The Bird And The Bee: I Can't Go For That (Hall and Oates cover)

My dream pretty much came true when The Bird and The Bee (Inara George + Greg Kurstin) announced their quest to do a few volumes of "interpretations," otherwise known as covers (and we all know how much I love covers here). Now, when they revealed the first volume was going to be entirely devoted to Hall and Oates - the blue-eyed soul-sters and one of the greatest pop songwriters of all time - I went completely ballistic.

The jazz-infused pop and electronica duo released the album on March 23rd and it is nothing less than brilliant. Of course, what did everyone expect with George's angelic vocals and Kurstin's immense talent in production? As a huge Hall and Oates fan, I enjoyed a number of their covers but the Hall and Oates melody which worked perfectly with The Bird and The Bee's style was none other than "I Can't Go For That."

Check it out below!

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Monsters of Folk Music Video: Dear God

Monsters of Folk continue to be the beasts of folk rock that they are. Supergroups are emerging everyday in rock but it's nice to know that these guys have taken the folk genre into their own hands with the talent from Jim James of My Morning Jacket's, Conor Oberst of Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes and M. Ward of She & Him.

Their first single, "Say Please" proved to be a smash hit for the new group and now they're back with "Dear God," a slow contemplative song with a slightly heavier tone which almost dips into some R&B boundaries. The video which accompanies the new single takes the viewer through a layered journey but just as the song title implies, you'll have to think about what the layers are really a part of.

Check the video for Monster of Folk's "Dear God" below!

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Gavin Castleton: Hope Is A Drug

You hear about those talented actors who are often called chameleons because of their ability to slip into any role no matter how far fetched or difficult it is. Gavin Castleton is like that as a musician. As a singer-songwriter who has basically put together his own albums and tours together, he's obviously a very DIY/grassroots minded-person. With all the hands on experience on the road and on stage, Castleton's sound is also easily grouped in with all the veterans. 

Castleton's last album, Home, was uniquely all written in a zombie motif. Yet, instead of sounding odd, the album was a union of every genre you could think of and the songwriting was impressive. Reggae, soul and pop infused into one another with each incoming track.

He recently released an EP, titled "Random Anthems," and one of the three stellar tracks is "Hope Is A Drug."  Check it out below!

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Lissie Video: Bad Romance (Lady Gaga cover)

Oh, Lissie. There is nothing that comes out of this girl's mouth that I don't love. Even if she sings a Lady Gaga tune. (Okay, I've also become somewhat of a fan of Lady Gaga's because of "Bad Romance.") This folk rock blond bombshell who sings with more tenderness than you're ready for (every single time) takes on the hit pop song, and it's ridiculously fantastic!

Not only is it not just a bunch of beats and over-produced vocals, but it's live, acoustic, and raw - everything Lissie does so well. There is no Alexander McQueen couture dripping, there are no lavish choreographed dance moves, and no dead bodies in a bed. Lissie wears a simple shirt, with her hair a bit mussed and only her vocals are what stand out in this video.

Watch Lissie and her band perform their cover of "Bad Romance" below!

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