WEBVTT 00:00:10.830 --> 00:00:14.009 What is going on, friends? Welcome to my weekly 00:00:14.009 --> 00:00:16.850 mixtape, the show that takes the classic mixtape 00:00:16.850 --> 00:00:20.230 approach to building a modern playlist. I'm your 00:00:20.230 --> 00:00:23.170 host, Brian Colburn. And so far this year, I 00:00:23.170 --> 00:00:27.190 have done a 2025 wrap up with D .T. Carel of 00:00:27.190 --> 00:00:31.570 Space Castle, as well as a country roundup. Did 00:00:31.570 --> 00:00:34.450 you really think I was going to go into 2026 00:00:34.450 --> 00:00:38.700 and not wrap up my favorite cover songs? of 2025. 00:00:39.000 --> 00:00:42.100 No, that wasn't going to happen. So here we are. 00:00:42.219 --> 00:00:46.140 I have put together a list of 10 of my personal 00:00:46.140 --> 00:00:48.299 favorite cover songs that I think you need to 00:00:48.299 --> 00:00:52.340 check out this year or next year or any year 00:00:52.340 --> 00:00:55.359 for that matter, because these covers are all 00:00:55.359 --> 00:01:00.399 top notch prime A. Now, let me get into why I'm 00:01:00.399 --> 00:01:03.539 such a fan of cover songs first and foremost. 00:01:04.409 --> 00:01:06.390 I know a lot of people think, well, you're just 00:01:06.390 --> 00:01:09.290 kind of taking someone else's music and rerecording 00:01:09.290 --> 00:01:12.650 it. That's not necessarily the case. One of the 00:01:12.650 --> 00:01:15.849 things I love about cover songs is you're taking 00:01:15.849 --> 00:01:20.709 another artist's art and reimagining it in your 00:01:20.709 --> 00:01:24.510 own voice, your own style. I'm not necessarily 00:01:24.510 --> 00:01:29.209 a fan of a color by numbers cover, meaning you're 00:01:29.209 --> 00:01:33.170 playing the song exactly as it was on the original 00:01:33.170 --> 00:01:37.200 album. Sometimes I'm okay with it, but I love 00:01:37.200 --> 00:01:41.299 to hear when artists bring what makes them unique 00:01:41.299 --> 00:01:45.640 as artists and puts their stamp on another song. 00:01:46.239 --> 00:01:49.120 And I think the songs that I've chosen tonight 00:01:49.120 --> 00:01:51.980 highlight that for the most part. There are a 00:01:51.980 --> 00:01:55.140 few that stay close to the original, but there's 00:01:55.140 --> 00:01:59.700 still nuances and flourishes of what I love about 00:01:59.700 --> 00:02:03.090 the covering artists. that shine through on these 00:02:03.090 --> 00:02:06.890 versions. Now, here we are in December, and I've 00:02:06.890 --> 00:02:11.349 already seen tons of articles featuring 10, 20, 00:02:11.449 --> 00:02:14.349 30, even 50 different cover songs. There are 00:02:14.349 --> 00:02:17.849 so many out there. I could have gone on for hours 00:02:17.849 --> 00:02:21.270 and hours and hours on this topic, but I always 00:02:21.270 --> 00:02:23.909 like to leave those volume twos open for down 00:02:23.909 --> 00:02:27.729 the road. So 10 songs it is, but I also want 00:02:27.729 --> 00:02:30.780 to know what cover songs out there. really move 00:02:30.780 --> 00:02:33.659 the needle for you this year. So please reach 00:02:33.659 --> 00:02:38.120 out to me, myweeklymixtape at gmail .com. You 00:02:38.120 --> 00:02:40.719 can also hit me up on almost all the social media 00:02:40.719 --> 00:02:44.620 haunts at myweeklymixtape. You can use the contact 00:02:44.620 --> 00:02:49.060 page at myweeklymixtape .com, or you can join 00:02:49.060 --> 00:02:52.780 the Mixtaper community at patreon .com forward 00:02:52.780 --> 00:02:56.669 slash myweeklymixtape. I also like to ask wherever 00:02:56.669 --> 00:03:00.189 you're listening, Apple, Spotify, YouTube, if 00:03:00.189 --> 00:03:02.750 you like what you're hearing on My Weekly Mixtape, 00:03:02.810 --> 00:03:05.789 please hit the subscribe button. Please leave 00:03:05.789 --> 00:03:09.430 a five star or thumbs up review and leave a comment 00:03:09.430 --> 00:03:12.110 about what you liked in the episode. It really 00:03:12.110 --> 00:03:14.650 helps spread the word about My Weekly Mixtape 00:03:14.650 --> 00:03:17.669 to other music fans out there. And then obviously, 00:03:17.889 --> 00:03:20.349 if you want to check out the full back catalog 00:03:20.349 --> 00:03:24.159 of My Weekly Mixtape episodes. as well as hear 00:03:24.159 --> 00:03:27.199 a playlist of all the songs I'm about to talk 00:03:27.199 --> 00:03:29.800 about tonight, as well as see their accompanying 00:03:29.800 --> 00:03:32.659 music videos, you can visit the episode page 00:03:32.659 --> 00:03:39.020 over at myweeklymixtape .com. So let's waste 00:03:39.020 --> 00:03:42.560 no time getting into these top 10, at least for 00:03:42.560 --> 00:03:46.560 me personally, cover songs of 2025. And I want 00:03:46.560 --> 00:03:48.759 to kick things off with a band that over on the 00:03:48.759 --> 00:03:51.039 My Weekly Mixtape Discord, we have talked a lot 00:03:51.039 --> 00:03:53.580 about. This is a group called Weakened Friends. 00:03:54.300 --> 00:03:57.300 Based out of Portland, Maine, their album Feels 00:03:57.300 --> 00:03:59.639 Like Hell, which was put out on Don Giovanni 00:03:59.639 --> 00:04:03.099 Records, has really made a lot of waves this 00:04:03.099 --> 00:04:05.560 year, and they have been touring all over the 00:04:05.560 --> 00:04:08.439 place, really putting some support behind this 00:04:08.439 --> 00:04:12.039 album. And at the end of it is a song that they've 00:04:12.039 --> 00:04:14.240 been covering live for a while now, and there's 00:04:14.240 --> 00:04:17.939 now a studio version of it, and it is of Edna 00:04:17.939 --> 00:04:21.079 Swapp's Torn. Now, there might be some of you 00:04:21.079 --> 00:04:24.879 that are sitting there going, who is Edna Swap? 00:04:25.480 --> 00:04:28.120 Well, Edna Swap is the group that recorded this 00:04:28.120 --> 00:04:31.519 song called Torn that a few years later was made 00:04:31.519 --> 00:04:34.879 popular by the one and only Natalie Imbruglia. 00:04:34.959 --> 00:04:38.879 Yes, I'm talking about that torn. I'm all out 00:04:38.879 --> 00:04:42.079 of faith. This is how I feel. Cold and I am shamed, 00:04:42.079 --> 00:04:44.139 lying naked on the floor. You know the exact 00:04:44.139 --> 00:04:47.160 song I am talking about. Now, this is a song 00:04:47.160 --> 00:04:50.250 that. A lot of people don't even realize the 00:04:50.250 --> 00:04:52.829 hit version by Natalie Imbruglia was a cover. 00:04:52.910 --> 00:04:55.629 All the way back in season one, there was the 00:04:55.629 --> 00:04:57.829 Wait, That's a Cover Song episode that I did 00:04:57.829 --> 00:05:01.069 with Jay Sweet. Spoiler alert, this is one of 00:05:01.069 --> 00:05:03.550 those songs because a lot of people, when I mention 00:05:03.550 --> 00:05:06.529 Edna Swapp, they don't know who I'm talking about. 00:05:06.709 --> 00:05:09.670 But as soon as I mention Natalie Imbruglia, there 00:05:09.670 --> 00:05:11.750 it is. They know exactly what I'm talking about 00:05:11.750 --> 00:05:14.629 because she's the one that put the song. on the 00:05:14.629 --> 00:05:17.689 map internationally for fans all over the world. 00:05:18.029 --> 00:05:20.670 Now, Torn has been covered by a lot of groups. 00:05:20.769 --> 00:05:24.569 Neck Deep did a version about 10 years ago. 20 00:05:24.569 --> 00:05:27.709 years ago, a group called Off By One did a fast 00:05:27.709 --> 00:05:30.629 pop punk version of it. There are tons of covers 00:05:30.629 --> 00:05:34.269 of this song. However, Weakened Friends version 00:05:34.269 --> 00:05:39.949 really drives this 90s, I don't want to call 00:05:39.949 --> 00:05:43.120 it grunge because that might be pigeonholing 00:05:43.120 --> 00:05:45.620 the song a little more than I want to. But there 00:05:45.620 --> 00:05:51.019 is a grunge vibe to their version. It is sludgy. 