It’s tradition that at midnight on New Year’s Eve to give a smooch to someone close by. Since I’m pretty sure that Jenny Lewis is tops on most of my male reader’s lists for people they’d like to share that smooch with, I figured this would at least be somewhat of a fitting treat for New Year’s Eve (okay, I just needed an excuse to post these again).
MP3: Rilo Kiley - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (NMH cover)
You might think this song is worth having because her voice is pretty complimentary too Jeff’s lyrics and melody. You’d be right, of course. But the real surprise here is that at the end they throw in a rocking guitar solo that would make even Pink Floyd stop and take note.
MP3: Rilo Kiley - Let My Love Open the Door (Pete Townshend cover)
It’s probably no surprise to you all to learn that I love covers. I mean, I did do the mix of indie bands covering top 40 artists. But what might surprise you is that this is actually one of my favorites. It’s carried along by nothing more than handclaps, a mandolin and some very expressive vocals. Oh, and a surprise appearance from their horn section. But just the same, Rilo Kiley completely own this song. It’s almost impossible to wrestle it free from Pete’s legacy, but they do a darn good job of trying.
MP3: Rilo Kiley - Simply Irresistible (Robert Palmer cover)
If your reaction to this song is anything like mine, you’ll be impressed in the first couple of seconds. Their translation of this song into an acoustic performance is really impressive. Unfortunately, it gets a bit dull between the first chorus and the ending in which both male and female parts are sung. It’s worth having if for nothing more than it being ‘cute.’
Got any more Rilo Kiley covers? Feel free to email them to me!
UPDATE: so far I’ve been sent these covers (so don’t worry about emailing them to me):
Rilo Kiley - Silent Night
Rilo Kiley - I Didn’t Understand (Elliott Smith cover)
Rilo Kiley - The Biggest Lie (Elliott Smith cover)
Rilo Kiley - Woman is the Nigger of the World (John Lennon cover)
Rilo Kiley - Such Great Heights
