A few things that I love: pianos, pleasant voices, and good points. This song has all three. When it comes on the radio, I tell whoever I am with that it is my jam, turn it up, and sing along… even though I am not a chick… dudes can like it too… I don’t care what you say.

Sara Bareilles – King Of Anything

[image: pilfered from Google images]

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Peter Breinholt is a guest contributor for La Musica Coolica, and Jake’s brother. All of Peter’s contributions can be found here | Peter’s personal blog can be found here

Maybe one day I should make a mix tape of power tunes. You know the ones? The ones that kind of help you get through those times when you wish you could write a song, but then you found somebody who expressed what was on your mind a little better than you thought anyone else could? Stretch Arm Strong kind of did that for me. These guys kind of carried me through some tough spots in high school. You may have already heard their version of “Get This Party Started” from Punk Goes Pop or perhaps “Express Yourself” from Too Legit for the Pit: Hardcore Takes the Rap. “For the Record” is one of their originals that may have made it around the airwaves as well. Anyway, I am not super into hardcore as a genre, however there are a few artists who have managed to pluck my little heartstrings with the way they scream poetry. This group is one of them, and they did it with this song.

Stretch Arm Strong: For Now.

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Peter Breinholt is a guest contributor for La Musica Coolica, and Jake’s brother. All of Peter’s contributions can be found here | Peter’s personal blog can be found here

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Note from Jake: First of all, I was slammed today between real work and trying to launch Reagan’s blob sale. I had an idea for LMC, but there is no way that I was going to have time to execute. I came back from a meeting and found out that Pete had stepped up and sent me a great holiday flavored item to post. So, thanks again Pete!

Post from Pete:

Sometimes it think Starbucks may have ruined my life. For example, I get hard to control self destructive urges whenever I hear Kenny G or Cheryl Crow as a direct result of the hear music program at one of my stores. Another thing is that Christmas music would start the first week in November. Non stop. Unchanging. Not pleasant after the first week of 8 hour shifts. As a result I never really liked to put Christmas music on at home aside from some of the albums my mom’s group has put out over the years. Anyway, this year has been different… I have been playing seasonal music this year at home as much as possible as part of operation “enjoy the holidays as much as my wife for the first time ever.” While implementing this operation, I found one of my old favorite music groups, that was never ruined by my old employer. I also feel like the Trans-Siberian Orchestra is a group that everyone can enjoy. I am willing to bet that you have probably already heard their “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24” on the radio already. I personally love the way they have managed to turn one of my all time favorite songs on the planet ever into a Christmas song with their lovely number titled “Christmas Canon.”

Happy December.

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Peter Breinholt is a guest contributor for La Musica Coolica, and Jake’s brother. All of Peter’s contributions can be found here | Peter’s personal blog can be found here.

Note from Jake: I think it is awesome that this feature with a pseudo Spanish name, is finally including some music with Spanish flavor.

Pete’s Post:

Sometimes I wish I knew more Spanish… I don’t though… so… short and simple it is. I really enjoy música de estilo de ranchera. I would like to share one of my favorite “grupos de música,” Los Horoscopos de Durango. I hope you enjoy.
Los Horoscopos de Durango: La Duda

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Peter Breinholt is a guest contributor for La Musica Coolica, and Jake’s brother. All of Peter’s contributions can be found here | Peter’s personal blog can be found here.

Note from Jake: Everyone, sorry that this post is a day late. Pete had the entire month worth of these cover songs written and ready to go, before September was even over. I tried to get this thing in the queue before I went on vacation, but was having a difficult time rounding up the track. Pete forwarded it to me today, so here it is. Thanks again, Pete for the whole month worth of LMC guest posts! (end of Jake’s note)

Before reading the rest of this, please follow the link and read that article first.
La Musica Coolica #22 (OI)
Ready? Okay! Bad Town was covered on a tribute to Operation Ivy CD. I am not quite sure when the album “Take Warning: The Songs of Operation Ivy” was released. I also know that of the songs on that album I only really like less than half. I am unsure of the artists in this song… it was released as “Marshall Arts.” I think is has something to do with Marshall Goodman from the Long Beach Dub Allstars… I always imagined that they stayed kind of anonymous due to potential recording contract infringements and whatnot, but to be truthful, everything above, aside from the facts, is pure speculation. Anyway, this is their version, and I like it the same way I like the original. I enjoy the complete contrast of style between the two versions, and I hope you do too.

Marshall Arts: Bad Town, from the album Take Warning: The Songs of Operation Ivy.

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Peter Breinholt is a guest contributor for La Musica Coolica, and Jake’s brother. All of Peter’s contributions can be found here | Peter’s personal blog can be found here.