00:05:51.279 --> 00:05:55.819 It is slowed down and it is deliberate in its 00:05:55.819 --> 00:05:58.879 delivery. And I think it's extremely powerful 00:05:58.879 --> 00:06:02.399 for that. Now, the average listener is going 00:06:02.399 --> 00:06:05.379 back and thinking about Natalie Imbruglia's pop 00:06:05.379 --> 00:06:07.980 version, where it's very light, very fluffy. 00:06:08.160 --> 00:06:09.899 I don't want to use the word saccharine because 00:06:09.899 --> 00:06:12.660 that almost sounds like a negative. natalie's 00:06:12.660 --> 00:06:15.480 version i think it's a great song edna swaps 00:06:15.480 --> 00:06:18.000 version is a little bit more alternative rock 00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:23.040 so it still has that lighter feel but it's definitely 00:06:23.040 --> 00:06:27.579 more driving than natalie's version and the other 00:06:27.579 --> 00:06:30.240 ones i mentioned neck deep and off by one are 00:06:30.240 --> 00:06:32.139 definitely leaning more towards the punk side 00:06:32.139 --> 00:06:35.639 of things this version by week and friends leans 00:06:35.639 --> 00:06:39.720 towards edna swaps original but slows it down 00:06:39.720 --> 00:06:43.079 and really draws out the emotion of the lyrics. 00:06:43.399 --> 00:06:47.939 And the delivery of this is both powerful and 00:06:47.939 --> 00:06:50.879 dare I use the word haunting. Her vocal delivery 00:06:50.879 --> 00:06:54.920 on this track demands you stop what you're doing 00:06:54.920 --> 00:06:58.319 and listen to what she has to say. And this was 00:06:58.319 --> 00:07:00.319 one that as soon as I heard it said, this is 00:07:00.319 --> 00:07:03.620 definitely making my top cover songs of 2025, 00:07:03.740 --> 00:07:06.519 even though they had been playing it live prior 00:07:06.519 --> 00:07:09.930 to 2025. Because Feels Like Hell came out this 00:07:09.930 --> 00:07:13.089 year, it makes the list and is definitely one 00:07:13.089 --> 00:07:16.250 I highly recommend checking out. The entire album 00:07:16.250 --> 00:07:19.230 is a banger. If you haven't heard Weekend Friends, 00:07:19.550 --> 00:07:22.910 you are going to be hearing about them in 2026 00:07:22.910 --> 00:07:26.569 because this album has lit a fire under the rocket 00:07:26.569 --> 00:07:29.370 that has been kind of exploding for them all 00:07:29.370 --> 00:07:32.389 throughout 2025. So kicking things off tonight, 00:07:32.649 --> 00:07:37.240 Weekend Friends cover of Edna Swapp's Torn. And 00:07:37.240 --> 00:07:38.759 I think I'm going to follow that up with one 00:07:38.759 --> 00:07:41.759 that, for me at least, is fresh on my mind because 00:07:41.759 --> 00:07:45.240 just a few weeks ago, I had the honor and privilege 00:07:45.240 --> 00:07:48.379 of having Jared Reddick of Bowling for Soup on 00:07:48.379 --> 00:07:52.379 my weekly mixtape to talk about 30 years of pop 00:07:52.379 --> 00:07:55.519 punk humor, heart, and debauchery, all things 00:07:55.519 --> 00:07:58.560 Bowling for Soup. I highly recommend you go back 00:07:58.560 --> 00:08:00.420 and check out that episode if you haven't heard 00:08:00.420 --> 00:08:03.779 it already. But during that discussion, we talk 00:08:03.779 --> 00:08:06.709 about the band's approach to cover songs. And 00:08:06.709 --> 00:08:08.410 they've done a lot over the years. They have 00:08:08.410 --> 00:08:11.529 an entire album dedicated to cover songs. That's 00:08:11.529 --> 00:08:13.910 called Don't Mind If We Do, and it came out in 00:08:13.910 --> 00:08:17.110 2023. And one of the things we talk about, I 00:08:17.110 --> 00:08:19.209 don't want to give too much away, is the fact 00:08:19.209 --> 00:08:21.889 that Jared can hear a song and immediately know 00:08:21.889 --> 00:08:24.649 that they need to put their spin on it. And one 00:08:24.649 --> 00:08:28.430 of the songs that they released in 2025 is a 00:08:28.430 --> 00:08:32.529 cover of Taylor Swift's Actually Romantic from 00:08:32.529 --> 00:08:35.759 The Life of a Showgirl. Now, that album came 00:08:35.759 --> 00:08:40.559 out in October of 2025. And the beauty of modern 00:08:40.559 --> 00:08:44.019 music, as this is something that could not have 00:08:44.019 --> 00:08:47.820 happened 20 and 30 years ago, in November of 00:08:47.820 --> 00:08:52.720 2025, Bowling for Soup's cover dropped. The fact 00:08:52.720 --> 00:08:56.799 that you could take a song that is still just 00:08:56.799 --> 00:08:59.960 starting to generate a buzz and put your spin 00:08:59.960 --> 00:09:04.019 on it almost immediately. is a side of the music 00:09:04.019 --> 00:09:07.460 industry in the last decade that was never around 00:09:07.460 --> 00:09:10.840 in the 70s, 80s, 90s, and even early 2000s for 00:09:10.840 --> 00:09:14.259 that matter. You are able to hear a song and 00:09:14.259 --> 00:09:17.799 immediately get to work on your version of it 00:09:17.799 --> 00:09:21.120 if the song resonates with you. And Jared talks 00:09:21.120 --> 00:09:23.759 about how they did that back in 2023 covering 00:09:23.759 --> 00:09:26.980 Miley Cyrus' Flowers, which ended up on that 00:09:26.980 --> 00:09:29.120 cover's album. And they're doing the same thing 00:09:29.120 --> 00:09:31.500 again here. But I want to be very clear, this 00:09:31.500 --> 00:09:34.299 isn't just Bowling for Soup re -recording Taylor 00:09:34.299 --> 00:09:36.600 Swift's song and releasing it. They're putting 00:09:36.600 --> 00:09:40.779 their own spin on it. This is, for all intents 00:09:40.779 --> 00:09:44.039 and purposes, a Bowling for Soup song that just 00:09:44.039 --> 00:09:46.519 happened to be written and recorded by somebody 00:09:46.519 --> 00:09:50.539 else a month earlier. So if you're a Taylor Swift 00:09:50.539 --> 00:09:54.129 fan or a Bowling for Soup fan, I highly recommend 00:09:54.129 --> 00:09:56.909 you check out Bowling for Soup's take on Actually 00:09:56.909 --> 00:10:00.309 Romantic, as well as my sit down with Jared Reddick 00:10:00.309 --> 00:10:03.049 from a few weeks ago. You will not be disappointed. 00:10:04.230 --> 00:10:06.649 And I think for the next song, I'm going to stick 00:10:06.649 --> 00:10:10.710 with the punk mindset. However, I'm going to 00:10:10.710 --> 00:10:13.289 flip the script a little bit because Bowling 00:10:13.289 --> 00:10:17.750 for Soup did a punk cover of a song that wasn't 00:10:17.750 --> 00:10:22.250 a punk song. So now I'm going to go with a cover. 00:10:22.990 --> 00:10:26.429 That was originally a punk song, but in this 00:10:26.429 --> 00:10:29.429 version, it's no longer a punk song. Although, 00:10:29.429 --> 00:10:33.850 punk is a state of mind, not necessarily a sound. 00:10:34.409 --> 00:10:38.509 So this fingerstyle acoustic guitar version by 00:10:38.509 --> 00:10:43.509 Luca Strigagnoli is punk rock, regardless of 00:10:43.509 --> 00:10:46.029 if he's doing it on an acoustic guitar or not. 00:10:46.429 --> 00:10:49.570 And this is a cover of Dropkick Murphy's I'm 00:10:49.570 --> 00:10:53.429 Shipping Up to Boston. Luca's style of playing 00:10:53.429 --> 00:10:57.990 is one that needs to be studied. And I hope sometime 00:10:57.990 --> 00:11:01.769 in 2026 that I can have him on the show to dive 00:11:01.769 --> 00:11:05.309 into the finger style approach a little more 00:11:05.309 --> 00:11:10.549 in depth because I am absolutely fascinated by 00:11:10.549 --> 00:11:13.990 finger style guitar players. Now, when you listen 00:11:13.990 --> 00:11:17.809 to this track, I want you to immediately note 00:11:17.809 --> 00:11:23.370 that this is all done. on a single guitar by 00:11:23.370 --> 00:11:29.409 one person live. There are no overdubs in fingerstyle 00:11:29.409 --> 00:11:31.769 guitar playing, at least on this track. There 00:11:31.769 --> 00:11:35.289 are some fingerstyle guitarists that do add other 00:11:35.289 --> 00:11:38.210 things and other elements to their studio recordings. 