After nearly a decade of refusing to do cover songs, and being defensive about it, I’m about to release a double album full of them.  What gives? [I say to myself as I sit in my little LA apartment recording studio while I tweak the eq on the last guitar track on my version of Eddy Grant's 80s hit "Electric Avenue"]

Well, I’ll tell ya…

Let’s rewind the clock to the late 90s /early 2000s:
Back in the day I was the front man and principle songwriter for a local Philadelphia-based band called “Tragik.” We eventually headlined, gigged regionally, played at the X-Games and opened for big acts up and down the east coast, but we were still primarily a local act; A local act that attempted to appeal to the local palette of cheese steaks, drunken eagles games and songs people already knew.

But, that’s not what we were there to do. We were there to introduce people to NEW songs — MY new songs damn it!

But that was just it, Philly was overrun by bands and venues that caved in and enabled the music-going public by catering to their lazy ears.  Don’t get me wrong, I get it, Philly is also full of hardworking, busy-as-hell people who don’t have time to go exploring new music; and who wants to roll the dice with their money on some shitty unknown band.  I also understand it from the venues’ and bands’ point of view — everybody’s gotta earn a living. But, I wanted to convince them otherwise. I wanted to convince them that there was a demand for original music… ’cause hell, my songs are NOT like those other “original” bands.  I wanted to be different, but different is “weird.” Original music was “weird” and people just wanted to hear something familiar.

By that time, the only 2 radio stations that played new music had gone off the air and the last few venues that featured original music were struggling, save for a few standouts like the Grape Street, North Star Bar and The Trocadero.

Yes, Philadelphia is well known for it’s cheese steaks, Eagles fans and the Liberty Bell but at that time I felt like it was also becoming the cover band capital of the world.

So, long story short, I steered clear of ever doing anything that even remotely sounded like a cover song.

But that was then.

I’m in a different city now, I’m older now and I have a much different take on things.  Now doing cover songs seems like fun.

So, here ya go! The first half of my new all-covers double album, wit cheese! – I really hope you enjoy it! There’s an acoustic version [see the streaming player here] and a full electric version [coming soon!], though not each version contains the same songs – more on that later.

For now, let’s enjoy the first half; Pop Art, the acoustic version.

Pop Art (Acoustic) is:

1. Day ‘N’ Nite (Kid Cudi)

2. Paper Tiger (Spoon)

3. Policy of Truth (Depeche Mode)

4. Electric Avenue (Eddy Grant)

5. Waiting Room (Fugazi)

6. Beautiful Day (U2)

7. One Thing Leads to Another (The Fixx)

8. Philly, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down (LCD Soundsystem)

9. Rockbox (Run-DMC)

10. Teardrop (Massive Attack)

11. I Can’t Live Without My Radio (LL Cool J)

12. Seed of Memory (Terry Reid)

Every genre has it’s moment and I feel fortunate that I was at the right place at the right time – or more accurately, the right neighborhood with the right friends – during the golden age rap.

“Rap music” was my first introduction to music. It was my doorway to rock, blues and punk, and of course, it ultimately paved the way for my own music.  Now, of course, my parents, being children of the 50s & 60s, had always had classic rock playing in the house and in the cars (which were built and then re-built during those decades too = major pieces of shit btw), so I was no stranger to Led Zeppelin and the Beatles, but rap is what really took hold of my imagination.  It seemed so raw, so vibrant, so teenage…even though I wasn’t one yet. I know every genre has it’s moment and has the same effect on the pre-teens of those days – but this was MY time. This was MY new genre and it fucking rocked.

One of the first albums that I physically and mentally carried around with me was LL Cool J’s brilliant debut, “Radio.”  It had big beats, with big empty spaces filled with LL’s quick and loud delivery. Fast forward nearly 25 years later (holy shit has it been that long?) and I’m still creating music that is heavily influenced by rap and hip-hop culture.

Enter my latest offerings; a collection of cover songs ranging from obscure rap to quintessential 80s pop.  But don’t worry, I’ve thrown in some current hits like U2′s Beautiful Day and Kid Cudi’s Day n Nite, just for good measure. One of the more notable cover songs that I’ve done isn’t really a cover song at all – it’s more a re-interpretation of the original song.   I’m talking about my cover version of LL Cool J’s debut album title track and the reason for this post: “I Can’t Live Without My Radio”

I decided, quite deliberately, to take a literal view of the song and treat it as if I really couldn’t live without my radio.  In doing so, I turned it into an introspective ode to the boombox – a love song of sorts, about devotion.  I know, silly right?  But, hear me out,  when I wrote this version it made me feel like there was more to the lyrics – It made me take the idea and the nostalgia of that time more seriously.  For me,  LL’s lyrics seemed to fit nicely over this quiet little acoustic melody.

Watch the video above and then listen to my version here:

Welcome to the new KenHyland.com!

This page, like the rest of the site, is waaaay under construction. Like not even bought a shovel yet under construction.
Hang in there. In the meantime check out this cool video:

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Here’s the lyrics to “I Shot Jimmy” – In case you ever wondered what I was singing about:

I Shot Jimmy

Got no money
Got no place to call a home
And we ain’t even grown
She is only
Just 18 and things are fine
And won’t be in school for long
When I should have kept the lights on
I should have told her ‘slow down’
But I don’t want…to
Do you?

She says ‘hold me’
Kissed her chin and spilled the wine
My brain is gone but I’m tryin’ to talk some sense into Jimmy

I sh-sh-sh shot jimmy
Sh-sh-sh shot jimmy
Sh-sh-sh shot jimmy
[And all of your pills are gone now]

We don’t realize
In a moment face to face
But here we go again
And there’s no more “think it over”
I’m caught in the moment and I can’t pull it out

Sh-sh-sh shot jimmy
Sh-sh-sh shot jimmy
Sh-sh-sh shot jimmy
Sh-sh-sh shot jimmy
[What is your father gonna do?]

We can make it I promise, Kathy
Cause I know what to do
But it’s up to you to choose
To cry and go home
Or stay forever my love

Sh-sh-sh shot jimmy
Sh-sh-sh shot jimmy
Sh-sh-sh shot jimmy
Sh-sh-sh shot jimmy
[What are we gonna do now]

Sh-sh-sh shot jimmy
Sh-sh-sh shot jimmy
[When all of your pills are gone]
Sh-sh-sh shot jimmy
Sh-sh-sh shot jimmy
Sh-sh-sh shot jimmy
Sh-sh-sh shot jimmy
[What is your father gonna do]

Sh-sh-sh shot jimmy
Sh-sh-sh shot jimmy
Sh-sh-sh shot jimmy
Sh-sh-sh shot jimmy

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The new album “Still Life” is now available as an Mp3 album download on my facebook store!

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