Alternate Reality

Dearest Friends, I have managed to escape! Yes, through subterfuge and guile I managed to flee the clutches of Alternate FiL and his easy listening ways. First I stunned him with a blast of Ministry then, while he was clutching his Neil Sedakas, I pulled his polo shirt over his head, and scarpered.**

Ministry - Burning Inside (buy here)

Don't know what I'm talking about? Then have a listen to this week's Contrast Podcast, which presents a parallell universe populated by alternate versions of songs. You know, performed by the original artists, but in a different stylee than the original. You can download the episode here, or subscribe using the following RSS feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/ContrastPodcast

Right, let's get ready to skew our ears:

(00:41) Nada Surf - Concrete bed
Richard from Invisible Limb
(03:07) The Young Knives - Coastguard
Ross from Just Gimme Indie Rock
(07:35) Guillemots - Trains to Brazil
Marcy from Lost in your inbox
(11:38) New Order - The beach
Jarrod from Living in fear is no good to anyone
(18:57) The Velvet Underground - Sweet Jane
Bob from Gimme Tinnitus
(25:16) Blind Melon - No rain
Chip from Donewaiting
(28:01) The Chameleons - Bobby Moore’s wine
Colin from And before the first kiss
(32:07) Mae - This is the last time
Andy from Circles of Concrete
(35:59) Incubus - Drive
Natalie from Mini-Obs
(40:13) Holly Cole Trio - Tango ’til they’re sore
Rick from Are you embarrassed easily?
(45:36) Counting Crows - Have you seen me lately
Dan Beahm from Dan Beahm & The Invisible Three
(49:58) The Sugarcubes - Hot meat
Tom from Other People’s Toys
(53:56) Nick Cave & Blixa Bargeld - Where the wild roses grow
ZB from So the wind won’t blow it all away
(58:25) Suede - My insatiable one
FiL from Pogoagogo
(01:02:37) Ted Hawkins - Happy hour
Crash from Pretending life is like a song

I was originally going to submit the Sugarcubes's Icelandic version of "Birthday," but I deferred to Tom's "Hot Meat" (ooer missus, fnarr fnarr). But also in contention was the following alternate "Clay" version of Nine Inch Nails's "Head Like A Hole." It's also highly appropriate in light of my current sleep-deprived state...

NIN - Head Like A Hole (Clay Version) (buy here)

** That's one explanation for my scarcity this week. The alternate one blames it on a very hectic, tiring work week spent tooling around the Lower Mainland from meeting to meeting, making a presentation that I really did not feel prepared to make, and talking business over three very delicious dinners here, here, and here. I don't know which version is real - you decide what to believe. I'm off to bed...