00:11:38.409 --> 00:11:42.250 But this is just Luca and a guitar, nothing else. 00:11:42.769 --> 00:11:46.210 So when you're hearing the beat, the melody, 00:11:46.330 --> 00:11:50.159 and the strumming, it's all happening. From his 00:11:50.159 --> 00:11:56.019 two hands. Simultaneously. It is an art form. 00:11:56.179 --> 00:12:00.639 It is what 99 % of the feeds that I have. If 00:12:00.639 --> 00:12:05.200 I'm scrolling on social media. Pop up. Mind -blowing 00:12:05.200 --> 00:12:08.480 guitar playing. Stuff that I watch it. And I 00:12:08.480 --> 00:12:11.139 have to watch it two, three, four, five times 00:12:11.139 --> 00:12:15.840 in a row. Because I just can't imagine how someone's 00:12:15.840 --> 00:12:19.210 brain. Can make them do what they're doing. To 00:12:19.210 --> 00:12:22.830 make the guitar sound that way. To make a single 00:12:22.830 --> 00:12:27.870 instrument. Sound and feel. Like an entire band. 00:12:28.649 --> 00:12:33.250 It is truly an art form. In and of itself. And 00:12:33.250 --> 00:12:35.149 this is the kind of stuff that. I don't think 00:12:35.149 --> 00:12:38.490 people talk about in the mainstream. But for 00:12:38.490 --> 00:12:41.570 certain. When these videos pop up on their 4U 00:12:41.570 --> 00:12:44.710 feeds. They immediately share them. But I feel 00:12:44.710 --> 00:12:47.570 like artists like this. deserved to be more in 00:12:47.570 --> 00:12:51.250 the mainstream spotlight. Because this is a style 00:12:51.250 --> 00:12:55.629 of music that takes a special kind of talent. 00:12:56.149 --> 00:13:00.750 And Luka is just that. He's put out several covers 00:13:00.750 --> 00:13:03.210 this year, and I was having a hard time deciding 00:13:03.210 --> 00:13:06.169 on which one to go with. However, because we 00:13:06.169 --> 00:13:08.350 did Weekend Friends and Bowling for Soup in the 00:13:08.350 --> 00:13:10.330 beginning, I felt kind of sticking with that 00:13:10.330 --> 00:13:13.750 punk theme was the way to go. However, he also 00:13:13.750 --> 00:13:17.730 does a cover of 50 cents in the club. Yes, he 00:13:17.730 --> 00:13:21.830 does a hip hop cover on acoustic guitar, and 00:13:21.830 --> 00:13:25.450 it's got just the same bouncing vibe as 50s original. 00:13:25.629 --> 00:13:29.350 And he also does Bruce Springsteen's streets 00:13:29.350 --> 00:13:34.129 of Philadelphia on a triple net guitar. That 00:13:34.129 --> 00:13:37.590 one I have to advise you go watch the video for 00:13:37.590 --> 00:13:41.850 because I cannot explain this guitar. You just 00:13:41.850 --> 00:13:45.309 need to see it for yourself. Words cannot do 00:13:45.309 --> 00:13:49.370 it justice. Just like my words cannot do Lucas 00:13:49.370 --> 00:13:53.850 playing justice. I'm Shipping Up to Boston is 00:13:53.850 --> 00:13:56.850 a killer Dropkick Murphy song, one of my absolute 00:13:56.850 --> 00:14:00.789 favorites. And Lucas single -handedly made it 00:14:00.789 --> 00:14:04.049 just as punk rock on a single acoustic guitar. 00:14:05.149 --> 00:14:09.029 So following up, Weekend Friends Torn and Bowling 00:14:09.029 --> 00:14:12.000 for Soups, actually romantic, I'm shipping up 00:14:12.000 --> 00:14:15.940 to Boston by Luca Stricagnoli. And while the 00:14:15.940 --> 00:14:18.419 next song kind of deviates away from punk a little 00:14:18.419 --> 00:14:20.519 bit, there's still going to be that punk rock 00:14:20.519 --> 00:14:24.279 spirit and mentality because this artist actually 00:14:24.279 --> 00:14:28.200 has produced a ton of punk and pop punk artists, 00:14:28.299 --> 00:14:31.480 such as the aforementioned Bowling for Soup, 00:14:31.700 --> 00:14:35.590 Avril Lavigne, American Hi -Fi. Quiet Drive, 00:14:35.870 --> 00:14:38.809 Fall Out Boy, Green Day, just to name a few in 00:14:38.809 --> 00:14:40.889 the punk world. And then outside of the punk 00:14:40.889 --> 00:14:43.710 world, he's produced artists like Billy Idol, 00:14:43.909 --> 00:14:48.769 The Struts, Weezer, Lit, Katy Perry, and Pink. 00:14:48.970 --> 00:14:52.769 And that's just scratching the surface. Alongside 00:14:52.769 --> 00:14:56.129 of his incredible resume of production work, 00:14:56.370 --> 00:14:59.809 he also fronts The Marvelous Three and has an 00:14:59.809 --> 00:15:05.799 incredible catalog of solo material. Butch Walker, 00:15:06.080 --> 00:15:10.259 one of the premier producers on the planet, as 00:15:10.259 --> 00:15:14.019 well as an incredible musician who I would go 00:15:14.019 --> 00:15:16.960 on record to say is one of the most underrated 00:15:16.960 --> 00:15:21.820 songwriters in this modern era. Now this year, 00:15:21.879 --> 00:15:25.600 Butch is covering an incredible band of musicians 00:15:25.600 --> 00:15:28.320 in and of itself. There's been a couple of tribute 00:15:28.320 --> 00:15:31.899 albums that came out in 2025. Not as many as 00:15:31.899 --> 00:15:34.740 I'd like to see. Now, I am a fan of tribute albums. 00:15:34.960 --> 00:15:37.220 The one that immediately jumps to mind, I think 00:15:37.220 --> 00:15:38.879 the biggest one this year would be the Can't 00:15:38.879 --> 00:15:41.899 Get Enough, a tribute to Bad Company that came 00:15:41.899 --> 00:15:44.980 out earlier this year. And while that came really 00:15:44.980 --> 00:15:47.679 close to making the list tonight, I actually 00:15:47.679 --> 00:15:51.440 am going to go with Let's Go Dancing, the songs 00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:54.860 of Drivin' and Cryin'. An Atlanta rock band that 00:15:54.860 --> 00:15:59.210 was formed by Kevin Kinney back in 1985. And 00:15:59.210 --> 00:16:02.490 just like Butch Walker, I think falls under that 00:16:02.490 --> 00:16:06.850 underrated category. Even though they had albums 00:16:06.850 --> 00:16:10.009 on Island Records and they were a major label 00:16:10.009 --> 00:16:13.830 group, there's still an underrated aspect to 00:16:13.830 --> 00:16:17.750 their career and their legacy. They blend hard 00:16:17.750 --> 00:16:21.370 rock, southern rock, a little bit of Americana, 00:16:21.470 --> 00:16:23.870 maybe some folky stuff in there. Kevin Kinney 00:16:23.870 --> 00:16:27.740 is such a prolific songwriter. And I am so glad 00:16:27.740 --> 00:16:30.259 that a bunch of artists came together to pay 00:16:30.259 --> 00:16:33.580 tribute to him and the songs of Drivin' and Cryin'. 00:16:33.580 --> 00:16:37.159 Now, Butch's contribution to this album is a 00:16:37.159 --> 00:16:41.039 cover of Fly Me Courageous, the title track to 00:16:41.039 --> 00:16:44.820 their 1990 album. If memory serves me correct, 00:16:45.019 --> 00:16:48.039 it is the band's highest charting single. Now, 00:16:48.039 --> 00:16:50.480 this cover features Jeff Sullivan, who was the 00:16:50.480 --> 00:16:53.580 drummer on the original recording of Fly Me Courageous. 00:16:53.960 --> 00:16:57.220 And this is probably the most faithful to the 00:16:57.220 --> 00:17:00.440 original cover that I have on my list today. 00:17:00.620 --> 00:17:03.940 Is it a color by numbers cover? No, there is 00:17:03.940 --> 00:17:07.460 definitely Butch's stamp on this song. However, 00:17:07.720 --> 00:17:10.539 by bringing Jeff Sullivan on board, the song 00:17:10.539 --> 00:17:14.380 is going to keep the original swing. So there 00:17:14.380 --> 00:17:17.680 is going to be some similarities to the original 00:17:17.680 --> 00:17:20.400 because he's the one who kept the groove on the 00:17:20.400 --> 00:17:23.319 original track. And that stays intact here. But 00:17:23.319 --> 00:17:26.640 Butch added his nuances to the song to really 00:17:26.640 --> 00:17:30.160 make it his own. And this is a song that I'm 00:17:30.160 --> 00:17:32.420 not sure everybody out there listening knows 00:17:32.420 --> 00:17:35.779 the original and knows the cover. So if you haven't 00:17:35.779 --> 00:17:39.019 heard Driving for Cryin' Fly Me Courageous, please 00:17:39.019 --> 00:17:42.539 do yourself a favor and pick up that album. That 00:17:42.539 --> 00:17:46.779 is the perfect starter album for going down the 00:17:46.779 --> 00:17:49.059 Driving and Cryin' rabbit hole. And when you're 00:17:49.059 --> 00:17:51.819 done with that. Start working your way down Kevin 00:17:51.819 --> 00:17:54.779 Kinney's discography. You will not be disappointed. 