Anytime a band covers one of our favorite songs, we’re all ears — and when that song is “Once In A Lifetime,” well, we’re duty bound to share! So here’s the vid from LA’s The Exies (short for The Existentialists), tackling the Talking Heads classic. Dropping the iconic bassline is just beginning of their aesthetic alterations; as Chris Cornell would say, it has to be heard to be believed. Give us your reviews in the form of a response to the following question: After watching this video, What Would David Do?
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something in the wayyyyyy….
that was awful. YOU SUCK, stereogum!
And you may ask yourself: what the hell is this crap?
Well, it’s no Crash Test Dummies, but I think it’s got “gold record” written all over it!
Sigh. Who thought that would be a good idea?
Coming Soon:
Nickleback cover Neutral Milk Hotel.
Seether cover Pavement.
I cant wait!
duh they didn’t say it was good. what would david do? he’d throw himself off of his beautiful house!
Sigh. Who thought that would be a good idea?
This must be signs of future covers…Coming Soon:
Nickleback cover Built To Spill!
Seether cover Neutral Milk Hotel!
The possibilities are endless!!!
It’s going to be popular, but then again fergie’s popular. What upset me most is that they changed same as it ever was to the same as it ever was, which does nothing but add extra words. I think next Scott Stapp will cover the pixies, and music will officially die.
ew. ew ew ew ewew ewewewewewew
I just threw up in my mouth.
who is this terrible band?
and how much are they paying me?
oh, ok.
“And you may ask yourself: what the hell is this crap?
Posted by: ll cool f at November 15, 2006 3:17 PM ”
ROFL
slow news day?
cover?
more like, wrote a new song and didnt have time to think up some lyrics.
This Sucks!
If I sucked that hard I’d question my existence too. Way to take a song that sounded like nothing else and make it sound like everything else.
Holy shit, this is the song that got me into the talking heads and farther and farther away from mainstream shit. Good god, this is like mainstream music is coming after me for turning my back on it in 6th grade.
… AH!
Holy shit, this is the song that got me into the talking heads and farther and farther away from mainstream shit. Good god, this is like mainstream music is coming after me for turning my back on it in 6th grade.
… AH!
As long as David’s getting paid there shouldn’t be a problem… greater than this one anyway.
you guys need to chill. hopefully that fucker from the talking heads would either just be like, ‘oh, bands want to cover me, that’s nice.’, or if he had a different response, kill himself before giving it, as his particular brand of pretentious bullshit is waaaaaaaay past the expiry date.
you guys need to chill. hopefully that fucker from the talking heads would either just be like, ‘oh, bands want to cover me, that’s nice.’, or if he had a different response, kill himself before giving it, as his particular brand of pretentious bullshit is waaaaaaaay past the expiry date.
you guys need to chill. hopefully that fucker from the talking heads would either just be like, ‘oh, bands want to cover me, that’s nice.’, or if he had a different response, kill himself before giving it, as his particular brand of pretentious bullshit is waaaaaaaay past the expiry date.
eww.
ew, how did they manage to mess that up so badly
ew, how did they manage to mess that up so badly
“dropped the iconic bass line”? ha! these LA-hacks dropped the ball–how can you so badly fuck up such a perfect song?
apparantly mr. big is cool now…
This answers an important question: What would it sound like if the Goo Goo Dolls wanted to be Nirvana but didn’t know how to write music?
what would david do? he’d prepare a powerpoint presentation detailing how popular culture must enivitably ruin the few things whose greatness most people can agree upon… he’d call it “destroying the thing you love”… i’d buy a ticket and fall asleep in the middle… i’d post on stereogum about how i attended and how it totally blew my mind.
This answers an important question: What would it sound like if the Goo Goo Dolls wanted to be Nirvana but didn’t know how to write music?
this is really shitty, i hope this band doesnt say they were influenced by the talking heads. atleast they didnt cover road to nowhere
this is really shitty, i hope this band doesnt say they were influenced by the talking heads. atleast they didnt cover road to nowhere
The Exies should be fined for this musical travesty.
The Exies should be fined for this musical travesty.
I think David would dance with a lamp for a while and then approach the exies after a concert in a large suit and smash them over the head with said lamp. Then he’d dance with it some more. OH, GOD Hitler and twin towers and bin laden??? TERRRIBLE!
Was anyone else as repelled by Nickel Creek’s cover of Spit on a Stranger by Pavement as I was?
I think David would dance with a lamp for a while and then approach the exies after a concert in a large suit and smash them over the head with said lamp. Then he’d dance with it some more. OH, GOD Hitler and twin towers and bin laden??? TERRRIBLE!
Was anyone else as repelled by Nickel Creek’s cover of Spit on a Stranger by Pavement as I was?
oh, man, that hanging at the end was the most ridiculous thing I’ve seen all day.
Deep. Very Cool.
Deep. Very Cool.
Deep. Very Cool.
Deep. Very Cool.