Johnny Cash… No introduction necessary.
Nine Inch Nails… ’nuff said.
“Hurt” was written by Trent Reznor and released in 1994 on the NIN album “Downward Spiral.”
In 2002, after his wife died, but before he died himself (wow, really?), Johnny Cash released the cover. I heard the Cash version on the radio in the work truck while I was working with my brother in San Diego. Before that, I had never heard the original version… to my knowledge. I was never a fan of Nine Inch Nails. I was always a fan of Cash. Now through Cash, I have become a fan of Reznor. I don’t think I would have acknowledged his writing in any other way, than the one I was shown.

“Hurt” from the album American IV: The Man Comes Around

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Peter Breinholt is a guest contributor for La Musica Coolica, and Jake’s brother. All of Peter’s contributions can be found here | Peter’s personal blog can be found here.

Pennywise has always kind of been hit and miss with me. They do not really have a huge variety of sound, and their singer kind of gets on my nerves after a while. I don’t think I ever bought one of their albums new, but I do know that I have owned a few of them. I know that when I was in high school, I appreciated their version of “Stand By Me.”
To the point. Pennywise released a self titled album in 1991. The song “Come Out Fighting” was on this album. It was a good song… When The Vandals released their version of the song on an album in 1998, I liked it better. Much better.

The Vandals: Come Out Fighting, from the album “Hitler Bad, Vandals Good”  Check it.

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Peter Breinholt is a guest contributor for La Musica Coolica, and Jake’s brother. All of Peter’s contributions can be found here | Peter’s personal blog can be found here.

Cover songs. Tribute albums. I know that there are those out there who have a strong distaste for cover songs. Some who feel like it is taking something precious and personal and corrupting it in some way, and therefore ruining it. There are also some who think why should you try and change a good thing? Okay. Cool. I get it… maybe I don’t.
Have you ever heard the phrase: “Mimicry is the most sincere from of flattery?” I guess that when you are singing along with your favorite song on the radio, it doesn’t count… because… you aren’t recording it? I don’t know. I like the idea of somebody taking something they really like, and kind of making it their own. Anyway, I have found some cover songs that I truly enjoy. I sometimes enjoy the original as well, but sometimes not. So… the Soft Cell version made this song famous in 1981. Originally composed by Ed Cobb, “Tainted Love” was first recorded by Gloria Jones in 1965. over the years this song has been covered and put on albums by dozens of artists from a variety of genres. A few notable names, and versions to check out, are Marilyn Manson, The Pussycat Dolls, Max Raabe, and Shades Apart.
My personal favorite rendition of this song (to date) is done by the group “The Living End.” Click here and listen.

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Peter Breinholt is a guest contributor for La Musica Coolica, and Jake’s brother. All of Peter’s contributions can be found here | Peter’s personal blog can be found here.

Until I did a little bit of research for this article, I never really knew if the Dead Milkmen were really a spoof or not. I thought about it last night when one of my line servers asked me the question: “If you could see any band or artist alive or dead, in the prime of their career, who would it be?” I had to think about it a little bit. I was thinking that I felt like I had seen most of the shows that I really wanted to see. I had even been on 18 hour road trips where we drove, saw that show, and drove back in order to make it fit around my work schedule. Anyway, after about 10 minutes, it hit me, The Dead Milkmen. Yep these guys are on the list of bands that I wished I could have seen, but most likely never will… The two songs that I have to name drop when talking about this band are “Punk Rock Girl,” and “Bitchin’ Camarro.” Most people have heard one or the other. I like them both just fine, but also love most of the other stuff these guys put out… there are a couple that I listen to more than others… If I was at a show, this is one that I would yell out before the encore in hopes of hearing it directly from the source. Enjoy.

City of Mud by Dead Milkmen

-pete

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Peter Breinholt is a guest contributor for La Musica Coolica, and Jake’s brother. All of Peter’s contributions can be found here | Peter’s personal blog can be found here.

I know that Jake is a pretty big fan of hip hop, or at least a much bigger fan than I, so it kind of surprises me that I have managed to find a group that I endorse, and Jake hasn’t written about. I will just cover the nuts and bolts, and maybe if I’m lucky, I can read a critique article next week. I don’t know much about underground hip hop. Most of what I know I learned from La Musica Coolica, and Cousin Kimball, aka “Litmus One.” He is also half of the duo that makes up Imbibe. The other member of the group is Cousin Preston. These two brothers have spent the last few years in Denver putting music together. They have done a couple of shows, and have yet to put out an album. I feel like I should have more to say about the music they make, however most of their music that I have heard has been in front rooms at house parties, and bedroom recording studios set up on card tables. *sidenote* sigh… I miss hanging out with these guys. *end note* Anyway, you can find them on MySpace, and in Denver, and on my family phone list. Please, enjoy.

song: lostouttabody (mrnils beat)

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Peter Breinholt is a guest contributor for La Musica Coolica, and Jake’s brother. All of Peter’s contributions can be found here |  Peter’s personal blog can be found here.