Who doesn’t love a good cover? Throughout the course of music history, covers have added yet another layer to music. Sometimes covers even surpass the exposure and success of their predecessors. They are esteemed relics of music that always make a statement and should never be ignored.

The headline of this post may be misleading, but the truth is I’m not that big of a douchebag. So here are a few of my own personal all-time faves, in no particular order, and hopefully the universe agrees with me on some of ‘em.

Fiona Apple – Across the Universe
Whenever Ms. Apple opens her mouth, the result is always haunting. This can absolutely be said of her cover of this 1969 Beatles tune, which originally debuted on the charity album, No One’s Gonna Change Our World. Fiona’s version is a beautiful tune performed with heart; it’s relaxing, transcendent, and slowly blossoms into an ethereal lullaby.

Sublime – Rivers of Babylon
There’s no question that Bradley Nowell was taken too soon, but shit happens when you’re into heroin. Despite the devastating loss of Nowell and his potential, this cover is noteworthy for two reasons: 1) It covers a pretty rad rocksteady/reggae band called The Melodians, and their music, along with many other reggae acts, were clearly influences on a lot of Sublime’s early tunes; and 2) This song captures the spirit of what Bradley loved to do: Hang out with his friends and play music. Every time I hear this version, I always long for the Sublime/No Doubt tour that never was.

Jimi Hendrix – All Along the Watchtower
Sure, Bob Dylan is great and all, but once Hendrix stepped up to the plate, his version of “Watchtower” blew the former out of the water. Right from the tune’s opening licks and carrying on to Jimi’s cool, calm and collected vocals, Hendrix’s version soars throughout the entire four minutes. Bonus points: Hendrix covered “Watchtower” just six months after Dylan released the original. Dylan spoke of the cover saying: “It overwhelmed me, really. He had such talent, he could find things inside a song and vigorously develop them. He found things that other people wouldn’t think of finding in there…I liked Jimi Hendrix’s record of this and ever since he died I’ve been doing it that way… Strange how when I sing it, I always feel it’s a tribute to him in some kind of way.” Nicely put.

Guns N’ Roses – Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door
Another shoutout to Dylan, GNR’s 80′s version included Slash’s signature shredding, Axl’s in-your-face frontman swagger, and a chorus bolstered by the harmony of a choir. It was a toss-up between this and Guns’ “Since I Don’t Have You,” (or anything off The Spaghetti Incident, really) but I think this has a little more edge to it. Good memories from this one. Good times.

Save Ferris – Come On Eileen
Sure, this mid-90′s ska-punk band from Orange County may not have made too many waves throughout their two-album career, but damn-it-all-to-hell, I loved these guys growing up. Still do. And their cover of Dexys Midnight Runners’ “Come On Eileen” is an underdog not to be forgotten! Singer Monique Powell’s classical opera training certainly aided her already-strong pipes, as Save Ferris transformed the 80′s pop hit into a ska-infused party jam!

Scissor Sisters – Comfortably Numb
Pink Floyd purists probably hate this version, but those with an open mind should appreciate its flair. Thanks to this rock-disco-dance hybrid, the Scissor Sisters have turned a classic slow-paced haunt into a dance-floor favorite. It’s hard to ignore the band’s bold and brazen choice of cover.  Every single thing about this version is a complete 180 from the original, which is exactly why it’s so, so deserving of the accolades.

Fugees – Killing Me Softly
Say what you want about Miss Ego, Lauryn Hill, but the Fugees’ cover of Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly” (Flack actually covered it, herself) was a phenomenon when it came out in 1996. This particular version is considered to be one of the best Hip-Hop songs ever, one of the best 90′s songs ever, and one of the best and most successful cover songs of all time. Credit where credit is due – The Fugees nailed this one. It’s a shame that reunion never panned out.

Eric Clapton – Cocaine
It’s sad to think that many people forget that Clapton’s version of “Cocaine” is in fact a cover of a 1976 J.J. Cale track. But this song has it all: groovin’ guitars and a catchy hook. It’s the recipe for a perfect summer song.  Sure, Clapton doesn’t really take the song in too new of a direction (which really is my sole criteria for a beloved cover), but it’s fucking CLAPTON, man! Bow to your sensei!

