Mullins is a distinctive songwriter, steeped in tradition but indisputably original, and he assembles a keenly woven set of tracks in Light You Up — still, there is something tauntingly brief about Matthew Sweet’s appearance on “California.” (You petered out after your debut, so mull it over: an electric Thorns album would be sweet!)
Time for another new artist here on The Laptop Sessions, and even though Jim & Chris may dissent about the artist and perhaps the song that i’ve chosen, I have decided to perform it anyway.
The song is “3×5” by John Mayer from his album “Room for Squares”. Although I really love the version he plays on his live album “Any given Thursday”, the recorded version is also upbeat and catchy.
I improvised a bit at the end, and despite a few minor lyrical glitches, this video came out great. I hope you like it as much.
Stay tuned for more Laptop Sessions from Chris, Jim, and myself – Jeff.
Editor’s Note: Unfortunately, Jeff’s acoustic cover song music videos are no longer on YouTube, but we decided to keep his cover song blog posts up. We figured these music blog entries would be good for posterity’s sake and because Jeff always gave such insightful posts each Session. We hope to see Jeff’s impressive catalog of acoustic rock songs here on the Laptop Sessions cover songs and original music blog again in the future. But, for now, please make sure to check-out hundreds of other acoustic cover songs from all of your favorite bands here on the Laptop Sessions music blog!
Hello and welcome to another all-new week of cover song music videos at the Laptop Sessions! This promises to be a good week, because not only will there be new Monday and Tuesday videos, but I will also be publishing my review of the new Weezer album.
And, trust me, that one will be a doozie…
For now, though, let’s focus on the present. Tonight’s video is a song that I came across quite randomly on my iTunes, intending to listen to it only to test out a theory I have about how the “skip count” works on the software. From the first few moments of the song, I was immediately interested in it. As the song continued to play out, I picked up my guitar and began working the chords out. Then, after listening to it a dozen times this weekend, I was ready to record my session tonight.
The song I am referring to is Beck’s “Canceled Check,” the fourth track from his 1998 album Mutations. I suppose you could say that this was dumb luck that I stumbled across this song, but I truly knew within the first thirty seconds of hearing this song for the first time that it would make a fun cover song music video. The album as a whole is actually very enjoyable, blending strong acoustic guitar and harmonica elements with more experimental sounds, such as the confusion that closes this track. For my session, I enlisted a little help and am excited to present an “experimental” ending of my own. (I hope you enjoy it!)
This music video also has the virtue of being one of the very few, if not the ONLY, Laptop Sessions that I’ve completed in one recorded take. Granted, I spent a good deal of time practicing, but still…
In other personal music news, I recently sent a reply email to the Fruit Bats, commenting about their excellent performance on the Craig Ferguson show (the Fruit Bats mailing sent out the link to view it) and their excellent album. I wrote, “I’ve been listening since “Spelled in Bones,” but the new album has me spellbound and officially a BIG fan. Again, thank you for what is easily one of the top 5 best albums of the year!!! (and I’ve bought almost 30 new albums this year already, so I feel like I have some perspective!)”
The reply? Well, I wasn’t so much expecting a reply as I was just simply compelled to write this feedback. I write so many music reviews here, and particularly for a band as under the radar as the Fruit Bats, I just had to try sending my words out to them.
I did get a reply, and I’m grateful to whoever decided to send it. However, it made me feel like I was in high school again. The response read, “Wow — thanks Chris!”
And, yup, this suddenly reminded me of the reply of several girls to whom I confessed my affection for. It’s kind of like that moment when someone says “I love you” to someone else, and that person replies by thanking them.
Anyway, I really was happy to get a reply. Most bands that I listen to wouldn’t take the time to do even that. Coming from someone who has been in a band that worked overtime for not so much return, though, I would have been compelled to say something more in reply…
Still love their album. 🙂
Without further ado, I hope that you enjoy my take on “Canceled Check.” I certainly enjoyed recording it — in fact, I had more fun learning and recording this song than I have had in a good long time. Of course, don’t forget to hurry back for more great posts tomorrow and later this week!
Welcome to your Monday edition of The Laptop Sessions. Today I bring you a new artist to the sessions with the son of John Lennon, that being Julian Lennon.
Off of his popular album “Valotte”, I am performing “Too Late For Goodbyes”, one of his most well-known songs. However, I must admit, my first exposure to this song wasn’t off the aforementioned album. I first heard this song when my friend introduced me to the cover version from The Wallflowers. Therefore, this song is really a cover of a cover.
The lyrics in The Wallflowers’ version are slightly different, as is the structure of the song. However, the spirit of the song and the offbeat strumming pattern come through in this acoustic cover song. I have practiced this one for a week or two, so this video is another single take.
I always love bringing new bands to the sessions, but I haven’t forgotten all the bands that I love to cover. I will be doing another song from a band I have covered in the past, so come back Thursday for that!
And of course, you better come back tomorrow for Jim’s latest session, and Chris will be doing Original Wednesday this week – I can’t wait to see what he has in store!
Editor’s Note: Unfortunately, Jeff’s acoustic cover song music videos are no longer on YouTube, but we decided to keep his cover song blog posts up. We figured these music blog entries would be good for posterity’s sake and because Jeff always gave such insightful posts each Session. We hope to see Jeff’s impressive catalog of acoustic rock songs here on the Laptop Sessions cover songs and original music blog again in the future. But, for now, please make sure to check-out hundreds of other acoustic cover songs from all of your favorite bands here on the Laptop Sessions music blog!
Cover Songs & Original Music Videos By Laptop Sessions Songwriters
The Laptop Sessions music video blog is a great combination of acoustic cover songs and original music. This website features cover songs from many of rock music's greatest bands, including the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and Bob Dylan. The blog is updated every day with another acoustic cover video, how-to video, or article about music. We only play the best cover songs from the best rock bands of all time.
Here at the Laptop Sessions, we don't just sit down and do a bunch of cover songs- we make them our own. Yes, each cover will sound like the original, but it will also have a new, fresh sound to it. One of our specialties is taking a song from say the eighties and stripping-away the production. Then, we're left with just the song- simple (and most times, much better). We then record an acoustic version of that song and put it on this music video blog for all music fans to watch.
But, Laptop Sessions Music Blog is much more than just videos. There are informative blog posts, including the chords and lyrics to your favorite songs, recording tips, and much more. Plus, you can buy Jim Fusco's original songs right here on the music blog!
Right from the start, the Laptop Sessions Acoustic Cover Songs & Music Video Blog set out to be different. We wanted to give the best music blog for the world to enjoy. We wanted to put an end to bad YouTube cover videos forever. We wanted to bring great rock music back to the forefront with our great cover songs and original music. And, we guarantee we'll keep it this way- free videos that are updated constantly for your musical enjoyment. If you're looking for the best cover songs, the most exciting new music, and the most informative music articles, look no further than right here: home of the world-famous Laptop Sessions.
