On July 20th, Amanda Fucking Palmer released a cover EP of popular Radiohead hits aptly titled Amanda Palmer Performs The Popular Hits of Radiohead on Her Magical Ukulele. Have you heard it? Go stream it. Got a spare 84 cents or more? Download it!
I’m telling you about this record a few weeks late because I left BOTH pairs of my best headphones on Riese’s couch – which is located on the other side of the world – and without them I don’t really know how to function, music doesn’t sound good anymore. But I’m going to suck it up now and do my job and tell you about this fun record that Amanda Palmer has created.
When I first heard about it I reacted with equal amounts of excitement & fear. Excitement because I really, really dig Amanda Palmer and love when she whips out the uke. And fear because I also really, really dig Radiohead, their music is so perfect and has so much sentimental value that I’m a little sensitive about people toying with it, you know? Covers in general make me nervous, it’s possible I’ve just heard too many great songs butchered in American Idol auditions. Jeff Buckley, Van Morrison and The Beatles also fall into this category, although John Lennon is fair game.
But then I looked back to the last time I felt this same fear/excitement, it was at an Amanda Palmer concert at the Sydney Opera House earlier this year. The night was going really, really well, AFP was up on stage giving it everything she had and I was riding a music high that I hadn’t felt in quite a while. But then she announced she was going to play one of my favorite songs ever, Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt” and I got nervous, I knew subconsciously I’d compare it to the original and Johnny Cash’s cover and honestly didn’t know how it’d fare, it had the potential to go so wrong. But then sat down at that grand piano and she fucking slayed that song, she made it hers and it was one of the most beautiful, haunting things I’d ever heard and I was sorry that I ever doubted her, even if it was only for a second.
So did she do the same for Radiohead? Well, for starters she’s playing a ukulele and not the Sydney Opera House’s Steinway, so apples and oranges, people. But I truly do enjoy what she’s done here, the record’s fun and clever and there’s a cute story behind it. It opens with “Fake Plastic Trees”, a song I’ve been in love with since buying the Clueless movie soundtrack – one of the first albums I ever owned that wasn’t released by Green Day. It was a musical turning point, which makes it difficult to listen to AFP’s rendition without 
getting a little sentimental.
If you go and download the EP, here’s what else you’ll find:
1. Fake Plastic Trees
2. High And Dry
3. No Surprises
4. Idioteque
5. Creep (Hungover at soundcheck in Berlin)
6. Exit Music (For a film)
7. Creep (Live in Prague)
I loved loved loved every track on this album, with the exception of the covers of “Creep”. I realise it’s an AFP crowd favourite but the notes just go so high, you guys, so high, it’s not for me. But it might be for you! Did I mention you can get a digital version of this EP for as little as 84 cents? Or as reader Ista points out, if you pay a little more than that then you’ll be helping to put a little money in Amanda’s pocket. A limited edition vinyl and an amazing tshirt is also for available via the website.
I will agree regarding Creep. That was too much for my ears to take, she should stay down the octave so as to not make puppies cry.
Amanda Palmer owns my heart and really can do no wrong in my eyes, but yeah, I didn’t love the covers of Creep. She’s done Creep better before. *firm nod* However, I thought the rest of this EP was beautiful.
It’s also worth adding that if you love love love this and want Amanda to get more money, you can pay more than $0.84! Of the $0.84, $0.54 goes to Radiohead and $0.30 goes to Paypal. Any money beyond that goes straight into her pockets. I paid $5, because like I said, she owns my heart. <3
I love that woman so much. She’s amazing and an inspiration. I’ve tried several times to get into Radiohead to no avail, but I really love her covers.
First saw Amanda Palmer (specifically, the Dresden Dolls) live the same day I saw Radiohead live. Thanks Bonnaroo ’06. You rocked my 16 year old life. Hard.
Also. Amanda. Stop marrying one of my favorite authors. I shouldn’t have to love you anymore.
This has nothing to do with Amanda Palmer and her Magical Ukulele, but we need to talk about this. Like, right now. OMG.
Your link doesn’t work!
⚠Warning: if you’re allergic to creepiness please do not read the following comment.
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Your link doesn’t work for me either, but I want to guess what you were referring to.
Did you mean to link to this?
[I’m not sure if I’ll feel good or bad about myself if I get it wrong…probably a little bit of both.]
In fact, I did. AUTOSTRADDLE COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS GO
I have no idea what happened to that link! It must have been eaten by gremlins.
Hmm. The ukulele thing seems a little gimmicky to me. I just somehow am not won over by Amanda Palmer. I’m missing something, I think. I listened to “Idioteque,” which I thought was good… only I preferred there was more piano and less ukulele.
Oh it’s totally gimmicky, I think that’s why I enjoyed it so much. The ukulele isn’t to everyone’s taste.
No. Annaham at Feminists with Disabilities did a piece on Evelyn Evelyn which led to DEATH THREATS from Amanda Palmer fans, and Amanda Palmer a) refused to address the issue of abilism in her work, b) did nothing to call off her fans in their persecution of Annaham and plenty to encourage them, and c) made fun of the very idea of disabled feminists while on tv in Australia. The best part? Annaham was a big fan of Amanda Palmer when she wrote the piece — it opens, “I say this with love and respect”.
So as far as I’m concerned, Amanda Palmer can fuck on off anytime she likes.
Annaham’s piece is here: http://disabledfeminists.com/2010/02/09/evelyn-evelyn-ableism-ableism/
She talks about the absolute shitstorm that ensued and what happened to her here:
http://tigerbeatdown.com/2010/04/22/ladypalooza-presents-how-amanda-palmer-lost-a-fan-or-my-own-private-backlash/
wow, the Evelyn Evelyn thing sounds pretty shitty, I’m dissapointed to hear that about Amanda.
Not even going to take sides here, but to be fair you should read Amanda’s pretty in-depth response to the whole thing, too.
http://blog.amandapalmer.net/post/396762227/evelyn-evelyn-drama-drama
Thanks for the link to her response. I am all about information for everyone.
yeah, her response is perhaps more offensive than the original comment. “take it in context”. yeah, lets take racism in context. let’s take homophobic jokes in context too. she’s so fucking brave. WTG AFP! way to own that ablism!