Cover Thursdays: The Picture In Reverse

Yesterday R.E.M. announced that they were breaking up as a band after 31 years.  The break-up was reportedly on very good terms, and was a mutual, yet difficult decision.  A band performing that consistently for over 30 years is astonishing. When you think about it, R.E.M. is a bit unique, even in the context of the best bands of our life times.  There's not many bands like them, with that amount of success.  The reason R.E.M. was so loved, was because of the emotional connection they made with their audience.

To celebrate the work of R.E.M. here they are performing one my favorite songs from their catalog "Nightswimming".  Also, check out Ingrid Michaelson utilizing a loop station in a cover of the very same song just below this video.



Cover Thursdays: I Can Swing My Megaphone

Glen Hansard has made fairly regular appearances on our Cover Thursdays.  Truth be told, Hansard can sing pretty much anything and make it his own.  Years of busking on the streets of Dublin seem to have served Hansard well.

It's amazing how listening to certain songs can bring back memories of certain times, places, people, and emotions.  Listening to a song years later can take you back to that very place.  That's why I chose this performance for this week's cover.  It's clear that Hansard associates this particular song with a specific moment in his life.

Here's Glen Hansard (Swell Season, The Frames) performing R.E.M's "Hairshirt"