If It's Too Loud...

It wouldn't be Halloween without new music from Charming Disaster, and it's extra exciting because we're getting three cover songs from the duo. Our favorite goth-folk duo have released a cover of Leonard Cohen's "Dance Me to the End of Love." It has that alt-cabaret sound we love from Charming Disaster and keeps all of the darkness of the original while adding a little fun to it. I don't think I've ever heard a Cohen cover sound this upbeat, but Charming Disaster are experts at finding the glee in darkness. Cohen purists may not enjoy this version of "Dance Me to the End of Love," but if you're open to a little fun, you're going to love this one. Charming Disaster say of their upcoming EP: “In honor of Halloween, we're getting ready to release a trio of stripped-down covers that pay tribute to a few of our musical inspirations: Leonard Cohen, Bauhaus, and The Cure. We recorded these tracks in Cologne, Germany this past April, dur...

Tristen was recently approached by Lena Mazel and Skyler Meadow Levine of Anaphase Dance to ask for a piece of music for a contemporary dance they were working on. All three love Leonard Cohen, so Tristen chose to cover Cohen's "Dance Me to the End of Love." Considering Tristen has been edging more and more into a pop sound and this is for a contemporary dance piece, this cover is much more faithful to the original than I would have expected. Not that this is a note for note cover. Tristen does make this song sound much more like her own than a Leonard Cohen cover, and she did purposefully make her version more rhythmic for the purpose of dancing than Cohen made the original. Tristen's cover of "Dance Me to the End of Love" is one of the better covers we've heard in a while, and she does the original quite proud by adding her own spin on it. You can watch the video for "Dance Me to the End of Love" below. The song is out now on Mama Bird Record...

Photo via Facebook Leonard Cohen wrote "Seems So Long Ago, Nancy" about a real woman who was forced to give up her child because she gave birth out of wedlock in 1960's Ontario. Because of this, she took her own life with a gun. Ruby Rose Fox covered the song as a response the mass shooting that took place during a Las Vegas country music festival. Since she recorded her version of the song and its release, it has also gained new significance with the #metoo movement of women sharing their personal stories of sexual assault and harassment to show just how wide spread it is. Ruby Rose Fox's version of "Seems So Long Ago, Nancy" and the accompanying video is haunting. It's haunting to the point that I'm hesitant to use that term since it doesn't feel strong enough. There is an occasional use of a whispered backing vocal that will just chill you to the core. The song, although beautiful, isn't a pleasant listen by any means. But that's...

Photo by James Adams Julia Jacklin's album, Don't Let the Kids Win , was one of my favorite albums of 2016. If I did more than a top 10, it probably would have made it at #11. Possibly as a way to remind me how much I loved the album, Jacklin has released a cover of Leonard Cohen's "Memories." It's part of her YouTube tour diaries collection, so as of right now you can't get your own copy. The video itself is a collection of mostly backstage clips of Jacklin's tour, but the audio is simply stunning. Just Jacklin and her guitar covering a master poet and songwriter. "Memories" is a fragile song under any circumstances, but somehow Jacklin turns the song into a confessional even though the words aren't hers. I can only beg you to check out this song. You can watch the video for Julia Jacklin's cover of "Memories" below. For more on Julia Jacklin, check out her website . She is also embarking on an extensive worldwide tou...