Happy Waltzgiving!
A Happy Thanksgiving edition here on Day 3. I am thankful for all the great music artists have written and recorded over the years, thankful for the technology that makes it so easy to find new songs and listen to them, and thankful for the folks who take the time to vote in these tournaments. You can vote for Day 3 match-ups by listening to all the songs here except Feel Good, Inc., and voting by 11:59pm EST on Friday. (*Unlike past tournaments, I’m putting everything on one playlist for the moment.) We’ll take tomorrow off and do the last of the play-ins on on Friday.
Play-in: Amazing Grace (Dropkick Murphys) vs. Higher Ground (Red Hot Chili Peppers). A thundering start to the playlist, featuring two of the greatest live bands of all-time covering other peoples’ work in the studio. This Dropkick cover felt perfect for Thanksgiving Eve, and RHCP pay tribute to Stevie Wonder, who will make his tournament debut next week.
Play-in: Don’t Do It (The Band) vs. Billie Jean (Civil Wars). Are there any moments in rock and roll more associated with Thanksgiving than the Last Waltz, where the Band ended their careers with this Marvin Gaye cover? Billie Jean needs no introduction, but look out for the female pipes on this cover.
Play-in: Lykke Li (Silver Springs) vs. I Found a Reason (Cat Power). The string of impressive female vocalists continues, with another two in this cat-fight. Lykke Li is covering Fleetwood Mac, and Cat Power is taking on the Velvet Underground.
Play-in: Proud Mary (Ike and Tina Turner) vs. 100,000 Fireflies (Superchunk). As I recently learned the hard way at late night karaoke, this Proud Mary cover is Ike in name only. Superchunk was one of the first concerts I ever went to. My friend and I booed when the opening band, the Magnetic Fields, played 100,000 Fireflies, before being informed that the Fields had actually written the song, which is a pretty little tune.
Play-in: The Passenger (Kid Loco) vs. Feel Good, Inc. (Electric Pose). This showdown is also known as the Battle for France. French DJ Kid Loco hauntingly reimagines this Iggy Pop classic, while Electric Pose ends today’s playlist with a mellow, trippy cover of the Gorillaz.
Scoresheet (for pasting):
Amazing Grace (Dropkick Murphys) vs. Higher Ground (Red Hot Chili Peppers).
Don’t Do It (The Band) vs. Billie Jean (Civil Wars)
Lykke Li (Silver Springs) vs. I Found a Reason (Cat Power)
Proud Mary (Ike and Tina Turner) vs. 100,000 Fireflies (Superchunk)
The Passenger (Kid Loco) vs. Feel Good, Inc. (Electric Pose)
Living the Dream 
Amazing Grace (Dropkick Murphys) vs. Higher Ground (Red Hot Chili Peppers). = 5 to 9
Ah man, the Chilli Peppers were such a cool, fun band. No band can keep up the mad energy of being in your 20s, but why did they get so whiny?
Don’t Do It (The Band) vs. Billie Jean (Civil Wars) = 8 to 5
I never knew Don’t Do It was a cover. Crazy though, this is a different live version than I’m familiar with?
Lykke Li (Silver Springs) vs. I Found a Reason (Cat Power) = 9 to 9
Wow, both of these are great and very sad. can’t decide, both deserve to carry on
Proud Mary (Ike and Tina Turner) vs. 100,000 Fireflies (Superchunk) = 5 to 9.5
I know Proud Mary is a classic and while there’s a lot of energy it’s a little repetitive for me.
100,000 Fireflies, however, who picked this?? A great tune, and I also did not know it was a cover until a few years ago. Superchunk has another great cover, “Night of the Chill Blue” which was my introduction to the band all the way back in 10th grade – http://grooveshark.com/s/Night+Of+Chill+Blue/2LRBnK?src=5 Love that story about seeing them with Magnetic Fields, I would’ve done the same thing!
The Passenger (Kid Loco) vs. Feel Good, Inc. (Electric Pose) = 5 to 6
Yep, the live version from the Last Waltz is better than the studio version. This is Al’s nomination, but I think we’re on the same page about that.
higher ground 5
mazing grace- 5
dondoit- 8
billyjean-5
silver springs 7
I found a reason 4
proud mary 6
100000- 4
passenger 8
feel good 3
Amazing Grace (Dropkick Murphys) vs. Higher Ground (Red Hot Chili Peppers).
Me: 7.5 / 8
Anna: 7.7 / 7.9
Don’t Do It (The Band) vs. Billie Jean (Civil Wars)
Me: 8.6 / 5
Anna: 8.5 / 7.2
Lykke Li (Silver Springs) vs. I Found a Reason (Cat Power)
Me: 7.5 / 8.4
Anna: 6.9 / 9.5
Proud Mary (Ike and Tina Turner) vs. 100,000 Fireflies (Superchunk)
Me: 6.6 / 8
Anna: 7.1 / 7.8
The Passenger (Kid Loco) vs. Feel Good, Inc. (Electric Pose)
Me: 8.5 / 9
Anna: 9.2 / 8.9
Amazing Grace – 5.0 vs Higher Ground – 5.2 – Not too much to choose from hear. Noise on either channel.
Don’t Do It – 6.0 vs Billie Jean 8.5 – Usually love The Band but this is not their best work. Slightly different take on Billie Jean and the Civil Wars can entwine their voices seamlessly around anything. The non-live version is better without the background crap. Love them.
Silver Springs – 5.0 vs Found a Reason 6.0 – Love Silver Springs but……………………not this one. Cat is OK at best but no echo chamber thankfully.
Proud Mary – 8.0 vs 100,000 Fireflies 5.0 A classic vs a field of gnats. No competition.
The Passenger – 5.5 vs Feel Good, Inc. – 5.5 You pick ’em. I’m not familiar with either song and didn’t care for either of these renditions in any event.
Amazing Grace (Dropkick Murphys) 6 vs. Higher Ground (Red Hot Chili Peppers) 7
Don’t Do It (The Band) 9.5 vs. Billie Jean (Civil Wars) 5
Lykke Li (Silver Springs) 7 vs. I Found a Reason (Cat Power) 7.5
Proud Mary (Ike and Tina Turner) 6 vs. 100,000 Fireflies (Superchunk) 5.5
The Passenger (Kid Loco) 4 vs. Feel Good, Inc. (Electric Pose) 5