2022 has been pretty productive for me. I’ve published a book, I’ve taken up learning to read & write sheet music alongside piano classes, I’ve released some music on Spotify under my artist moniker ‘Ghost Intent’ and I’m working on projects that interest me.
The musical release and the endorphin release when I’m playing my instruments and recording covers in unparalleled.
I’m still only an intermediate guitar and piano player, but I’m slowly improving and getting to where I want to be before I release that debut singer-songwriter/rock and roll album.
I’ve started writing my own songs, and have been putting out only a few on Instagram but it’s a really exciting time and phase in my life with music and all the projects I’m undertaking.
I don’t know where the road is going to take me, but it’s exciting and I’m up totally up for putting the work in, whether it’s making my ideas a reality or working diligently for everything I aim to achieve.
Anyway, coming back to the music, here are my top 10 covers of 2022 so far
PS: In case you’re wondering why I wear my blue jacket a lot, it’s because the air conditioner is always on when I record and it gets pretty cold.
17. Nirvana – Something In The Way
Decided to cover this old one by Nirvana after hearing it in the new Batman movie. I had completely forgotten about this song but the Batman movie was pretty decent and Zoe Kravitz was unbelievably hot. I recorded this immediately after watching the movie with my sister.
16. Radiohead — All I Need
One of my favourite Radiohead songs, and one of the first of their songs I heard, ‘All I Need’ is a longstanding favourite. Thom Yorke’s piano playing and Jonny Greenwood’s style and compositions are my benchmark. I used to play this song quite often in my sets at the pub I was the DJ at in Manipal, India during my college years studying my Bachelor’s in Engineering at MIT, Manipal. Here’s a short cover….
15. Mumford & Sons – I Will Wait
This is a song I haven’t heard too much, so I only recorded a bit of the song. The actual recording is played in a much faster tempo. But it’s a popular song that people like, so this was my take.
14. Massive Attack – Teardrop
Re-created this song from scratch, i.e. the piano motif and the beat on my DAW and played along with it. My central workstation doesn’t have a microphone so this was without a mic. It was my first trip hop cover ever and it’s a cover I like a lot.
13. Oasis – Talk Tonight
Probably my favourite Oasis song before they split is ‘Talk Tonight’. I really like having meaningful conversations, deep discussions and debates, etc, long into the night and staying up just talking and relaxing. I also like the lyrics a lot. “All your dreams are made of strawberry lemonade”
12. The Kinks – Sunny Afternoon
The Kinks are a classic rock band I’ve been into for years, especially in college and just after, this song ‘Sunny Afternoon’ is one of favourites of theirs. I sang this one this summer because it’s the perfect summer song.
10. Porcupine Tree — Pure Narcotic
Absolutely dig this song by PT. One of my favourites of theirs. Porcupine Tree are a very underrated band from the UK. They’re huge in India though because of one gig at IIT Bombay back in the day which was sold out. Anyway here’s Pure Narcotic….
9. Bob Dylan — Masters Of War
Perhaps one of my favourite Bob Dylan songs is this lyrical masterpiece of his called ‘Masters Of War’,. It’s Dylan’s political outcry from the Freewheelin’ album from back in the day. With the war in Ukraine going on, I covered it twice, this is the first one before the war broke out.
8. Chevelle – Send The Pain Below
Really dig this song ever since my school days. It’s the song that got me into Chevelle. Although I can’t play it that well, this was a cover that was a tribute to my teenage years. “So send the pain below, where I need it”
7. A Perfect Circle – The Noose
This is perhaps the first APC song I heard back in my late teens. I used to play this at DeeTee, a pub I DJ-ed at in MIT Manipal, India back in my college days. I never fail to sing along when I hear the original sung by Maynard. Absolutely love this song. One of my favourites by APC from Thirteenth Step for sure. Used the rhythm pedal for the drums & played it acoustic.
6. Eddie Vedder ft Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan – The Long Road
This is a fusion song where East meets West sung by Eddie Vedder and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, it’s a song I’ve liked very much ever since I heard it and tried my best to match Vedder’s vocals.
5. Thom Yorke – Cymbal Rush
Thom Yorke is an artist I follow closely ever since I stumbled upon alternative rock heavyweights Radiohead back in my college days and went through their entire discography in the subsequent years. This is a song taken from Thom’s 2006 album ‘The Eraser’. There’s a brilliant live video of him performing it on YouTube along with Jonny Greenwood, also part of Radiohead, and whose film compositions I follow closely, especially his work with Paul Thomas Anderson and most recently the 2021 film ‘Spencer’. One particular interview I saw of Thom saying he is a “terrible” piano player gives me hope of emulating his piano playing ability as time moves forward. I changed the lyrics up a bit, and used my piano beat looper. Here’s Cymbal Rush.
4. Neil Young – Interstate
Here’s a song that’s easily my favourite Neil Young song of all time. It’s a rare B-side from Broken Arrow (1996) called ‘Interstate’ that I discovered on YouTube & then mastered & uploaded on my former YouTube channel before I sold it. Got the tuning down from this Russian or Croatian dude aka ‘Cortez Cortez’ who uploads tutorials on his channel including lots of Knopfler tutorials. I couldn’t find a tab so I just played whatever the fuck I could by ear. Definitely a challenge to sing because of Neil’s vocal range. But this one takes me back to all those journeys down the endless National Highways (NH) on the road all over India on all my travels.
3. Noel Gallagher – The Dying Of The Light
Noel Gallagher is a musician I respect a lot. His songs are simplistic yet really cool. Melody and lyrics wise he’s right up there. This is one my favourite Noel Gallagher songs. These lyrics. “Gonna try my best to get there….. but I can’t afford the plane fare✈️ and the storm that’s rolling over, man it makes me wanna cry…..And I was told….. that the streets were paved with gold & there’d be no time for getting old when we were young….. But it’s alright, if you dance with me tonight….. we’ll fight the dying of the light & we’ll catch the sun”
2. The White Buffalo – Damned
‘Damned’ is song by The White Buffalo which got me into his music after seeing his performance on YouTube. He’s a very underrated & talented artist & I listen to his songs every now & then. Really like this song. I really like his melodies when it comes to how his lyrics are sung and his killer vocal vibrato.
1. Alice In Chains – Rooster
This song by AIC is an all time classic. There was this guy, my senior, nicknamed Manoo, a short dude with glasses who used to come up to me while I DJ-ed in Manipal and say “Gaurav bhai, Rooster baja”. We both used to vibe out on this song and it’s easily the best AIC song according to me. I covered it dedicating it to the people of Ukriane. Here was my caption” This one goes out to all the hardass men and women who have taken up arms & are defending Ukraine against Russia. More power to you! 🇺🇦💪🏽 “Yeah, they’ve come to snuff the Rooster/ You know we ain’t gonna die,” “
That’s a wrap for 2022 so far!
Thank you for listening!
Keep it rockin’-and-a-rollin’!
Peace out \m/
Words For Reveries 