Joan As Police Woman)
3. Severed Head (ft. Goldlink and Unknown Mortal Orchestra)
4. With Love To An Ex (ft. Moonchild Sanelly)
5. MLS (feat. JPEGMAFIA and CHAI)
6. How Far? (ft. Tony Allen and Skepta)
From their beginnings as CMJ darlings (that was a music magazine back in the day for what I guess you would consider hipsters/cool kids and it was important) to their current status as arena rockers, Kings of Leon have been giving us great music for 2 decades now. Here are a few of my favorite Kings tunes. Good thing their songs are better than their haircuts amirite?!
The Emmys were obviously different this year with some in attendance in person, other stars joining the award show for TV remotely. ‘Schitt’s Creek’, ‘Watchmen’ and ‘Succession’ had a big night pulling in awards. From Comingsoon.net, here is the full list of winners below or you can watch the entire broadcast now on Hulu. Host Jimmy Kimmel obviously joked about why the award show even happened during the global pandemic, but he also riffed on how the idea of an awards shows was always ridiculous.
Outstanding Drama Series
Better Call Saul
The Crown
The Handmaid’s Tale
Killing Eve
The Mandalorian
Ozark
Stranger Things Succession **WINNER**
Outstanding Comedy Series
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Dead to Me
Insecure Schitt’s Creek **WINNER**
The Good Place
The Kominsky Method
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
What We Do in the Shadows
Outstanding Limited Series
Little Fires Everywhere
Mrs. America
Unbelievable
Unorthodox Watchmen **WINNER**
Outstanding Reality-Competition Program
The Masked Singer
Nailed It! RuPaul’s Drag Race **WINNER**
Top Chef
The Voice
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Jason Batemna, Ozark
Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
Steve Carell, The Morning Show
Brian Cox, Succession
Billy Porter, Pose Jeremy Strong, Succession **WINNER**
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show
Olivia Colman, The Crown
Jodie Comer, Killing Eve
Laura Linney, Ozark
Sandra Oh, Killing Eve Zendaya, Euphoria **WINNER**
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson, black-ish
Don Cheadle, Black Monday
Ted Danson, The Good Place
Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method Eugene Levy, Schitt’s Creek **WINNER**
Ramy Youssef, Ramy
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Christina Applegate, Dead to Me
Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Linda Cardellini, Dead to Me Catherine O’Hara, Schitt’s Creek **WINNER**
Issa Rae, Insecure
Tracee Ellis Ross, black-ish
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Jeremy Irons, Watchmen
Hugh Jackman, Bad Education
Paul Mescal, Normal People
Jeremy Pope, Hollywood Mark Ruffalo, I Know This Much Is True **WINNER**
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Cate Blanchett, Mrs. America
Shira Haas, Unorthodox Regina King, Watchmen **WINNER**
Octavia Spencer, Self Made
Kerry Washington, Little Fires Everywhere
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Giancarlo Esposito, Better Call Saul
Nicholas Braun, Succession
Kieran Culkin, Succession
Matthew Macfadyen, Succession
Bradley Whitford, The Handmaid’s Tale Billy Crudup, The Morning Show **WINNER**
Mark Duplass, The Morning Show
Jeffrey Wright, Westworld
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Laure Dern, Big Little Lies
Meryl Streep, Big Little Lies
Fiona Shaw, Killing Eve Julia Garner, Ozark **WINNER**
Sarah Snook, Succession
Helena Bonham Carter, The Crown
Samira Wiley, The Handmaid’s Tale
Thandie Newton, Westworld
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Mahershala Ali, Ramy
Kenan Thompson, Saturday Night Live Daniel Levy, Schitt’s Creek **WINNER**
William Jackson Harper, The Good Place
Alan Arkin, The Kominsky Method
Sterling K. Brown, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Tony Shalhoub, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Betty Gilpin, GLOW
Yvonne Orji, Insecure
Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live
Cecily Strong, Saturday Night Live Annie Murphy, Schitt’s Creek **WINNER**
D’Arcy Carden, The Good Place
Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Marin Hinkle, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Dylan McDermott, Hollywood
Jim Parsons, Hollywood
Tituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. The Reverend Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Watchmen **WINNER**
Jovan Adepo, Watchmen
Louis Gossett Jr., Watchmen
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Holland Taylor, Hollywood Uzo Aduba, Mrs. America **WINNER**
Margo Martindale, Mrs. America
Tracey Ullman, Mrs. America
Toni Collette, Unbelievable
Jean Smart, Watchmen
Outstanding Variety Talk Series
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
Jimmy Kimmel Live! Last Week Tonight with John Oliver **WINNER**
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Outstanding Variety Sketch Series
A Black Lady Sketch Show
Drunk History Saturday Night Live **WINNER**
Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program
Amy Poehler, Making It
Nicole Byer, Nailed It!
Bobby Berk, Queer Eye RuPaul, RuPaul’s Drag Race **WINNER**
Barbara Corcoran, Shark Tank
Padma Lakshmi, Top Chef
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Andrew Scott, Black Mirror
James Cromwell, Succession
Giancarlo Esposito, The Mandalorian
Martin Short, The Morning Show
Jason Bateman, The Outsider Ron Cephas Jones, This Is Us **WINNER**
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Cicely Tyson, How to Get Away With Murder
Laverne Cox, Orange Is the New Black Cherry Jones, Succession **WINNER**
Harriet Walter, Succession
Alexis Bledel, The Handmaid’s Tale
Phylicia Rashad, This Is Us
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Fred Willard, Modern Family
Dev Patel, Modern Love
Brad Pitt, Saturday Night Live
Adam Driver, Saturday Night Live Eddie Murphy, Saturday Night Live **WINNER**
Luke Kirby, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Angela Bassett, A Black Lady Sketch Show Maya Rudolph, Saturday Night Live **WINNER**
Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Saturday Night Live
Maya Rudolph, The Good Place
Wanda Sykes, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Bette Midler, The Politician
