• Berkeley Place has a great “Cover Wars” multi-part feature, matching up Stones covers vs. Boss covers. It’s 5 posts full of cover versions from the likes of the La’s, Cat Power, Afghan Whigs, and even Jim James of My Morning Jacket doing “I’m on Fire”! Check ’em out here: Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five.
• DJ Prestige passes along a sweet mix… It’s Flea Market Funk‘s Canned Funk & Soul Mix, vol. 21.
• Over at Popdose, Tony K. schools us, with the Popdose Guide to John Mellencamp. Then, Jon Cummings gives us the Popdose Guide to Nancy Griffith.
• My buddy Ace of Hidden Track fame passes along a hilarious video of Zack Galifianakis interviewing Michael Cera. Definitely worth a look.
• Music for Robots posts a great old school mix by – um – Radioclit. Check it out.
• Go learn about the Triumphs over at The B Side. Red knows his shizz.

• Popdose – Great news! Jeff (from Jefitoblog) returns! His new site launches today… the internet landscape brightens…ladies and gentlemen, Popdose. Subscribe. Visit. Rinse. Repeat.
• Did you miss Radiohead‘s New Year’s Eve performance of In Rainbows? Current has it all here.
• Steve at Maybe We Ain’t That Young Anymore brings in the new year with a 1989 U2 show.
• Conquest! Aikin takes a look and listen to the White Stripes’ latest single over at Licorice Pizza.
• Señor Wohlman hits us with some Aretha, some Faces, Zappa, Zevon, Dylan and Devo! Check out his first podcast mix of 2008 over at Radio Free Wohlman.
• Berkeley Place has a nice Roots show from the 1999 Montreax Jazz Festival.
• And Finally, for some political entertainment, the always hilarious Wonkette takes a look back at The Wide Stance that Changed American History and The Awkwardest Condi Year Ever. Priceless!

• Ear Fuzz breaks down the Beasties’ “Shake Your Rump”, with a look at the ten songs that are sampled.
• Craig over at Songs:Illinois gets us ready for the holidays with a righteous Christmas mix, including John Prine, Asylum Street Spankers and Asleep at the Wheel.
• My buddies at Hidden Track take a look at the 10 Least Dangerous Rock Stars (#’s 4 thru 1 are priceless).
• Matt kicks down some Zambian acoustic guitar action at Benn loxo du Taccu.
• Led Zeppelin’s complete BBC Radio sessions, anyone? That Truncheon Thing‘s got you covered here (part 1) and here (part 2).
• Eliot at Wired’s Listening Post likes the new Pixies tribute album, including Mogwai’s cover of “Gouge Away”.
• Like Krup says, Best National Anthem ever (goosebumps).
• Finally (and not music related), Dusty at Pork Tornado (aka Salami Tsunami) is one of the most entertaining writers I’ve come across on the web. Check out his latest post here, where he talks about his new job and an ugly abscess in his tooth as only he can. He doesn’t post that often, but they’re always worth the wait.

It’s been an odd day of departures in the music world today. First the news that Kevin DuBrow of Quiet Riot was found dead in his Las Vegas home on Sunday. Then not an hour later the news that Casey Calvert of Hawthorne Heights was found dead on the band’s tour bus on Saturday. Now I’m not generally the superstitious type, but if I were Amy Winehouse or Pete Dougherty I’d be taking the day off and hiding under the covers.

In other news:

Organist Danny Federici played his last show for the time being in Boston with Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Source: NME

U2’s Bono and The Edge popped up unannounced for a short acoustic set at a charity gig in North London. Source: BBC

And break out your lighters because Extreme is back in the studio and will be touring in 2008. Source: NME

• To hear the Foo Fighters cover “Band on the Run” is a wonderful thing. Check it out on Fuel / Friends.
• Check out the mysterious tune you’ve been hearing on the iPhone commercials [Listening Post].
• Listening Post also has a cool tech-y Herbie Hancock interview.
• A cool AP interview with Steve Earle.
• Download a killer Trouble Funk album on Do Velho Ao Novo.
• Maybe We Ain’t That Young Anymore kicks down a Springsteen Rehearsal show from last week.
• More Springsteen at Small Things, Stupid Packages. Brian has the 10/23/1999 show from the Staples Center in L.A.
• A Deeper Shade of Soul has a nice Jimmy Cliff show up.
• Jason Hare is back with a Chart Attack, looking back at October 8th, 1977.
• Armagideon Time fuses his Halloween theme and the 50th anniversary of Sputnik.
• And finally – what would the internet be without a web site devoted to the 19th Century mustache?

