Music Blur

All of this talk about Just Like Honey got me a bit nostalgic about that song, and how much I love it.

So imagine my surprise and delight when yesterday, while listening to NPR’s All Songs Considered podcast, they featured a band called Headless Heroes.  The host, Bob Boilen, said that the album was filled with a bunch of cover tunes, like The Jesus and Mary Chain’s Just Like Honey. My ears perked up. The song he played was a different one, but, I was utterly mesmerized. The female singer’s voice sounded so familiar. After the song played, he mentioned that Alela Diane was the singer, and instantly I was like, “Duh!”. I love Alela Diane, and her two albums (The Pirate’s Gospel and To Be Still) are simply beautiful, and I had no idea she had this little side project called Headless Heroes.

Knowing that there was a cover of Just Like Honey, I knew I had to find the album, one way or another, and I did (alloffmp3.org FTW!). I’ve been listening to it this morning, and I’m only about 5 tracks in, but, I already love it.

Especially, obviously, this cover of Just Like Honey. This version of it is much more subdued, much more ethereal, less fuzzed out, and incredibly haunting. Also, it’s a female singing it, instead of a male, which gives it a much different vibe for me. Something else that jumped out at me, is when the line “Just like honey” is sung in this version. It happens right at about 1:50 in to the video. (Warning: slight music nerdiness ahead) The line comes on the downbeats in the Headless Heroes version. In the original, the first few times the line is sung, it’s on the upbeats. Listen to the original, starting here. Then, listen to this cover version, starting here. Hear the difference? Subtle, but, it’s there.

I haven’t even mentioned the video yet! It’s a damn combination of stop motion and CGI! How could you go wrong? Apparently the band has one or two other videos for their songs done by this same guy, and they’re in a similar vein.

It watches like a crazy, tripped-out, late-60s Beatles video. And that, my friends, is all right with me.