00:17:55.039 --> 00:17:57.900 But Butch Walker is always at the top of my list. 00:17:58.039 --> 00:18:00.480 He always brings something special to his covers. 00:18:00.599 --> 00:18:03.460 I've talked about his take on Taylor Swift's 00:18:03.460 --> 00:18:05.859 You Belong With Me in the past. And here we are 00:18:05.859 --> 00:18:08.960 once again with Butch Walker doing Butch Walker 00:18:08.960 --> 00:18:12.920 things and bringing the amped up energy to an 00:18:12.920 --> 00:18:15.940 already amped up classic driving and crying track. 00:18:16.490 --> 00:18:18.609 There is no way I could have done this episode 00:18:18.609 --> 00:18:21.930 tonight and not talked about this one. So closing 00:18:21.930 --> 00:18:25.470 out the first half of this 10 cover songs of 00:18:25.470 --> 00:18:28.910 2025 playlist, I want to go with one that I talked 00:18:28.910 --> 00:18:33.990 about on the country episode of 2025. And that's 00:18:33.990 --> 00:18:37.069 somebody that I saw open for Shinedown earlier 00:18:37.069 --> 00:18:40.849 this year. Yes, I said country and I said Shinedown. 00:18:41.170 --> 00:18:44.309 So if you're intrigued by that statement, I highly 00:18:44.309 --> 00:18:46.960 suggest you go back and check out The episode 00:18:46.960 --> 00:18:49.880 just before this one, The Sound of Country 2025, 00:18:50.640 --> 00:18:53.599 12 standout songs that define the year. Yeah, 00:18:53.660 --> 00:18:56.380 I had to add an extra two to that one. But if 00:18:56.380 --> 00:18:59.799 you are a country fan, this episode is for you. 00:18:59.859 --> 00:19:02.940 And if you're not a country fan, this episode 00:19:02.940 --> 00:19:05.660 is for you. Intrigued? Check it out and find 00:19:05.660 --> 00:19:09.079 out. But anyway, I spoke about this one artist 00:19:09.079 --> 00:19:11.140 in that episode, and I'm going to speak about 00:19:11.140 --> 00:19:13.660 her again. And I actually talked about this song 00:19:13.660 --> 00:19:16.539 for a little bit. in that episode. So if you've 00:19:16.539 --> 00:19:19.000 heard that episode already, I might repeat a 00:19:19.000 --> 00:19:21.079 couple things here, but I'm coming up with this 00:19:21.079 --> 00:19:22.980 off the top of my head, so it might be all new. 00:19:23.339 --> 00:19:27.380 Regardless, Morgan Wade, absolutely love her. 00:19:27.480 --> 00:19:29.859 Have been a fan since I first interviewed her 00:19:29.859 --> 00:19:32.279 with Jay Sweet back in the Toon Styles days, 00:19:32.400 --> 00:19:35.539 which that episode can be heard back in season 00:19:35.539 --> 00:19:38.740 one. If you search the episode page at myweeklymixtape 00:19:38.740 --> 00:19:41.680 .com. That interview was recorded back before 00:19:41.680 --> 00:19:44.039 her debut album Wilder Days came out, but there's 00:19:44.039 --> 00:19:46.400 still a ton of great stuff that came out of that 00:19:46.400 --> 00:19:48.279 conversation, which is why I still recommend 00:19:48.279 --> 00:19:52.359 people still check it out here in 2025. But this 00:19:52.359 --> 00:19:55.460 year she released her newest album, The Party 00:19:55.460 --> 00:19:58.339 Is Over Recovered. And then a few months later, 00:19:58.440 --> 00:20:00.359 which I've talked about before, I'm not a big 00:20:00.359 --> 00:20:02.700 fan of doing the deluxe edition shortly after 00:20:02.700 --> 00:20:06.069 an album is released. However. On the deluxe 00:20:06.069 --> 00:20:09.049 edition of The Party Is Over, she put out a cover 00:20:09.049 --> 00:20:13.289 of Radiohead's Creep using a string section version. 00:20:13.750 --> 00:20:16.890 Now, compared to the original, the arrangement 00:20:16.890 --> 00:20:20.430 is similar. It is dialed back a little bit. And, 00:20:20.549 --> 00:20:22.930 well, it's got a string section in it, if you, 00:20:22.970 --> 00:20:25.690 you know, Captain Obvious here. But this one, 00:20:25.750 --> 00:20:29.109 I really want to focus on her vocals. She took 00:20:29.109 --> 00:20:31.490 some liberties with the vocals that Tom York 00:20:31.490 --> 00:20:34.700 doesn't do on the original track. She hits some 00:20:34.700 --> 00:20:38.299 high notes that Tom doesn't, even though he does 00:20:38.299 --> 00:20:41.039 hit the epic note at the end that it's just one 00:20:41.039 --> 00:20:43.980 of my favorite moments of 90s music. But I digress. 00:20:44.420 --> 00:20:47.440 Morgan's version, she hits some higher notes 00:20:47.440 --> 00:20:50.980 in the verses that gives these moments where 00:20:50.980 --> 00:20:54.480 it stands out from the original. Then in addition 00:20:54.480 --> 00:20:58.259 to that, the string section in it is just gorgeous. 00:20:58.539 --> 00:21:01.259 And it takes this song to a completely different 00:21:01.259 --> 00:21:04.980 level. where it doesn't have the heft of Radiohead's 00:21:04.980 --> 00:21:08.299 original because it is stripped back. But even 00:21:08.299 --> 00:21:11.119 though there's no distortion and heft in that 00:21:11.119 --> 00:21:15.299 regard, it comes on the heels of her voice alone. 00:21:16.140 --> 00:21:19.359 And some of the lines she delivers gives me instant 00:21:19.359 --> 00:21:21.700 chills and makes the hair on my arm stand up 00:21:21.700 --> 00:21:25.640 when she's singing it. This is a really, extremely 00:21:25.640 --> 00:21:28.859 powerful version of this song, my all -time favorite 00:21:28.859 --> 00:21:31.859 Radiohead song. Don't at me, please, if you're 00:21:31.859 --> 00:21:34.799 a Radiohead fan. I understand there is a lot 00:21:34.799 --> 00:21:36.599 of love or hate depending on where you stand 00:21:36.599 --> 00:21:40.319 in your Radiohead fandom. But this is my favorite 00:21:40.319 --> 00:21:43.599 Radiohead song. And Morgan Wade does it justice 00:21:43.599 --> 00:21:47.900 and then some. So as far as I'm concerned, the 00:21:47.900 --> 00:21:51.059 perfect way to close out this first half of the 00:21:51.059 --> 00:21:54.799 Sound of Cover Songs 2025, which kicked off with 00:21:54.799 --> 00:21:57.779 Weekend Friends Torn, originally recorded by 00:21:57.779 --> 00:22:00.880 Edna Swapp. Followed up by Bowling for Soup's 00:22:00.880 --> 00:22:03.319 Actually Romantic, originally recorded by Taylor 00:22:03.319 --> 00:22:06.640 Swift. Luca Strickagnoli, I'm Shipping Up to 00:22:06.640 --> 00:22:09.319 Boston, originally recorded by Dropkick Murphys. 00:22:09.480 --> 00:22:12.720 Butch Walker featuring Jeff Sullivan, Fly Me 00:22:12.720 --> 00:22:15.079 Courageous, originally recorded by Drivin' and 00:22:15.079 --> 00:22:18.460 Cryin'. And Morgan Wade's Creep, originally recorded 00:22:18.460 --> 00:22:22.240 by Radiohead. Head over to myweeklymixtape .com 00:22:22.240 --> 00:22:24.519 to hear all the songs I've discussed in this 00:22:24.519 --> 00:22:28.339 mix through the playlist embedded. on the episode 00:22:28.339 --> 00:22:32.519 page. All right, now to kick off the second half 00:22:32.519 --> 00:22:36.400 of this Sound of Cover Songs 2025, or just moving 00:22:36.400 --> 00:22:38.920 right along if you've been listening to the playlist 00:22:38.920 --> 00:22:41.519 itself because you don't flip playlists over, 00:22:41.660 --> 00:22:44.039 but I digress. I am going to stay in something 00:22:44.039 --> 00:22:47.920 that would be in the same vein as Morgan Wade's 00:22:47.920 --> 00:22:50.119 Creep. Now, at the top of the show, I talked 00:22:50.119 --> 00:22:53.559 about what I love about cover songs, and one 00:22:53.559 --> 00:22:56.200 of the things I didn't mention. is sometimes 00:22:56.200 --> 00:23:00.920 a cover version introduces you to an artist. 