• My LastFM buddy Brian has a new music blog, and I think you should check it out. Small Things Stupid Packages debuted just over a week ago, and is off to a great start. Brian takes a look back at the opening day of the US Festival, 25 years later; delves into the music of Son House; and gives a sweet Spoon show from 2005.
• Ear Fuzz posts a couple tracks from the late great jazz pioneer, Joe Zawinul.
• Gonzo’s Music-o-rama enters the realm of Ethiopian Jazz with a look at Ethiopiques, vol. 4.
• Ben at Deeper Shade of Soul gives us a killer Flaming Lips show from ’99.
• Hidden Track passes along a link to a shiteous new song from shiteous comedian Dane Cook and Ann Wilson’s latest Zeppelin cover.
• Finally, get lost in one of Radio Free Wohlman‘s podcasts – you’re cheating yourself if you don’t. Here’s a recent one featuring the Kinks, XTC, John Mayall, Jimi Hendrix, and a lot more.

Hey all… I’m on a little hiatus for the next few days. But while I’m away, Michael’s picking up the slack. I’ll be back in action in a few days. Meanwhile, here are some tasty recommendations from Michael… – Pete

• Jeff over at Jefitoblog continues to celebrate all things “Power Ballad” with entries from Kix, Warrant and Chicago. I still contend that “Look Away” has the greater wuss rock factor of the two.
• Jason phones in his Mellow this week, but it’s still golden. Learn more than you ever wanted to know about Benny Mardones.
• Stereogum shares the news that Nels Cline has the Chicken Pox.
• Kevin at So Much Silence shares the wonderful word that Jeremy Enigk (formerly of Sunny Day Real Estate) is releasing another record and not waiting 10 years this time!
• MOKB shares the brilliance of Petra Haden’s “Don’t Stop Believing”
• Heather deals with server issues and introduces us to the poetry of Luke Doucet.
• And finally, what do Frank Zappa and Burt Ward (trust me, you know who this is) have in common? Head over to Some Velvet Blog to find out.

• Ben at Deeper Shade of Soul hits us with some 1999 era live Prince from Providence.
• Licorice Pizza is back in action. Aiken explores the Clash’s Vanilla Tapes.
• There’s some classic early 90’s live World Party over at Maybe We Ain’t That Young Anymore.
• A kind reader sent over a cool clip of the Boss joining NJ jam band Solar Circus at a small Jersey bar, the day after Jerry Garcia passed away.
• She also sent me Prince joining Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Dani Harrison and others at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony for “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”. Always worth a watch to see Prince tear shit up.
• The Duke of Straw gets his fetish on with 30 songs about footwear at The Late Greats.
• It would be foolish to miss out on Radio Free Wohlman‘s 2 hour podcast “transmissions”. His latest installment features solo work by Paul, John, George, and Ringo, as well as the Meters, Talking Heads, and a lot more.
• And finally, you can never go wrong with Jefitoblog‘s Sunday Mix Tape. Jefito’s latest one covers all the bases, from Cannonball Adderley to Eels to the Isley Brothers.

Just wanted to pass along a couple of nice sites I recently happened upon…

First, A Deeper Shade of Soul. Ben and I are on the same wavelength on a lot of stuff, it seems. I mean, killer live Boss from ’75, live Arcade Fire in Portland, a Bootleg Friday debut with classic Otis Redding, and the kicker – an Amy Winehouse post tonight, the night I was sitting down to do my own Winehouse post. And he used the same image I was planning on using – the cover of the latest Rolling Stone. Ben said it a lot better than I could. Go check out his open letter to Ms. Winehouse.

And finally, Radio Free Wohlman. Mr. Wohlman is a Bay Area radio guy who regularly posts quite tasty podcast “transmissions”. His most recent includes Badfinger, the Beastie Boys, the Klaxons, and m.f.’in Grace Jones (among others).