No Doubt – Sailin’ On
You didn’t think I’d have a ‘Best Of’ list and not include No Doubt did you? Biases aside, the third-wave ska/reggae group definitely put their own stamp on this classic Bad Brains tune, turning hardcore punk into dubbed out reggae. And I’ve always got a soft spot for reggae.

Gary Jules – Mad World
Most probably know Gary Jules’ “Mad World” cover from Donnie Darko. Both the film and the cover are dark, withdrawn, and frankly, kind of creepy. Gary Jules (with composer Michael Andrews) approached the Tears for Fears song with a very minimalist approach, and Jules’ shaky, sullen vocals give it that extra oomph to make it as haunting as humanly possible. It’s quite chill-inducing, and quite lovely at the same time.

Maybe this post is already worthy of a Part 2…so I want to hear from you! What should’ve made the cut? What did I forget? What’s your favorite cover?

Kaling has great comedic timing with the ridiculocities (I made up a new word. Does that work?) that fly out of her mouth. She’s whimsical and cheery and enjoyable. I mean…it’s gotta be better than New Girl, right (UGH)?

Check out the trailer below. The Mindy Project debuts on FOX this Fall.

I’m having another one of those “I didn’t really think this through” moments. It kind of sucks writing about movies I struggled through, and even more frustrating is that I always feel the need to explain why I didn’t like it. If these movies won Best Picture, they obviously have some merit, which means that millions and millions of people did like them. As this quest continues, I feel myself wanting to tread heavier as I trudge through film after film. So here I go. I’m going to start adopting a more “take no prisoners” approach. You may have liked _____ (Insert Film Name Here) 30 years ago, but I thought it royally sucked! Whatever.

In terms of The French Connection, where was the exposition? The character development and depth? The set up? Two cops are trying to shut down a French narcotics ring led by Alain Charnier. They yell at people a lot. Charnier’s minions kill people and do bad things and then get caught. Everyone runs around squawking. There was a pretty cool chase scene, but by that point, I just didn’t really care. And then (SPOILER ALERT) you don’t even find out if they caught the guy or not! You have to watch the sequel to find out.

Really!?

The film did have a gritty-city look and feel to it. The shaky camera added to the tensity of the chase scenes, but this may just be another case of exhaustion. I’m part of a modern-day audience, one over-saturated with EXPLOSIONS! and car chases, and HEIST films, and double-crossing deception! In terms of action and story, I deem this Connection a missed one.

I’m taking recommendations for what Best Pic I should tap next. I really need a home-run soon. And by “home-run,” I mean motivation.

Given my occasional Joss Whedon fanboy tendencies, I’m sure it’s of no surprise when I tell you that I absolutely loved The Avengers, and support it with every fiber of my being. Now that the world has all of a sudden jumped aboard the Whedon train, I’m fighting the urge to do a grotesque, insanely awkward “I told you so” dance, even though Whedon more-or-less told me to. Putting my various biases aside, the movie really did work on so many different levels.

Having also written the script, Whedon did a great job of properly serving and balancing each superhero’s side story. Since most of the characters already had their origin stories told in previous films, I’m sure the ability to soar right over that aspect really helped us firmly plant ourselves in the world of The Avengers rather than backtracking or rehashing. The screen time balance for such a large cast is a tricky tightrope to navigate, but Joss’s resume proves he has experience in doing just that (Firefly/Serenity, for one).

The action scenes were also extremely well done: they were intense and well shot, really accompanying the 3D aspects of the film nicely. But even when our heroes were simply hanging around and talking shop, well, Alex Pappademas from GQ said it best: “It’s the rare superhero movie that doesn’t flatline when its characters are just standing around talking, because in Whedon’s work that stuff is the meat, not the bread.”

There can’t be a good movie, nay, a blockbuster without a solid script. Isn’t that the difference between John Carter and The Hunger Games? Between Pearl Harbor and Jurassic Park? A shitty script makes a shitty movie and no amount of action or wowing CGI or 3D mumbo jumbo can ever fix that. Luckily for us, Whedon had all of these elements on lockdown;  he was aware of the necessary measures in order to successfully pull off not just any ol’ blockbuster, but one that combines multiple beloved series in a well-written and intelligent way. It’s a difficult feat, and simply stated, he nailed it.

