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August 9, 2007

Boss For Lashes

No secret that we've got love for Brighton-based chanteuse Natasha Khan (aka Bat For Lashes) and Jersey boy Bruce Springsteen (aka The Boss), so her cover of "I'm On Fire" is doubly special. (We won't bother doing the math.) Khan's remake -- pretty standard for Lashes live sets -- lowers the original's boiling point via chilly, sheet-soaking pins of violin, piano, and Khan's big voice and Theremin-y backing swirls. The beautiful Bat woman seems the upstanding type and so we do believe it when she says she's on fire, that her desire needs cooling. We're suckers like that. It's an ideal fit for Khan's strengths, really, and such an inventive reworking of an overly familiar tune this late in the song's life is admirable. Have a listen at Hype Machine.

 

Now if we can somehow get in touch with Springsteen and suggest he choose his familiars more carefully.

Posted at 12:17 PM
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9 Comments

She played it at her show in Chicago, and it was beautiful, but she preceded it with admitting they forgot to play it in New Jersey, which she felt bad about. Ha.

Posted by: liv at 08/09/07 1:03 PM  | Reply
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meh. Electralene did this song on a single a few years back and it was incredible.

Besides, breathy female vocals on ballad cover versions of classic rocks standards? What romantic comedy is she trying to get on the soundtrack of? It's like that Leaving on a Jet Plane by Chantal Kreva. . . . iak. There's nothing tackier.

Posted by: bd at 08/09/07 1:40 PM  | Reply
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I think I saw the same long ass post above me on Brooklyn Vegan one time. If you read like two or three lines. You can see that it rambles on about brainwashing, religion, and the Holocaust. Not sure where it always comes from though...

Posted by: Ju Bean at 08/09/07 2:05 PM  | Reply
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apologies for the spam -- taking care of it, ju bean. we'll find these evil-doers and smoke them out of their holes.

Posted by: amrit at 08/09/07 2:21 PM  | Reply
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Thanks Amrit. Appreciate it, although I have to admit it is by far one of the most interesting pieces of spam I have ever laid eyes on...

Posted by: Ju Bean at 08/09/07 2:36 PM  | Reply
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this is a regular cover for Ari Hest, which I caught when he played with the Damnwells. He has a strong voice, guitar technique, everything.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Psu2PTvOxNs

and I was at this performance!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=WpvjVuDbY7Y

Posted by: historyman68 at 08/09/07 2:47 PM  | Reply
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It is also a regular cover for Boston and now Austin based band Frank Smith:

http://www.franksmithmusic.com/fs/music

Posted by: MB at 08/09/07 4:28 PM  | Reply
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also tara jane oneill, retitled "ahn fahr".

Posted by: cstmr srvc at 08/09/07 6:51 PM  | Reply
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omg, the springsteen is actually a midget?! wait, what?

Posted by: spammer at 08/09/07 8:53 PM  | Reply
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