00:23:01.119 --> 00:23:04.940 And this is definitely the case in terms of my 00:23:04.940 --> 00:23:08.980 next song choice. While I live in the US, I am 00:23:08.980 --> 00:23:12.859 a huge fan of Triple J's long -running show, 00:23:12.960 --> 00:23:16.880 Like A Version. And thank God there is a YouTube 00:23:16.880 --> 00:23:20.059 channel that uploads all of these performances 00:23:20.059 --> 00:23:22.920 because I have discovered so many great artists. 00:23:23.559 --> 00:23:26.740 Through the Like A Version series. It's all cover 00:23:26.740 --> 00:23:31.119 songs. And once again in 2025. It happened again. 00:23:31.440 --> 00:23:34.859 And this time I was introduced. To a group called. 00:23:34.900 --> 00:23:39.000 The Folk Bitch Trio. Which is also a folk group. 00:23:39.240 --> 00:23:43.259 No shit. Out of Australia. Who released their 00:23:43.259 --> 00:23:46.420 debut album. Now Would Be A Good Time. In 2025. 00:23:47.500 --> 00:23:50.460 Now here we are towards the end of 2025. And 00:23:50.460 --> 00:23:53.259 I am just discovering this group. because of 00:23:53.259 --> 00:23:57.900 their cover of Kings of Leon's Sex on Fire for 00:23:57.900 --> 00:24:02.920 the Triple J Like A Version series. Holy harmony, 00:24:03.180 --> 00:24:06.960 Batman. These three ladies can each front their 00:24:06.960 --> 00:24:10.519 own band and be the lead singer. Their vocals, 00:24:10.700 --> 00:24:13.640 each of them, are incredible. And then when you 00:24:13.640 --> 00:24:17.960 put them together, it is the chef's kiss absolute 00:24:17.960 --> 00:24:22.819 perfection. Their version of the song, starts 00:24:22.819 --> 00:24:26.980 off very similar to Kings of Leon with that overdriven 00:24:26.980 --> 00:24:30.740 guitar sound. However, beyond that, it is an 00:24:30.740 --> 00:24:33.960 acoustic guitar, the overdriven guitar, and these 00:24:33.960 --> 00:24:37.019 ladies' three vocal parts. And they take turns 00:24:37.019 --> 00:24:39.940 singing lead on it. But when their voices come 00:24:39.940 --> 00:24:45.259 together, it is glorious. Everything I love about 00:24:45.259 --> 00:24:49.960 vocal harmonies and then some. Their voices together. 00:24:50.690 --> 00:24:54.609 literally made me stop dead in my tracks. It 00:24:54.609 --> 00:24:57.210 adds a layer that the original doesn't have, 00:24:57.309 --> 00:25:00.730 and there's less instrumentation happening. There 00:25:00.730 --> 00:25:04.470 is a power and heft to this version that completely 00:25:04.470 --> 00:25:08.430 blew my mind. Because of the three -part harmonies, 00:25:08.549 --> 00:25:10.430 there's a part of me that wants to immediately 00:25:10.430 --> 00:25:13.869 lean towards the chicks. However, I feel like 00:25:13.869 --> 00:25:16.230 they have their own unique style and sound. It 00:25:16.230 --> 00:25:20.079 doesn't feel as country -esque as... The Chicks 00:25:20.079 --> 00:25:22.859 do. This definitely feels more folky and more 00:25:22.859 --> 00:25:26.059 Americana -like. However, there's a heft to it. 00:25:26.259 --> 00:25:29.359 And I have not, as of this recording, listened 00:25:29.359 --> 00:25:31.880 to the album, but it has immediately been put 00:25:31.880 --> 00:25:34.680 in my queue because I feel like this is going 00:25:34.680 --> 00:25:37.440 to be a band I'm going to be listening to a lot 00:25:37.440 --> 00:25:42.279 in 2026, thanks to being introduced to them by 00:25:42.279 --> 00:25:45.920 a cover song. So thank you, Like A Version. Thank 00:25:45.920 --> 00:25:49.079 you, Triple J. And... Thank you, Folk Bitch Trio, 00:25:49.119 --> 00:25:52.119 for this incredible cover of Sex on Fire. You 00:25:52.119 --> 00:25:56.000 guys knocked it out of the friggin' park. But 00:25:56.000 --> 00:25:59.319 since I mentioned the chicks, I feel like the 00:25:59.319 --> 00:26:01.920 next seamless transition would be to go to them. 00:26:02.059 --> 00:26:04.380 However, they haven't put out anything in 2025. 00:26:05.140 --> 00:26:09.900 That said, they have been covered in 2025. That 00:26:09.900 --> 00:26:13.200 being by Cody Johnson, who did a gender -flipped 00:26:13.200 --> 00:26:16.619 version of Travel and Soldier. And when I look 00:26:16.619 --> 00:26:18.640 back at the songs we've talked about so far, 00:26:19.099 --> 00:26:23.339 Bowling for Soup, Morgan Wade, and Folk Bitch 00:26:23.339 --> 00:26:26.220 Trio have all been gender -flipped covers. Something 00:26:26.220 --> 00:26:29.279 I absolutely love. Because right from the jump, 00:26:29.400 --> 00:26:32.519 you're getting a unique version. Now, depending 00:26:32.519 --> 00:26:35.099 on if the artist chooses to keep the lyrics the 00:26:35.099 --> 00:26:38.200 original way or not, plays a role into that. 00:26:38.440 --> 00:26:41.380 And that's something that Cody Johnson did in 00:26:41.380 --> 00:26:45.039 his cover of Traveling Soldier. I feel like that's 00:26:45.039 --> 00:26:47.119 similar to how the white stripes handled Jolene 00:26:47.119 --> 00:26:49.920 when they covered it way back in the day. I love 00:26:49.920 --> 00:26:52.160 that, that they kept the original attack. It's 00:26:52.160 --> 00:26:54.799 paying homage to a song that this artist loves 00:26:54.799 --> 00:26:58.039 and not changing the original intent. Now that 00:26:58.039 --> 00:27:01.160 said, does it bother me when an artist gender 00:27:01.160 --> 00:27:04.299 flips a song and changes the meaning? No, it's 00:27:04.299 --> 00:27:08.099 all how they want to interpret the song and Cody 00:27:08.099 --> 00:27:11.119 Johnson's version. It's a little more, I don't 00:27:11.119 --> 00:27:14.000 want to say rock because it's definitely a straight 00:27:14.000 --> 00:27:17.140 ahead country song. But Traveling Soldier by 00:27:17.140 --> 00:27:20.099 the Chicks leans more towards bluegrass. And 00:27:20.099 --> 00:27:22.039 this one, I don't want to say is rocked up a 00:27:22.039 --> 00:27:25.900 little bit, but it's definitely more of a country 00:27:25.900 --> 00:27:29.640 song than the bluegrass style of the Chicks version 00:27:29.640 --> 00:27:32.539 from Home. And when you think about it, it's 00:27:32.539 --> 00:27:35.920 kind of the flip -flop 180 reverse of what the 00:27:35.920 --> 00:27:39.269 Folk Bitch Trio did to Sex on Fire. They stripped 00:27:39.269 --> 00:27:43.269 it down to two guitars and three vocals and Cody 00:27:43.269 --> 00:27:46.190 Johnson added more to his version. But they're 00:27:46.190 --> 00:27:48.930 still showing love and paying homage to the original. 00:27:49.349 --> 00:27:53.630 I can listen to Kings of Leon's Sex on Fire followed 00:27:53.630 --> 00:27:56.470 by Folk Bitch Trio's Sex on Fire back to back 00:27:56.470 --> 00:27:59.990 and enjoy it the same way I can listen to The 00:27:59.990 --> 00:28:02.710 Chick's Travelin' Soldier followed up by Cody 00:28:02.710 --> 00:28:05.680 Johnson's version of Travelin' Soldier. Yes, 00:28:05.720 --> 00:28:08.180 it's the same song, but in each instance, it's 00:28:08.180 --> 00:28:11.839 two very different experiences. So by playing 00:28:11.839 --> 00:28:13.859 them back to back, it doesn't feel like, oh, 00:28:13.859 --> 00:28:15.680 I'm just hearing the same song. I just heard 00:28:15.680 --> 00:28:17.740 that. No, it feels like you're getting something 00:28:17.740 --> 00:28:20.920 completely new and fresh, even though lyrically 00:28:20.920 --> 00:28:24.980 it's the same. Now, he has been playing this 00:28:24.980 --> 00:28:27.440 song live for several years. There's a version 00:28:27.440 --> 00:28:31.359 on YouTube of him performing it from years back. 00:28:35.049 --> 00:28:38.690 60 plus million views however he recorded an 00:28:38.690 --> 00:28:43.150 actual studio version of it now in 2025 so if 00:28:43.150 --> 00:28:45.250 you're wondering why am i bringing it up it's 00:28:45.250 --> 00:28:48.210 actually released as a single in 2025 i'm not 00:28:48.210 --> 00:28:50.750 referring to the version from three years ago 00:28:50.750 --> 00:28:54.329 different performance different recording him 00:28:54.329 --> 00:28:57.269 officially releasing it as a single gave me the 00:28:57.269 --> 00:29:00.430 out to talk about it here in 2025 and it's that 00:29:00.430 --> 00:29:02.849 good of a single if you haven't heard it i highly 00:29:02.849 --> 00:29:05.730 suggest Checking it out if you're a fan of country 00:29:05.730 --> 00:29:08.789 music, the Chicks, or Cody Johnson, all three. 