Fri, 16 January 2004
Cyndi's Sleater-Kenney compilation is great, cheap, and you'll probably want it

Cyndi has released the "Sleater-Kinney Under Cover Comp. CD" and you should get it. (See this page too and this is the order page.) I received it today and I'm delighted. You might be too. For the money, you shouldn't miss it.

Certainly we'd like S-K to write, record, and tour 24/7.  They can't, so this nugget will help us tide us over. I'm doubt that you'll like every song but I liked many of them and put several on repeat.

I do this site because I want folks to play these songs. I think the songs are great and quite a few are extraordinary. I want fans to play them, amateurs, garage bands, cover bands. Heck, I'd like the Rolling Stones to do a version. I wish there was a S-K cover band that toured when S-K can't. Cyndi's effort proves, to me at least, that it can be done.

But music is so personal, even die-hard fans might have some legitimate questions related to cognitive dissonance: Is Sleater-Kinney really as good as we think they are. Will their music be interesting in 20 years? (when I'm 73) 50 years? I don't know but this CD makes me think so as I ponder some questions.

• Can anyone but S-K do these songs?
• Can a S-K song survive different arrangements?
• Can a S-K song be sung by a man?
• Can S-K melodies survive without the riffs?
• Can S-K riffs survive without the melody?
• Can S-K songs survive with drastically different vocal interpretations?
• Can someone do a S-K song even better than S-K? (The horror of horrors)

I think the answers are mostly yes. Spend 5 bucks and see if you agree.