So back to that huge “I told you so”…tempting, but I’ll hold off. In fact, it doesn’t even need to be said. Even though only one week has passed, there’s no question:  The Avengers is a huge success. Sure, with fame and success comes more hype and possibly more pressure for Whedon’s next outing, but as some of us have known for more than a decade, he’s more than capable. And his army will only continue to grow.

In other words, you can only eat grain-fed lean meats, fruits, vegetables, and your own arm.

Weeks ago, I became obsessed with laboriously scanning all of our condiment bottles. “There’s high fructose corn syrup in EVERYTHING!” I would scream from the kitchen on a nightly basis. However, I guess since I continued eating like crap, I couldn’t really complain too much that my fucking delicious bottle of spicy, salty Frank’s Thick Red Hot was going to inevitably create an imbalance in my fructose and my glucose levels. “These chips have so many hydrogenated oils!” I would exclaim in between shovel-fulls of sodium I crammed into my flapper. It was kind of like the food equivalent of backseat driving. “Man, no one should ever eat this!” Chomp, chomp.

I continued learning about nasty corn syrups, bad oils, and genetically modified foods. I took out various books from the library to learn more about a healthy omega-3/omega-6 balance, and proper nutrition, which both lead to healthy digestion and better metabolism. So I decided to take the plunge. But even though I studied up, it was still a shock to jump into the deep end without a life vest. In fact, I felt like I jumped in wearing winter clothes and snow pants (which oddly enough, I’ve done before!).

I neglected to fully think this through. At the end of one particular Sunday Funday, I decided to sober up, close up the bag of popcorn I was inhaling, and go all Stone Age come morning. I dig the fact that Paleo eating allows only for all natural, fresh ingredients, either straight from the ground or freshly killed. Given my absolute love for all things animal (and fish), finding solid sources of protein hasn’t been a problem. And vegetables – bring on the greenery! Green is good! Hooray for radical changes…mostly!

I’ve now converted to almond milk and almond butter. I’ve cut way back on coffee and booze, and while sugar has flown the coup, I replaced it with honey wherever applicable. I must admit – I feel pretty good! My energy is up, my mind is clear – there really is power in cutting out processed and refined foods.

Let’s face it – Americans eat like shit. The level of processed junk we willingly consume on a daily basis can’t be good for our bodies. It’s all chemical-induced, genetically modified, and unnatural…and I feel insanely better and stronger without it.

The problem? How many times can I sauté garlic and onion smothered in olive oil? Meat is delicious, but also pretty expensive since I’m consuming it in such insane quantities. Whole Foods is raping my paychecks. Organic fruits and veggies don’t grow on trees you know! Oh, wait…

The best part of this fiasco is that I really don’t feel like I’m on a d-word. I’m quite content actually. I love the foods I’m eating and discovering, and frankly, I’m enjoying the challenge. (Plus, I’m down 11 pounds – bonus!) But after a full day’s work, an hour or more at the gym, add a little apartment clean-up and dish washing, and how much time is left to slice, dice, cook and grill? My free time is non-existent, my money is disappearing, and my social life kind of took off with my free time. How do people actually sustain this!?

I’m eventually going to have to start eating normally again, but being Paleo for a few short weeks has given me an irrational fear of regular foods. Whole wheat isn’t really that much better for me? Peanuts will mess with my digestion? Dairy will slowly kill me!? I can’t unlearn the stuff that now lingers in my head like a one night stand who can’t figure out she’s overstayed her welcome, but what else am I supposed to do? How do you Paleo and Vegans peeps do it? (No, seriously. Comments and suggestions are welcome!)

I guess it all comes down to this: We’re only gonna die from all our arrogance, that’s why we might as well take our time. No, wait. That’s a completely unrelated Sublime quote. How about: We’re all gonna die, so let’s get high. Nope. Iggy Pop. What I mean is – life’s short. And we all know what Ferris Bueller said about that. Being disciplined can sometimes be super awesome, but life is to be enjoyed. I guess you just have to find that striking balance between being healthy/maintaining a certain set of principles, and loving your life and living it to the fullest.