00:29:09.710 --> 00:29:12.230 And as I'm looking at how this list played out, 00:29:12.309 --> 00:29:15.509 at least from Morgan Wade's Creep onward, I could 00:29:15.509 --> 00:29:18.269 have probably done an entire episode of country 00:29:18.269 --> 00:29:21.990 cover songs in 2025 because I'm going to stay 00:29:21.990 --> 00:29:25.150 with something that, in hindsight, I probably 00:29:25.150 --> 00:29:28.410 could have followed up Sex on Fire with. However, 00:29:28.690 --> 00:29:31.269 I didn't. And I'm not changing it because I don't 00:29:31.269 --> 00:29:32.730 feel like going back and recording everything 00:29:32.730 --> 00:29:38.329 I just said. Anyway, Folk Bitch Trio's Sex on 00:29:38.329 --> 00:29:40.730 Fire was a gender flipped cover originally by 00:29:40.730 --> 00:29:45.569 Kings of Leon. And the Dead South did a gender 00:29:45.569 --> 00:29:49.390 flipped cover of one of my favorite Concrete 00:29:49.390 --> 00:29:52.930 Blonde songs, Joey. Now, I might lose some people 00:29:52.930 --> 00:29:54.950 on this one. I'm not quite sure because the Dead 00:29:54.950 --> 00:29:59.200 South are a bluegrass group. And over the last 00:29:59.200 --> 00:30:02.200 decade and change, there have been bluegrass 00:30:02.200 --> 00:30:05.539 groups like Hasty Dixie and Steven Seagulls that 00:30:05.539 --> 00:30:08.759 have come out and done tributes kind of with 00:30:08.759 --> 00:30:11.759 their tongue firmly planted in cheek. And they 00:30:11.759 --> 00:30:14.059 are of heavier songs. They're of rock songs. 00:30:14.279 --> 00:30:17.720 They're of metal songs. And while I love both 00:30:17.720 --> 00:30:21.150 of those groups. Sometimes people, at least in 00:30:21.150 --> 00:30:24.390 the comments section, see them as almost a novelty 00:30:24.390 --> 00:30:27.390 act and they overlook the talent that these groups 00:30:27.390 --> 00:30:30.490 have because they're doing songs like Thunderstruck 00:30:30.490 --> 00:30:34.470 on a banjo. And it almost in that TikTok social 00:30:34.470 --> 00:30:37.690 media form is eye catching and becomes viral 00:30:37.690 --> 00:30:42.750 just based on that alone. And it's tough because 00:30:42.750 --> 00:30:46.349 when you think about Jeanette Napolitano's unmistakable 00:30:46.349 --> 00:30:49.099 voice. and you say, well, here's a bluegrass 00:30:49.099 --> 00:30:52.720 cover of it. It might be hard to sell, but the 00:30:52.720 --> 00:30:57.799 Dead South play this cover straight. They bring 00:30:57.799 --> 00:31:00.480 the darkness that the original has. Now, I don't 00:31:00.480 --> 00:31:02.259 mean the darkness I believe in a thing called 00:31:02.259 --> 00:31:05.279 Love the Darkness. I mean the lyrical darkness, 00:31:05.460 --> 00:31:08.880 the darkness behind the song's meaning. They 00:31:08.880 --> 00:31:12.539 honor that, and they play it in bluegrass form, 00:31:12.640 --> 00:31:16.809 but there's never a moment that you think, that 00:31:16.809 --> 00:31:20.490 there's any novelty aspect to it. Now, I personally 00:31:20.490 --> 00:31:23.750 don't see that with a lot of Hacey Dixie and 00:31:23.750 --> 00:31:26.589 Steven Seagal songs unless they're going overly 00:31:26.589 --> 00:31:29.930 into it. Because there is a song by Hacey Dixie 00:31:29.930 --> 00:31:32.329 called I'm Keeping Your Poop in a Jar. I think 00:31:32.329 --> 00:31:35.089 there's a novelty aspect to that song. And if 00:31:35.089 --> 00:31:37.490 they meant that seriously, well, that's a conversation 00:31:37.490 --> 00:31:40.750 for a whole nother episode because I don't know 00:31:40.750 --> 00:31:44.319 what to do with that one. And with Steven Seagulls, 00:31:44.319 --> 00:31:46.480 when you're doing metal songs in bluegrass form, 00:31:46.619 --> 00:31:50.019 people are going to see a novelty to that. And 00:31:50.019 --> 00:31:52.460 I think that sucks because you're overlooking 00:31:52.460 --> 00:31:55.740 such incredible talent. And I don't want that 00:31:55.740 --> 00:31:58.079 to happen on this cover of Joey because the original 00:31:58.079 --> 00:32:01.759 is powerful and it's moving. And the Dead South 00:32:01.759 --> 00:32:05.799 version honors that while reinventing it. And 00:32:05.799 --> 00:32:08.640 that's a tough thing to do. And I am sure there's 00:32:08.640 --> 00:32:10.559 going to be some concrete blonde fans out there 00:32:10.559 --> 00:32:12.660 that disagree with this cover. And I respect 00:32:12.660 --> 00:32:17.559 that because this one is a big jump. The original 00:32:17.559 --> 00:32:22.339 has pain throughout the song. And when you go 00:32:22.339 --> 00:32:25.079 into that bluegrass sound and you hear the instrumentation 00:32:25.079 --> 00:32:28.819 at first, you might think those emotions are 00:32:28.819 --> 00:32:31.680 going to be stripped from this song. And it's 00:32:31.680 --> 00:32:35.099 the exact opposite. The pain from the original. 00:32:35.660 --> 00:32:39.079 Shines through in this version. I want to say 00:32:39.079 --> 00:32:42.140 in a similar fashion. To the way the pain of 00:32:42.140 --> 00:32:45.240 Nine Inch Nails Hurt. Shines through in Johnny 00:32:45.240 --> 00:32:48.319 Cash's version. While we're talking two different 00:32:48.319 --> 00:32:51.000 songs. And two different emotions at play. Between 00:32:51.000 --> 00:32:55.660 Hurt and Joey. I feel like the sentiment. From 00:32:55.660 --> 00:32:59.539 the original to the cover. Translates well across 00:32:59.539 --> 00:33:03.779 the genres. So you're getting. a different version 00:33:03.779 --> 00:33:06.200 of that pain from the original. And it's done 00:33:06.200 --> 00:33:11.059 in such a honorable and poetic way. So if you 00:33:11.059 --> 00:33:13.359 haven't heard this, the Dead South's cover of 00:33:13.359 --> 00:33:18.460 Joey has to be on your list for 2025. And coming 00:33:18.460 --> 00:33:21.700 out of that, I think I'm finally going to move 00:33:21.700 --> 00:33:25.059 away from the country, bluegrass folk, Americana 00:33:25.059 --> 00:33:27.180 stuff, at least for the last two songs here. 00:33:27.759 --> 00:33:31.059 And this next one. I heard for the first time, 00:33:31.059 --> 00:33:34.160 believe it or not, on Thanksgiving Day, during 00:33:34.160 --> 00:33:37.400 the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, when this 00:33:37.400 --> 00:33:41.799 artist came out and performed a duet, quote unquote, 00:33:42.099 --> 00:33:44.319 it's the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, so no 00:33:44.319 --> 00:33:46.980 one's actually performing, lip synced a duet 00:33:46.980 --> 00:33:52.039 with Whitney Houston. And I thought it was odd, 00:33:52.119 --> 00:33:55.920 but I was stopped in my tracks because I knew 00:33:55.920 --> 00:33:59.059 the song. And it was, I want to dance with somebody. 00:33:59.920 --> 00:34:04.740 But it wasn't fast. It was now a piano ballad. 