Lyrad's Random 10

Cellos and pop music aren't mixed very often, but Melora Creager, who grunge fans will recognize as the cellist for some of Nirvana's live performances, and her revolving door of supporting players have done good work since 1992 with a trio of them and the occasional drummer. They combine their chamber rock sound with Victorian dress and gothic subject matter which, while the presentation can be pretty cheesy, is a consistently unique style. Though they carry a lot more substance than their Swedish contemporaries, Apocolyptica, who exclusively do metal covers with a cello quartet, some of my favorite songs from Rasputina are their covers, namely Melanie Safka's "Brand New Key" off Thanks for the Ether and Leslie Gore's "You Don't Own Me" off How We Quit the Forest. In 1999, they released a full album of covers that includes the below Velvet Underground song and an especially creepy and effective version of CCR's "Bad Moon Risin'." As cover albums should be, though rarely are, the songs are all completely rearranged to fit Rasputina's sound.

1. Rasputina--All Tomorrow's Parties
2. Eric Clapton--They're Red Hot
3. Neurosis--Zero
4. Roberto Rodriguez & Irving Fields--Pago Pago
5. Ennio Morricone--Metafora Finale (from the soundtrack to Cat o Nine Tails)
6. Johannes Brahms--Sonata No.3 in d for Violin & Piano, Op.108, 3.Un poco presto e con sentimento (Ruggiero Ricci, Vn; Cordelia Hoffer, Pn)
7. Melvins w/Foetus--Mine Is No Disgrace
8. Arnold Dreyblatt--Epilogue
9. Claude Debussy--Images 1 for Piano; 2.Hommage a Rameau (Francois Chaplin, Pn)
10. John Coltrane--Syeeda's Song Flute