"Sex And Candy" by Keller & The Keels

 

Keller Williams, along with Larry and Jenny Keel, produced a lively roots rock cover of the Marcy Playground original that was probably written about Valentine's Day. At least, the title gives the top two survey answers to the Family Feud question "Name something associated with Valentine's Day." (The other two being "paper hearts" and "Midwest massacre.")

The second verse highlights the sense of humor of the Virginia born singer-songwriter.

"Eye of the Tiger" by Gloria Gaynor

If you didn't know who I want to win the Super Bowl in epic fashion, here you go.

It's the eye of the Bengal tiger, it's the thrill of the fight, rising up to the challenge of their rival.

Cincinnati has yet to win a championship.

They have two previous trips to the big show.

The first was the year before Survivor initially recorded this song.

The second was a mere two years after Gloria Gaynor (you know.... disco era Gloria Gaynor. "I Will Survive" Gloria Gaynor.) recorded this cover version.

30 years is a long time to wait.

Bring it home, Cincinnati!

"Ocean Man" by CG5

 

Greetings from Ocean City, MD!

Though we're not at the corner of the globe, I'm assuming it counts as a voyage and a real trip, because there are Airbnb rentals involved.

It's February, so I won't be a tan man imbibed by the sand. In fact, I don't think I'll ever be a tan man. I go straight from fish belly white to beet red, and, not enjoying the ouchies caused by celestial heatballs, I spend most of my time at the beach laying under a thin sheet of plywood.

This was the only video of CG5's cover of Ween's "Ocean Man" that I found, and it works pretty well with the dancing Spongebob characters. Larry the Lobster is FEELIN' it!

"Funky Cold Medina" by Dash of Honey

 

First, the bad.

The intro of Dash of Honey's cover of Tone Loc runs about 30 seconds longer than it needs to.

The outro runs about 30 seconds longer than it needs to.

The guy singing has timing worse than Navin R. Johnson in "The Jerk." It's like he's reading the lyrics off of a cue card right after downing a vial of Zyprexa.

Then, the good.

The song contains a "Wooooo!" sample that I believe was lifted from Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines." And, it fits in so perfectly.

The lyrics remain unchanged. So that one verse still mentions Spuds Mackenzie and Alex from Stroh's, despite there being an ever-shrinking niche audience who still remembers and/or cares who they were.

"Bitter Sweet Symphony" by Annett Louisan

Based on her voice, I'm betting that Annett Louisan (who's a couple of weeks older than I am) still gets carded when she tries to buy clove cigarettes.

Here, she covers The Verve.

"People of the Sun" by Walk Off The Earth

This is what it sounds like when one Verb-Preposition-The-Noun band covers another.

Walk Off the Earth's version is pretty groovy, especially for a song that’s a rallying cry for the Mexicans fighting back against close to 500 years (when it was written) of exploitation and mass killings, beginning with the arrival of Euro conquistadors.

Come to think of it, why would a band take these righteously angry lyrics and transform them into a song to sip margaritas to?

What’s next? Will a couple of jerk faces take another scathing Rage Against The Machine song and play an acoustic version with toy instruments?

God, I hope not.

"We Are Family" by Babes in Toyland

 My Mother-In-Law loves this song.

At least, I assume she does, as she's requested it at every single wedding that we've both attended.

Babes in Toyland, surprisingly, don't deviate too much from Sister Sledge's original. I thought that, rather than play a keyboard, they would try to duplicate those sounds by recording themselves punching baby gophers in the throat. That would be more on brand for them.

Happy Birthday, Jo Jo Binks!