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Peter Picks Tracks for the Gift of Music

What Is It?

The "Gift of Music" is the annual 'Secret Santa' tradition at SongFight. From the original announcement:

Here's the concept- anyone who wants to be a part of this cover challenge simply needs to post here, telling me that they're in and listing 4 songs. These 4 songs are 4 songs that you really like and would like to hear covered. Once the list of participants is compiled, the names will be tossed into a hat and paired off. From there, each participant will get a message telling them who they'll be giving the gift of music to as well as the 4 songs that person chose. The participant picks 1 song from the 4 and covers the song. Then on the due date, we post the results and everybody wins.

So our goal here is to pick songs that will lead to cover versions that I like.

Criteria for Songs

• These should be songs that I myself like -- yes, there's a certain hipster irony to commissioning a cover of "Oops I Did It Again," but if I do that, there are strong odds that I will get something I absolutely hate.
• The songs should be easy to play. Yes, there are many musically talented people on !SongFight, but there are lots of us who would be defeated by intrictate chord progressions and difficult arrangements.
• The songs should lend themselves to a variety of interpretations. If I can't imagine a song played any other way than how I hear it, then I worry that another !SongFighter will feel similarly hidebound.
• Taken together, the four songs should offer as wide a variety of styles and content as possible, to maximize the chances of a !SongFighter fighting something s/he really loves.

• I'm generally putting the kibosh on XTC covers, since I already have the King for a Day sampler, with some 600 of them.

  • Same for Barenaked Ladies covers -- there's a specific !SideFight for that, starting Real Soon Now.

Current Top Four

These are the ones I've tentatively posted to the boards:

• Come On Fhqwgads -- Homestar Runner

  • Pro

    • Fun song.

    • Allows rappers to do their thing

      • Hell, they could even add new lyrics to this one.
    • Simple Casio backing could be easily done in a variety of ways.
    • A well-done cover would be of immediate interest to most of my friends.

  • Con

    • Material might be too thin to interest !SongFighters

• Elephant Stone -- The Stone Roses

  • Pro

    • Awesome song
    • Simple to play.
    • Readily adaptable (c. f. the song's "Mint Royal Mix")
    • Everyone knows this song.

  • Con

    • Nothing comes to mind.

• Holocaust -- Big Star

  • Pro

    • Counters the upbeat tendencies of the previous two
    • Big Star rules ~
    • The offbeat arrangement of the original

  • Con

    • Unfamiliar to most !SongFight types
    • This might be an easy song to cover badly

• Downtown Lights -- The Blue Nile

  • Pro

    • Synthy sytle easy to redo in other ways
    • Simple harmonically

  • Con

    • Running length might seem daunting

      • That is, a !SongFighter might not think to just drop a few choruses/whatnot
    • Possibly too wussy for most !SongFighters to be interested in it

Runners-Up

• Alliwanna Do Is **** Your Hair -- the Judybats

  • Pro

    • Hilarious lyrics.
    • Simple chord progression.

  • Con

    • Lyrics may offend some !SongFighters.
    • Can't imagine any other style than straight-ahead rock.
    • Guitar riffs are a bit tricky.
    • Lack of interest from friends/community.

• She's Only Cool -- Cotton Mather

  • Pro

    • Awesome pop song.
    • Continues my Evil Plan to Evangelize for Cotton Mather (w00t!)

  • Con

    • This song may be more about its production than its content, making it hard (but not impossible) to re-cast it stylistically.
    • Lack of interest from friends/community.

• Career Opportunities -- The Clash

  • Pro

    • Simple
    • Readily adaptable
    • Everyone knows this song.

  • Con

    • I like this song, but I don't really love it.

Big List of Honorable Mentions

• U2 - I Will Follow
• Teenage Fanclub - Neil Jung
• TMBG - Pet Name
• Matthew Sweet - Easy
• Matthew Sweet - So Far
• Postal Service - Such Great Heights
• Van Morrison - The Way Young Lovers Do
• Pet Shop Boys - Home & Dry
• Aimee Mann - That's Just What You Are
• The Mr T Experience - Book of Revelation
• The Lilac Time - In Iverna Gardens
• Jellyfish - Baby's Coming Back
• Neil Finn - Last to Know
• Erasure - Am I Right?
• E - Nowheresville
• Dire Straits - On Every Street
• Any Duran Duran single (for the sake of fun)
• Ray Charles - Hallelujah, I Love Her So
• Cheap Trick - Come On, Come On
• The Buzzcocks - Orgasm Addict
• Winning the War on Drugs - The Asylum Street Spankers
• Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes

Footnotes