I enjoy eating veggies and hummus as my crunchy go-to snack. I love my egg white scrambles, sans cheese, plus an overload of organic tomatoes, mushrooms and green peppers. But, I also love kegs of delicious craft beer and hoovering crumbled cheese out of the container with my hands. The paradox here leaves me facing a massive amount of strife and confusion. Oh, this life of mine.

For those who aren’t freak shows that check the band’s website, Twitter and forum almost every single day (what!?), here’s what we know:

The album’s title, so far, is to be determined.

The confirmed song names are:
Dreaming the Same Dream
Easy
Gravity
Heaven
One More Summer
Push and Shove
Settle Down
Sparkle
Undercover
Looking Hot
Undone
Psycho

As far as the direction of the album – tweets from the band have been all over the place. “Vintage Jamaica” is a term that’s been thrown around. They’ve also confirmed the record will have lots of horns (!!). In addition, they’ve been listening to some serious 80′s tunes for inspiration.

What does this all mean, anyways?!  Damned if I know, but The Winslow is PUMPED for this release date news! This will be the band’s first album in almost 11 years. Their last: 2001′s Rock Steady.

PS – Props and thanks to the band’s guitarist, Mr. Tom Dumont, for RTing my No Doubt tribute blog. Kudos, man!

*EDIT* – The band released their first webisode from the studio! Check it out for the making of new track “Push and Shove.” It sounds amazing, obviously – a little Jamaican dancehall, with a solid beat and sickass breakdown.

The Winz combined forces with Zoe over at SexyTofu for a Food and Films excursion, Part Dos! If you’ll so kindly recall, we once ate tofu fried rice and watched Rain Man. It was both glorious and delicious. This time, we outdid ourselves once again, which really just means that we got fat and watched some TV together.

The Food:
To satisfy our body’s need for occasional foodstuffs, we made this delicious dish I stole found on my buddy-ol’-pal Shannon’s site Cumin and Coriander. The dish: Thai Chicken, Sweet Potato, and Spinach Curry. You can find the recipe there, but this coconut milky, curry-filled dish of extreme awesomeness pleases every time (Tip: Boil your potatoes for a minute or two to quicken the cook time. Use the entire can of coconut milk for more juicy goodness. And don’t forget that Sriracha. It’s clutch). Zoe’s a vegan (hence: tofu) so she had hers with Satan on the side (Seitan – a product made from Wheat Gluten). And me? I’m currently rockin’ the Paleo diet (more on that later), so my dish was made with mucho chicken (mmm, protein) and no added salts or wheats. Only natural ingredients that are either from the ground or able to be killed. Holla, animal slaughter! Just kidding. A good movie-watching session should always be paired with good food. And booze. Although our meal remained alcohol-free, we cooked the shit out of that shit.

The Film:
An American in Paris was the winner from 1951, except thanks to the marvels of modern technology, we watched the Blu-ray edition. You know what that means? COLOR. Hell, yeah.

Although Gene Kelly can tap his ass off, the film left a little to be desired. I had no idea what the hell was happening about three times throughout the 115-minute run. Long-winded musical numbers disturbed the pacing and seemed out of place, at times. The relationships and story were also a little forced. It seemed to be a platform to show off Kelly’s mad skillz rather than to serve a story (The Artist, anyone?). People spoke French and then they danced and tapped. That’s it in a nutshell. The inclusion of color really added a lot, as many of the scenes were definitely bolstered by its vibrant display of yellows, greens, and blues. The coloration definitely gave it more of a fun appeal, and I think we may have struggled a bit more had we watched in black and white.

Despite its shortcomings, Kelly was great, as was Nina Foch as Milo Roberts, an older ladyfriend and socialite who shows interest in our hero and his artwork. The film was shot in Hollywood, so the French-style of the film was contrived and overly theatrical, but hey man, it was 1951. They were probably still shocked that they were making their pictures move. All in all, I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it (looking at YOU, Midnight Cowboy!)

Good food, good moviefilm, and though it’s not on the Quest, I should probably see Singing in the Rain sometime….in the very far, ever-distant future. After I watch these other 46 Best Pictures. Blerg!

Best known for her roles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dollhouse, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-along Blog, and her grassroots, geek-tastic Web Series The Guild (which she wrote and created), Day has recently launched something even sharper than her character Codex’s sword – a new YouTube channel appropriately titled “Geek & Sundry.” I must say: I’m obsessing.

