Monday, November 30, 2015

Your Monday Moment of Words Fail Me

From 2012, please enjoy Brooklyn's alt-indie bluegrass phenoms The Punch Brothers...


...and their absolutely astounding live take on The Cars' classic hit "Just What I Needed."



The musicianship here is astounding, obviously, but I had forgotten that (as the lead singer says in the video) "Just What I Needed" is such an absolutely awesome song.

15 comments:

FD13NYC said...

Well that's certainly different, but very good indeed!

Anonymous said...

That was excellent and yes I forgot what a great song JWIN is as well. Thanks for posting that.

Anonymous said...
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Dave said...

Just what I needed on a dreary Monday morning, and a great example of why I love this blog. Thanks!

Mark said...

Thank you, Steve, for posting this Punch Brothers clip. Up until now, I passed on every opportunity to listen to Punch Brothers stuff because … well … the name, Punch Brothers, and the modern bluegrass take, and … yeah, I know -- small-mindedness. But this was clip was great, and especially the part at the end where some of the band members put down their instruments and quietly walk away from the AV Club stage.

Covers have always been for me a way to get a handle on new bands, and if I were to manage a band, I would insist that they cover little known songs by reputable artists, or like the Punch Brothers here, reinterpret better-know songs in their own fashion.

On the Steve Deaton 3 album you wrote about a week or so ago, not only is there a really good cover of The Nazz’ OPEN MY EYES, there’s a killer cover of Buck Owens’ TALL DARK STRANGER on the album as well. And from Aerosmith covering TRAIN KEPT A’ ROLLIN’ to Cheap Trick’s SPEAK NOW (OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE) to Tin Huey’s I’M A BELIEVER on to Deaton today, dusting off someone else’s work of art for a new audience always says a lot about bands. And God knows there’s a hell of a lot of great songs and older artists that need new audiences.

Brooklyn Girl in Queens said...

Next up: Jim Boggia playing "Thunder Road" on the ukelele.

Gummo said...

Great fun!

Anonymous said...

These guys played Brian Fest this year and did a wonderful version of Surf's Up. I've seen them out San Diego way a few times. Great musicians. Don't know if they've ever played the venue, but they'd be a perfect act for McCabe's Guitar Shop.

VR - Hangin' out and wastin' time in Cabo. Waves are flat but my baby's not. Yummy, Yummy, Yummy, I got love in my tummy.

Jai Guru Dave said...

Stunningly good!

I'm gobsmacked. (And I'm not even British!)

steve simels said...

JGD -- I had a feeling you'd like that.
:-)

Anonymous said...

Once again it is proven that "It's The Singer, Not The Song"!

Capt. Al

buzzbabyjesus said...

Except when it's the song.

Steve D said...

This song is one of the few songs that is on my top ten list and my 9-year-old daughter's top ten as well. And this is a fun version--the banjo tremolo picking really makes it not to mention the fiddle's spot on version of the guitar solo.

Hannes A. Jónsson said...

Yeah, VR, that intro certainly is yummy.... ;-)

John Fowler said...

THANKS, great fun!