00:34:04.859 --> 00:34:07.839 And I'm talking about Callum Scott. And this 00:34:07.839 --> 00:34:11.780 version is on his 2025 album, Alvin Noir. At 00:34:11.780 --> 00:34:15.179 first, I wasn't sure what I thought about it. 00:34:16.079 --> 00:34:19.440 Because this is a song that for decades I knew 00:34:19.440 --> 00:34:23.280 as an upbeat dance song. And here I am hearing 00:34:23.280 --> 00:34:27.559 it for the first time as a ballad. And they only 00:34:27.559 --> 00:34:30.340 did... like a half a verse and a chorus before 00:34:30.340 --> 00:34:32.079 they talked over it and moved on to the next 00:34:32.079 --> 00:34:34.699 thing. So I had to mute the TV and bring it up 00:34:34.699 --> 00:34:36.960 on streaming. Like I said, streaming does have 00:34:36.960 --> 00:34:39.440 its purposes every now and then. And I listened 00:34:39.440 --> 00:34:43.000 to it all the way through. And from the first 00:34:43.000 --> 00:34:46.139 listen until the probably 50th listen that I've 00:34:46.139 --> 00:34:47.900 listened to it this year since Thanksgiving, 00:34:48.079 --> 00:34:52.400 I'm blown away by this version. The original's 00:34:52.400 --> 00:34:56.760 embedded in my 80s DNA. I heard that song so 00:34:56.760 --> 00:34:59.000 many times on FM radio, I can almost feel like 00:34:59.000 --> 00:35:01.159 when I listen to it, I hear the FM radio static 00:35:01.159 --> 00:35:04.980 within the song. But here's this version where 00:35:04.980 --> 00:35:07.360 it's just piano and it starts off with Whitney's 00:35:07.360 --> 00:35:11.519 voice. And you immediately think, oh, God, he 00:35:11.519 --> 00:35:14.780 went AI with this. And I had to immediately do 00:35:14.780 --> 00:35:19.219 some research. And thank God he did not. He did 00:35:19.219 --> 00:35:22.900 this the right way. He got permission from Whitney's 00:35:22.900 --> 00:35:26.420 estate. and got a hold of the original vocal 00:35:26.420 --> 00:35:30.440 track, which, if you know the song, it's Whitney. 00:35:30.539 --> 00:35:33.320 It's unbelievable. So I'm sure there's somebody 00:35:33.320 --> 00:35:35.260 out there going, well, the original artist is 00:35:35.260 --> 00:35:38.659 on the track. Is it really a cover? Yes and no. 00:35:38.760 --> 00:35:40.420 There's been a lot of these over the years where 00:35:40.420 --> 00:35:42.659 they'll take an artist's vocals and turn out 00:35:42.659 --> 00:35:45.420 a dance version of it but bring on another guest. 00:35:46.800 --> 00:35:49.599 Kygo's done it twice, once with Whitney on the 00:35:49.599 --> 00:35:51.739 remake of Higher Love. I want to say that was 00:35:51.739 --> 00:35:56.019 like 2019. And then a year later, he did a version 00:35:56.019 --> 00:35:58.519 of What's Love Got to Do With It with Tina Turner. 00:35:58.980 --> 00:36:04.039 Are they covers? Tributes, reimaginings, remakes. 00:36:04.440 --> 00:36:07.400 I feel like they all kind of blend in here. So 00:36:07.400 --> 00:36:09.579 if you're going to at me on this one, I understand. 00:36:09.800 --> 00:36:15.480 But this version is so unique. And it made me 00:36:15.480 --> 00:36:19.480 listen to the song in such a different way that 00:36:19.480 --> 00:36:21.960 I felt like I couldn't do this episode and not 00:36:21.960 --> 00:36:25.070 talk about it. even if there is an asterisk in 00:36:25.070 --> 00:36:27.510 the corner, because it's not just Callum Scott 00:36:27.510 --> 00:36:30.909 doing it alone. Although he proved during his 00:36:30.909 --> 00:36:33.889 verses, he very easily could have performed it 00:36:33.889 --> 00:36:36.889 with just his voice alone and done an incredible 00:36:36.889 --> 00:36:40.230 version of the track. However, the harmonizing 00:36:40.230 --> 00:36:43.510 between him and Whitney's voice really make this 00:36:43.510 --> 00:36:45.829 one special. And I talked about the harmonies 00:36:45.829 --> 00:36:48.570 that the Folk Bitch Trio brought to Sex on Fire, 00:36:48.769 --> 00:36:51.510 the harmonies that Callum does with Whitney on 00:36:51.510 --> 00:36:56.019 this version. are gorgeous. And it takes a song 00:36:56.019 --> 00:36:58.840 that you think is an upbeat dance song and turns 00:36:58.840 --> 00:37:01.000 it into a song that could be used as a first 00:37:01.000 --> 00:37:04.239 dance at a wedding, could be used as a slow dance. 00:37:04.400 --> 00:37:08.300 It completely changes the meaning and intention 00:37:08.300 --> 00:37:12.179 of the song in such a beautiful, powerful way. 00:37:13.340 --> 00:37:15.900 And once again, it's an instance that I can listen 00:37:15.900 --> 00:37:18.900 to Whitney's version followed up by this duet 00:37:18.900 --> 00:37:21.570 version. And I feel like I'm getting two completely 00:37:21.570 --> 00:37:24.210 different experiences. And that's what I love 00:37:24.210 --> 00:37:27.309 about a cover song. So, Asterix or not, Callum 00:37:27.309 --> 00:37:29.250 Scott and Whitney Houston's I Want to Dance with 00:37:29.250 --> 00:37:33.889 Somebody definitely makes the 2025 Sound of Cover 00:37:33.889 --> 00:37:37.690 Songs list, in my humble opinion. Now, if the 00:37:37.690 --> 00:37:40.909 penultimate song of this playlist struck a nerve 00:37:40.909 --> 00:37:44.210 with some people, I'm sure my closer will too. 00:37:44.909 --> 00:37:47.670 And this is one that I watched live as it was 00:37:47.670 --> 00:37:50.050 happening, at least on a live stream, of course, 00:37:50.190 --> 00:37:52.590 as I'm here in the U .S. And this took place 00:37:52.590 --> 00:37:55.710 in Villa Park at the Back to the Beginning concert. 00:37:56.090 --> 00:37:59.170 And yes, I'm talking about Youngblood's Changes, 00:37:59.409 --> 00:38:02.389 which was originally recorded by Black Sabbath. 00:38:03.429 --> 00:38:06.869 I've been a fan of Youngblood since 21st Century 00:38:06.869 --> 00:38:10.030 Liability. I've talked about him on the Songs 00:38:10.030 --> 00:38:12.550 of 2025 episode that just came out two weeks 00:38:12.550 --> 00:38:14.969 ago, if you haven't heard that. It's a spoiler, 00:38:15.050 --> 00:38:18.030 but I won't say where I went with my pick because 00:38:18.030 --> 00:38:21.250 Youngblood's done a lot of stuff this year. But 00:38:21.250 --> 00:38:24.690 that said, this cover of Changes that took place 00:38:24.690 --> 00:38:28.269 at the Back to the Beginning concert was nothing 00:38:28.269 --> 00:38:33.309 short of a career -defining moment. To me, it 00:38:33.309 --> 00:38:36.730 goes on the level of Hart's performance of Stairway 00:38:36.730 --> 00:38:40.130 to Heaven at the Kennedy Center Honors. Now, 00:38:40.150 --> 00:38:42.349 obviously, when Hart walked out on stage, everybody 00:38:42.349 --> 00:38:46.829 knew who Hart was. And that version of Stairway 00:38:46.829 --> 00:38:49.750 lives in infamy because of how Ann Wilson knocked 00:38:49.750 --> 00:38:52.150 it out of the park. The difference with this 00:38:52.150 --> 00:38:55.610 is not everybody in the audience, especially 00:38:55.610 --> 00:39:00.369 on streaming, knew who Youngblood was. People 00:39:00.369 --> 00:39:02.670 in attendance knew who Youngblood was because 00:39:02.670 --> 00:39:06.809 he is popular on that side of the pond. But he's 00:39:06.809 --> 00:39:10.340 still growing here in the U .S. And while he's 00:39:10.340 --> 00:39:14.039 becoming more and more popular, this lit a rocket 00:39:14.039 --> 00:39:17.579 under him here in the U .S. And while I don't 00:39:17.579 --> 00:39:20.519 usually like to dive into what people are saying 00:39:20.519 --> 00:39:23.579 online when it comes to stuff, because unfortunately 00:39:23.579 --> 00:39:26.119 people just love to trash everything online and 00:39:26.119 --> 00:39:29.079 it's really toxic and really dangerous and something 00:39:29.079 --> 00:39:32.820 I'm just not a fan of, I actually wanted to see 00:39:32.820 --> 00:39:36.000 what people were saying. And as he was performing 00:39:36.000 --> 00:39:41.329 this, there was a ton of Who is this guy? Now, 00:39:41.389 --> 00:39:44.530 not in the way of in the movie Major League