October 29, 2009

Lou Barlow covers La Roux for youx

lou barlow

Whereas the original song (by British electropop duo La Roux) is all sheen and hard candy shellac, Lou Barlow‘s interpretation of it is almost haunting. For me when I hear the original, it feels like sparkly nights out dancing, and the lines that stand out are the ones about “been there, done that, messed around, I’m having fun, don’t put me down.” She’s bulletproof the way a cartoon superhero is; she doesn’t bleed real blood.

But here Lou takes it and turns it inside out, makes it echo with all the empty space. When he vows, “this time baby, this time I’ll be…bulletproof,” I find that I don’t believe him, any more than I ever believe we can completely seal off our hearts as hermetically as we’d sometimes like.

Bulletproof (La Roux cover) – Lou Barlow



Watch the three-song video set from SPIN; Barlow has a new album out this month on Merge called Goodnight Unknown.



And speaking of all things Barlow: you Denverites can win tix for Dinosaur Jr‘s upcoming stop Thursday night via the classy people at Donnybrook Writing Academy (they who can be eternally thanked also for this piece on Stupid Band Names).

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Bio Pic Name: Heather Browne
Location: Colorado, originally by way of California
Giving context to the torrent since 2005.

"I love the relationship that anyone has with music: because there's something in us that is beyond the reach of words, something that eludes and defies our best attempts to spit it out. It's the best part of us, probably, the richest and strangest part..."
—Nick Hornby, Songbook
"Music has always been a matter of energy to me, a question of Fuel. Sentimental people call it Inspiration, but what they really mean is Fuel."
—Hunter S. Thompson

Mp3s are for sampling purposes, kinda like when they give you the cheese cube at Costco, knowing that you'll often go home with having bought the whole 7 lb. spiced Brie log. They are left up for a limited time. If you LIKE the music, go and support these artists, buy their schwag, go to their concerts, purchase their CDs/records and tell all your friends. Rock on.

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