She Looks Like The Real Thing, She Tastes Like The Real Thing, My Fake Plastic Love

--"Fake Plastic Trees (cover)", Molly Tuttle

When it comes to music one might say I possess eclectic tastes. From country to j-pop to alternative, there isn't a style of music I haven't at least given a fair shake of trying to get into. And while I haven't embraced every genre of music equally, I can safely say that when it comes to a musical library that spans all eras and all types my library is one to be reckoned with. I don't say this with any ounce of arrogance. I know I'm not the musical gourmet; I don't claim to have the best taste in music. But I am rather proud that no matter who I'm with I know I can at least get along with whatever they're listening to--be it classical, christian, or hip hop.

That being said, a guilty pleasure of mine has always been a good cover of an already established hit, especially when that cover is being done by a relative unknown. I adore discovering somebody just getting their foot in the door by tackling a song that some would claim to have already been done to perfection by the original artist. While it's true that a good cover would have never been born without the original recording, I'm of the opinion that, yes, sometimes the copy can be better than the original. I mean--when I first heard "Silver Springs" being done by Stacee Dupree, I would have been hard-pressed to give you definitive answer as to which version I thought was better. Or when I first stumbled across Mary Lou Lord's version of "I Don't Want To Get Over You" by The Magnetic Fields I actually thought it was her song. It wasn't until later that I heard the irrepressible original. Indeed, some of Mary Lou Lord's best work have been covers and she still manages to be my overall favorite female singer/songwriter.

When it comes to a lot of different areas I'm not one to stand on ceremony. To me it really doesn't matter who did it first. I just want to know who does it the best. Sometimes innovation isn't as important as refinement.

That brings me to Molly Tuttle, a teenager from the Bay Area of California with a background in bluegrass and folk music, and her awesome rendition of "Fake Plastic Trees" by Radiohead. It's no big secret that I love bluegrass music and the musicians who perform it. It's also no secret that I hold a special place in my heart for individuals who show a talent for the arts at an early age. Molly Tuttle fits both of these criteria. Not only can she play the banjo and the guitar, but she has an uncanny singing voice that is almost pitch perfect. What may come as a surprise is that I've never been a huge fan of Radiohead. I've never disliked them per se, but it has never been an all-encompassing need to delve further into their back catalog. One could say that admiration for them pretty much began and ended with "Creep".

You can imagine my surprise when I instantly became enamored with this version of their "Fake Plastic Trees" the other day. Not only did it make me feel like I had missed out on an absolutely great song when it was first released, but it gave me a new appreciation for what makes Radiohead, well, Radiohead. Yes, part of the intrigue to this version of the song was that the voice behind it is a tad more pleasant to the ear that Thomas Yorke (That's another thing, I'm a big fan of female singers as opposed to male singers. I always have been.). And, yes, this song is more clearly defined than some of the others in their repertoire. But I think the real reason I feel remiss that I never appreciated this song in its time is expressly because I've been playing this cover version of it with great frequency in the last few days.

That's what I like best about covers. They can point you back to the inspiration behind them while at the same time stand on their own as a work of art. A good deal of people will tell you that a cover will never be as good as the original because it lacks the authenticity of its first performer or of its creator. I say, however, that there is an authenticity to taking something that holds true as something monumental and making it your own... as long as you completely make it your own. I don't abide people who change one facet and claim that they redid it with their own shine; those works can be truly qualified as being pale imitations. But when someone of genuine talent takes a monumental work and pays homage to it by applying their unique gifts and perspective to it, then I believe something as great, if not greater than the original, can arise from the combination. After all, to borrow my friend Casey's remark when we had this discussion tonight, "just because you're the person who invented French Toast doesn't mean you're the only one who can perfect the recipe."

"Fake Plastic Trees" may have been a song that didn't need perfecting when it was first recorded by Radiohead, but like anyone who ever made a great cover, Molly Tuttle perfected it anyway.

Enjoy the song.

Yours Swimmingly,
mojo shivers