when 00:39:44.530 --> 00:39:46.769 they were looking at the roster going, who are 00:39:46.769 --> 00:39:50.190 these frigging guys? This was really, who is 00:39:50.190 --> 00:39:55.050 this? Because he slayed this performance and 00:39:55.050 --> 00:39:58.670 was blowing the minds of metalheads from generations 00:39:58.670 --> 00:40:04.469 earlier who are not fans of current music. And 00:40:04.469 --> 00:40:07.730 I'm not saying that speaking about them. I am. 00:40:08.030 --> 00:40:11.050 saying what they were saying online. Meaning, 00:40:11.150 --> 00:40:13.429 I haven't listened to new music in 20 years, 00:40:13.650 --> 00:40:17.210 but this kid has something special. Now granted, 00:40:17.369 --> 00:40:20.309 when you have Nuno Betancourt of Xtreme on guitar, 00:40:20.929 --> 00:40:25.289 Frank Bello of Anthrax on bass, drummer two of 00:40:25.289 --> 00:40:28.250 Sleep Token on, you figure that one out, and 00:40:28.250 --> 00:40:30.670 Ozzy's keyboardist Adam Wakeman, the backing 00:40:30.670 --> 00:40:35.630 band, is top tier. But if Youngblood's performance 00:40:36.429 --> 00:40:39.670 didn't hit the way it did, it probably would 00:40:39.670 --> 00:40:41.869 have just been a passing song in that all -day 00:40:41.869 --> 00:40:46.010 amazing celebration of Ozzy's life. The last 00:40:46.010 --> 00:40:49.170 time the world would see Ozzy perform live. But 00:40:49.170 --> 00:40:53.230 Youngblood's vocal performance was so powerful 00:40:53.230 --> 00:40:58.429 in this one. You could see why Ozzy was trying 00:40:58.429 --> 00:41:01.190 to pass the torch to him in interviews leading 00:41:01.190 --> 00:41:03.889 up to the Back to the Beginning Festival. You 00:41:03.889 --> 00:41:06.659 could see why Aerosmith Steven Tyler and Joe 00:41:06.659 --> 00:41:10.639 Perry wanted to work with him this year. I understand 00:41:10.639 --> 00:41:15.059 why Youngblood's polarizing, but he is insanely 00:41:15.059 --> 00:41:19.400 talented. Changes is not an easy song to sing. 00:41:19.880 --> 00:41:22.559 Ozzy's vocals in his prime is not easy to pull 00:41:22.559 --> 00:41:25.280 off. And not only did Youngblood pull it off, 00:41:25.500 --> 00:41:28.239 he had the crowd in the palm of his hands singing 00:41:28.239 --> 00:41:32.420 along with him. And this version? After the year 00:41:32.420 --> 00:41:34.340 that I've had personally in my life that I've 00:41:34.340 --> 00:41:37.219 talked about on other episodes, it hit me in 00:41:37.219 --> 00:41:39.739 the feels when I watched it live, and it's hit 00:41:39.739 --> 00:41:41.599 me in the feels every single time I've heard 00:41:41.599 --> 00:41:45.199 it. We lost one of the founding fathers of metal 00:41:45.199 --> 00:41:48.159 this year, one of the most influential names 00:41:48.159 --> 00:41:52.659 in hard rock and metal. And during his last performance, 00:41:53.300 --> 00:41:57.579 Youngblood put himself on a different tier by 00:41:57.579 --> 00:42:00.360 simply honoring somebody who he looked up to. 00:42:00.889 --> 00:42:04.050 and the performance speaks for itself. Grammy 00:42:04.050 --> 00:42:07.250 nomination for best rock performance and all. 00:42:07.769 --> 00:42:11.070 And as far as I'm concerned, is the perfect way 00:42:11.070 --> 00:42:15.110 to close out the second half of this Cover Songs 00:42:15.110 --> 00:42:19.110 of 2025 playlist, which kicked off with Folk 00:42:19.110 --> 00:42:22.369 Bitch Trio's Sex on Fire, originally recorded 00:42:22.369 --> 00:42:25.789 by Kings of Leon, followed up by Cody Johnson's 00:42:25.789 --> 00:42:28.010 Travelin' Soldier, originally recorded by The 00:42:28.010 --> 00:42:31.440 Chicks, The Dead South's Joey, originally recorded 00:42:31.440 --> 00:42:34.840 by Concrete Blonde. Callum Scott featuring Whitney 00:42:34.840 --> 00:42:37.460 Houston's I Wanna Dance With Somebody, originally 00:42:37.460 --> 00:42:40.280 recorded by Whitney Houston. And Youngblood's 00:42:40.280 --> 00:42:43.739 Changes, originally recorded by Black Sabbath. 00:42:44.039 --> 00:42:46.900 Head over to myweeklymixtape .com to hear all 00:42:46.900 --> 00:42:49.599 the songs I've discussed in this mix through 00:42:49.599 --> 00:42:54.559 the playlist embedded on the episode page. And 00:42:54.559 --> 00:42:56.820 now this is the part of the show where the conversation 00:42:56.820 --> 00:43:00.659 continues. I want to hear from you. I want to 00:43:00.659 --> 00:43:03.500 know what you think the best cover song to come 00:43:03.500 --> 00:43:07.940 out in 2025 was. Hit me up on email, myweeklymixtape 00:43:07.940 --> 00:43:11.320 at gmail .com. Chime in with me on social media 00:43:11.320 --> 00:43:14.880 at myweeklymixtape. I'm at all the haunts. You 00:43:14.880 --> 00:43:17.820 can also use the contact page at myweeklymixtape 00:43:17.820 --> 00:43:21.139 .com. Or last but not least, you can join the 00:43:21.139 --> 00:43:24.099 Mixtaper community at patreon .com forward slash 00:43:24.099 --> 00:43:27.670 myweeklymixtape. It's free to join and chime 00:43:27.670 --> 00:43:30.150 in. And there's other tiers if you'd like to 00:43:30.150 --> 00:43:32.590 support the show, but none of those are needed 00:43:32.590 --> 00:43:35.269 to be a part of the community. I just appreciate 00:43:35.269 --> 00:43:37.510 the support that you are showing this program 00:43:37.510 --> 00:43:40.989 in any way, shape or form. If you'd like to show 00:43:40.989 --> 00:43:43.429 some love to the show in a non -financial way, 00:43:43.590 --> 00:43:46.590 you can do so by making sure you subscribe at 00:43:46.590 --> 00:43:50.050 Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, all the places. 00:43:50.590 --> 00:43:53.349 Tell your friends about the show. Leave a five 00:43:53.349 --> 00:43:55.730 -star review or a thumbs up, whatever their rating 00:43:55.730 --> 00:43:58.489 system is. Leave a comment about what you liked 00:43:58.489 --> 00:44:00.869 about the episode or what future episodes you'd 00:44:00.869 --> 00:44:03.190 like to hear on the show because that is how 00:44:03.190 --> 00:44:05.550 we keep this conversation going week in and week 00:44:05.550 --> 00:44:08.989 out here on my weekly mixtape. And I honestly 00:44:08.989 --> 00:44:10.889 can't wait to hear what some of the songs you 00:44:10.889 --> 00:44:13.650 guys come up with because even though I am the 00:44:13.650 --> 00:44:16.389 host of the show, I am still trying to discover 00:44:16.389 --> 00:44:19.219 and learn about new music. each and every day, 00:44:19.300 --> 00:44:22.619 and through the community over at Patreon, Discord, 00:44:22.860 --> 00:44:25.960 on social media, as well as the incredible emails 00:44:25.960 --> 00:44:28.239 you send me. I have learned about a lot of new 00:44:28.239 --> 00:44:31.260 music, and I thank each and every one of you 00:44:31.260 --> 00:44:34.239 for that. Keeping this conversation going, it 00:44:34.239 --> 00:44:37.300 means the world to me. My name is Brian Colburn. 00:44:37.480 --> 00:44:40.179 This has been my weekly mixtape, and I hope you 00:44:40.179 --> 00:44:43.039 enjoy diving down this rabbit hole of the sounds 00:44:43.039 --> 00:44:46.639 of cover songs 2025. I'll be back next week. 00:44:46.969 --> 00:44:49.070 with an episode that'll tide you over until we 00:44:49.070 --> 00:44:52.570 get to 2026, and then the gloves come off, and 00:44:52.570 --> 00:44:55.070 we're hitting the ground running in 2026 with 00:44:55.070 --> 00:44:58.230 a whole new batch of brand new episodes, music 00:44:58.230 --> 00:45:01.730 discussions, commentary, interviews, and all 00:45:01.730 --> 00:45:04.369 the things that make my weekly mixtape what it 00:45:04.369 --> 00:45:07.590 is week in and week out. As always, I thank you 00:45:07.590 --> 00:45:10.449 for listening, and until next time, enjoy the 00:45:10.449 --> 00:45:10.690 tunes.