The Word Magazine: February Issue and CD

The Man in Black is on the cover of the latest issue of The Word, leading the guy I bought it from to believe this month's CD has a Cash covers theme. The Word seems content to leave covers compilations to the other guys (Mojo, for one, had a Cash Covered CD a couple years ago). The Word's CDs are consistently eclectic and interesting (in a good way), which is enough of a theme for me.

The cover story offers a look at Johnny Cash's relationship with his brother Jack, and the impact of his death on Johnny.

A feature examines the weirdness of big-name musicians playing at private parties: how it works, how pricey it can get, and who won't do it (i.e. Bruce Springsteen).

The Word "arbitrarily" names the 30 worst cover versions ever, including Sixpence None the Richer's "There She Goes", Roxy Music's "Jealous Guy", Oasis' "Street Fighting Man", Duran Duran's "911 Is A Joke", Jimmy Eat World's "Firestarter", Paul Young's "Love Will Tear Us Apart", David Gray's "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye", and their choice for worst of all... Rod Stewart's cover of Stereophonics' "Cigarettes And Alcohol".

They think the 30 best covers are:

30. The Beat - Can't Get Used to Losing You
29. Johnny Cash - One
28. Pet Shop Boys - Always On My Mind
27. Sita - Bizarre Love Triangle
26. The Beatles - Twist And Shout
25. The Associates - Heart Of Glass
24. Beck - Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime
23. The Soup Dragons - I'm Free
22. The Clash - Police And Thieves
21. Vanilla Fudge - You Keep Me Hanging On
20. The Pretenders - Stop Your Sobbing (from Pretenders, etc.)
19. Radiohead - Nobody Does It Better
18. Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah
17. William Shatner - Common People
16. Futureheads - Hounds of Love
15. Robert Wyatt - I'm A Believer
14. Elvis Costello - Tomorrow's Just Another Day
13. Scissor Sisters - Comfortably Numb
12. Soft Cell - Tainted Love
11. Yes - America
10. Blancmange - The Day Before You Came
9. Saint Etienne - Only Love Can Break Your Heart
8. Kathryn Williams - All Apologies
7. Dani Siciliano - Come As You Are (from ...Likes)
6. Urge Overkill - Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon
5. Nothing Compares 2 U - Sinead O'Connor
4. ZZ Top - Viva Las Vegas
3. The Human League - Rock And Roll/Nightclubbing
2. kd lang - Crying
1. Fiona Apple - Across The Universe

A piece called "How to Read A Men's Magazine" translates headlines such as "[Male Celebrity] Grows Up" for your convenience. (That one means "[Male Celebrity] Grows A Beard.")

An interview with Julian Cope yields this advice: "don't invest even a moment of energy playing in a country whose climate you don't like, whose food you don't like, whose women you don't fancy. You could accidentally become successful there and have to go there to earn dosh." (happened to him with Germany)

There's also the Jenny Lewis interview mandatory for all magazines, of course, and her album receives a positive review. The reviewer didn't care for "Handle With Care", but is pretty keen on the rest. I didn't think much of Lewis' Rabbit Fur Coat though I love Rilo Kiley (and, since comparing their side projects is all the rage, I was much more impressed by The Elected's Sun, Sun, Sun)

I'm more interested in Boo Hewerdine, whose Harmonograph also receives a strong review. I like his song "Patience Of Angels", which appears on this month's CD. According to the review, "Harmonograph starts off sounding like a lightweight thing, but give it a week and it's following you around."

Word Magazine February 2006 CD Track Listing:

1. The Hazey Janes - Don't Look Away (from Hotel Radio)
2. Coldcut feat. Roots Manuva - True Skool (from Sound Mirrors)
3. The Eighteenth Day Of May - Sir Casey Jones
4. Big Jay McNeely - The Deacon's Hop (from Zoot Suit Riot!: Instrumental R&B Smash Hits of the 1950s)
5. Rilo Kiley - Science vs. Romance (awesome song from one of my favorite groups; included on the CD because the album has been reissued in the UK)
6. Boo Hewerdine - Patience Of Angels (from Harmonograph)

YSI is having "issues" which hopefully will resolve soon. The links will all work once YSI is up-and-running. I posted two songs on RapidShare in the meantime:

Big Jay McNeely - The Deacon's Hop

Boo Hewerdine - Patience Of Angels


7. Sparks - (Baby, Baby) Can I Invade Your Country?
8. Broken Social Scene - 7/4 (Shoreline)
9. Christina Kulukundis - Say It To Me Now
10. Moondog - Fog On The Hudson (425 W 57th Street)
11. Amy Allison - Don't You Know Anything
12. The Long Winters - Delicate Hands (from the EP Ultimatum)
13. Dr. John and the Lower 911 - Calm In The Storm
14. Bright Eyes - Method Acting

From Mojo: Cash Covered:

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - The Singer

Michelle Shocked - One Piece At A Time

Shocked is playing a couple of in-stores in California this month along with artist David Willardson - she says "he'll paint while I play songs old and new. Bring the kids!" Unless "the kids" is slang for "your homies", not everyone has kids to bring, Michelle! Is child rental required? If someone behaves in an immature fashion, will the "bring the kids" requirement be waived?

Last year Shocked simultaneously released a trilogy of albums, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Got No Strings, and Mexican Standoff. They can be purchased separately or as the cheekily-titled digipack, Threesome.

Shocked's in-stores:

Feb. 16 - 7:30 PM - Borders Books & Music - 1360 Westwood Blvd Los Angeles
Feb. 18 - 2:00 PM - Borders Books & Music - 900 State St Santa Barbara

Feb. 26th she'll perform at the Boulder Theater with The Gourds (and her "kid brother", Max - who is probably not even technically a kid). March 3rd, she has a concert in Paris at the Sunset Club. French people (and those in Colorado) have to pay to see her play, but not Californians. Although some sort of child sacrifice might be required of Californians; maybe that's the catch.