Cover Songs by David Bazan [Pedro the Lion/Headphones]

Here I sit at my desk. It's way too early in the morning. So what do I do. I make another list of music, cuz that's what I do. This morning we're exploring cover songs played by one of my favourite singer-songwriters, David Bazan.

In my freshmen year of college, I remember people talking about Pedro the Lion. Finally that February, I listened to the album Control and haven't been the same since. Bazan writes great songs and chooses amazing songs to cover. I had the privilege of sitting about 3 feet away from him at a house show, and he covered a song from my favorite Tom Petty album, "Climb That Hill" from Songs and Music from She's the One. I nearly soiled myself.

Here we go. My Top 5 Favorite Songs Covered by David Bazan.

1. "Metal Heart" [Cat Power]

This is a live cut from the 2004 Tour EP, before Bazan dissolved Pedro the Lion. It definitely rocks harder than either of Chan Marshall's recordings. Still, it conveys just as much emotion.

2. "Will You Still Love Me In December" [Julie Doiron]

This was another cover that he pulled out when I saw him play. Such a heavy song. I like his alteration of lyrics. Doiron sings "I could sleep days away". He changes it to "I could drink days away".

3. "Packt Like Sardines in a Crushed Tin Box" [Radiohead]

It's no secret that Bazan is a Radiohead fan. He also has a pretty sweet studio version of "Let Down" that he did for a Radiohead tribute album. I like this video because it sounds cool and he did something unique for the fans that came to his show despite the blackout.

4. "Flirted with You All My Life" [Vic Chesnutt]

I've never listened much to Vic Chesnutt, but I do enjoy this cover as well as The Smashing Pumpkins cover of his song "Sad Peter Pan". Chesnutt passed away about a year ago after years of dealing with illness. This song personifies Death in such a unique way.

5. "The Man in Me" [Bob Dylan]

Bazan singing The Dude's song.