Well this week’s Contrast Podcast is an absolute doozy. It’s all about covers that are very different from their originals, and has proved so popular that Tim has made it into a two parter. Go here to download Part 1 and make sure you check out Part 2 next week.

Regular visitors will know that I love a good cover. Sometimes they work beautifully, sometimes they’re just awful. As soon as I found out what this week’s theme was I immediately thought of Jill Sobule’s version of Nelly’s ‘Hot In Herre’. (Does the dodgy spelling bother anyone else, or is it just me?). It’s got banjo and it’s hilarious. I’ve also included the original here, and at the risk of losing the limited credibility that I’ve worked so hard to build up since I began It All Started…I have to admit that I kinda sorta like the original. Hey, nobody’s perfect.

Hot In Herre (Nelly Cover) – Jill Sobule

Hot In Herre – Nelly

In addition to the above tracks, I’ve also included a few more that would also slot nicely into this week’s Contrast Podcast.

As soon as I came across this one I knew it would far outdo the original – Glen Hansard’s name was enough to convince me of that fact before I even heard the thing. It’s amazing how an acoustic guitar and someone with actual vocal talent can transform a below par pop song into a beautiful lament. Even the trite lyrics sound legitimate – it’s funny how dodgy rhymes and poor phrasing can be instantly transformed by an Irish accent. Mmmm…very nice. Oh – and the strings are wonderful.

Everytime (Britney Spears Cover) – Glen Hansard and Colm MacLomaire*

I thought this one sounded a bit unlikely when I first came across it, but it’s live and acoustic and comes across as earnest and slightly melancholy. The piano is gorgeous too.

Crazy For You (Madonna Cover) – Counting Crows

Kate Bush gets the punk treatment. I reckon this is one you’ll either love or hate. Me? I bloody love it!

Wuthering Heights (Kate Bush Cover) – China Drum

Breathy vocals and menacing cello – it works.

Toxic (Britney Spears Cover) – Portland Cello Project

Acoustic tongue-in-cheek version, good fun.

Since You Been Gone (Kelly Clarkson Cover) – Ted Leo

* Link fixed