It all started with The Guild, a show revolving around the lives of a group of gamers and their online guild, The Knights of Good. In addition to her duties as the show’s creator, Day plays Cyd Sherman, aka Codex. Codex struggles to deal with life as her two seemingly separate worlds collide: one of her guild-mates shows up at her doorstep and the entire guild finally meets in person. After five seasons and a Microsoft sponsorship, The Guild has garnered millions (count ‘em!) of views and is now available on Netflix, the XBOX Live Marketplace, Zune Marketplace, MSN Video, Netflix, and now, Day’s own Geek & Sundry.

In addition to the The Guild, Day and her crew offer plenty of gamer-fare to make your inner geek squeal with delight. For example:

Table Top: Hosted by Wil Wheton, this series introduces viewers to the best of the best in table-top board gaming. There are celebrity appearances, behind-the-scenes interviews, and a new game every episode! It’s also chock-full of witty banter and great laughs.

Dark Horse Motion Comics: Watch as some of your favorite Dark Horse characters come to life with state of the art graphic motion-y goodness! Technology. Design. Smart people lingo. Yeah, I don’t know how they do it.

Sword & Laser: The popular podcast can now be seen rather than heard all thanks to Geek & Sundry! Hosts Veronica Belmont and Tom Merrit showcase the latest in technology, geek and entertainment news and discuss some super rad Sci-Fi/Fantasy books throughout the process. Genre fiction, galore!

The Flog: The Felicia Day Video Blog Show! (The Flog! Get it?) In this G&S special, Day dishes her five favorite things of the week, partakes in a weekly activity (blacksmithing, anyone?), and responds to some fan email. Her whimsy and enthusiasm are not only welcome, but contagious; her sincerity, and heart for gaming and geeking perpetually on her sleeve. My favorite of the pack, join Felicia as she plays the violin, bakes Italian tortas, and plays vintage games that somehow escaped her childhood (see below).

Since you’re already in front of a computer, check out Geek & Sundry today, and subscribe, subscribe, subscribe! Felicia and her crew deliver on multiple levels, and they’re only getting started! Put down your remote (Only for a few minutes…GOD, stop freaking out) and appease your inner geek! And check out Episode 2 of The Flog below!

These were brought into my life by Slutnugget and Curtis, and are co-sponsored by the letters F and U, and the number 3.

The movie begins just as every other B-, C-, and D-level fright flick does: A group of stereotypical youngsters heads out to a remote location for some beer drinking and pot smoking, only to find themselves being hunted down by…something. There’s a jock, a stoner, a school girl, the nice guy, and a slut. But why do these stereotypes and conventions even exist? And why does this genre, in particular, continuously belabor such tedious cliches? Cabin attempts to answer these questions, and more, while simultaneously poking fun at itself throughout.

If that’s not meta enough for you, Cabin‘s layered twists and turns will constantly have you shaking your head and guessing which 180 degree deviation it’s going to take next. Besides the many death traps for our beloved cast of predictables, a certain company of techies seem to know much more about the cabin’s secrets. Richard Jenkins (Six Feet Under) and Bradley Whitford (The West Wing) play the two leaders of this mission, who are somehow manipulating the cabin and its inhabitants, leading the kids to more danger and almost certain death. It’s like a “Choose Your Own Adventure” novel for these hapless suckers, one seemingly without any possibility for a happy ending. What is this company, and why are they doing this?

So many questions, so little time! At a meager 95 minutes, the movie moves so fast that before you even have a chance to get a handle on what’s going down, it zigs right when you thought it would zag. As one tagline for the film says: “You think you know the story.” I assure you: You thought wrong.

This movie sat on the shelf for almost three years thanks to a clusterfuck at MGM (the film was later sold to Lionsgate for distribution). But thank the movie gods above for allowing this piece of brilliance to come to light. What a breath of fresh air Cabin is, for the film’s creators, for the audience, and for the genre at large. In a sea of reboots, remakes, and widely unoriginal screenplays, The Cabin in the Woods proves that there’s still life left in a genre that has been left for dead more times than Jason Voorhees.