Deep. Very Cool.
I think David would dance with a lamp for a while and then approach the exies after a concert in a large suit and smash them over the head with said lamp. Then he’d dance with it some more. OH, GOD Hitler and twin towers and bin laden??? TERRRIBLE!
Was anyone else as repelled by Nickel Creek’s cover of Spit on a Stranger by Pavement as I was?
oh, man, that hanging at the end was the most ridiculous thing I’ve seen all day.
Deep. Very Cool.
I think David would dance with a lamp for a while and then approach the exies after a concert in a large suit and smash them over the head with said lamp. Then he’d dance with it some more. OH, GOD Hitler and twin towers and bin laden??? TERRRIBLE!
Was anyone else as repelled by Nickel Creek’s cover of Spit on a Stranger by Pavement as I was?
oh, man, that hanging at the end was the most ridiculous thing I’ve seen all day.
All the previous comments suck ass. How can you not like this song? Honestly, the original song wasn’t even all that great. Only the lyrics were good. And what The Exies did is exactly what you should do with cover songs; make it their own. I think its a beautiful song and they’re video is a great depiction of how they interpret that song. Kudos to them!
All the previous comments suck ass. How can you not like this song? Honestly, the original song wasn’t even all that great. Only the lyrics were good. And what The Exies did is exactly what you should do with cover songs; make it their own. I think its a beautiful song and they’re video is a great depiction of how they interpret that song. Kudos to them!
All the previous comments suck ass. How can you not like this song? Honestly, the original song wasn’t even all that great. Only the lyrics were good. And what The Exies did is exactly what you should do with cover songs; make it their own. I think its a beautiful song and they’re video is a great depiction of how they interpret that song. Kudos to them!
Sweet. I was hoping post-grunge would make a comeback.
All the previous comments suck ass. How can you not like this song? Honestly, the original song wasn’t even all that great. Only the lyrics were good. And what The Exies did is exactly what you should do with cover songs; make it their own. I think its a beautiful song and they’re video is a great depiction of how they interpret that song. Kudos to them! Anyone who thinks otherwise just doesnt appreciate good talent.
All the previous comments suck ass. How can you not like this song? Honestly, the original song wasn’t even all that great. Only the lyrics were good. And what The Exies did is exactly what you should do with cover songs; make it their own. I think its a beautiful song and they’re video is a great depiction of how they interpret that song. Kudos to them! Anyone who thinks otherwise just doesnt appreciate good talent.
Haha, thank you for that ultimateexiesfan, way to come to their rescue.
BWAHAHAAHHHAH!
BEST use of a noose in a narrative music video since THREE TIMES ONE MINUS ONE!
(as seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBsE4ICwivA)
BWAHAHAAHHHAH!
BEST use of a noose in a narrative music video since THREE TIMES ONE MINUS ONE!
(as seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBsE4ICwivA)
Damn. Lighten up people! Like the comment above says, it’s a COVER. & I’m sure it’s a difficult cover at that. The Exies are great musicians. Scott is such a talented singer/song writer. Listen to thier original music before you talk shit. Every song on their last CD ‘Head for the Door’ kicks ass! I can’t wait to hear their new CD.
Damn. Lighten up people! Like the comment above says, it’s a COVER. & I’m sure it’s a difficult cover at that. The Exies are great musicians. Scott is such a talented singer/song writer. Listen to thier original music before you talk shit. Every song on their last CD ‘Head for the Door’ kicks ass! I can’t wait to hear their new CD.
Why the fuck won’t my comment post!!!!!!!!!??????????
Although the song is a bit slow for my taste, I love The Exies. There isn’t a song they’ve written that I don’t like.
Why the fuck won’t my comment post!!!!!!!!!??????????
Although the song is a bit slow for my taste, I love The Exies. There isn’t a song they’ve written that I don’t like.
he would make a chair
I feel hollow inside now, like someone scooped out my soul.
They managed to take everything good and impactful out of the song. It’s faux music.
Let me guess, the people who like this cover are under 30 and the people who don’t are older than 30. That’s OK, to each his (or her) own. I actually thought it was OK until the break and then I thought OMFG I’m going to go after this band out with a pair of pliers and a blowtorch. It’s kind of like redoing a Renoir with stick figures. Thank God Joanna Newsom’s new album came out yesterday or I may have not listed to a new pop album for ten more years.
The Exies are an incredible band and before you talk so much shit maybe you should listen to their original stuff. Saw them in concert and they blew me away. Cant wait for the new stuff.. Awesome job Scott, Chris, and Freddy!
something has to be done about this comment system. shit is seriously fucked.
“My God, what have I done?”
You are NOT kidding.
I’m going to go curl up with my copy of the Stop Making Sense DVD and sob now.
Also, the worst part is the thought that someone will think this is in any way good. Not to mention surely there’s someone out there who will think this is in any way superior to the original.
Harry, I’m 18 and I don’t like it, but then again this isn’t the type of music I like, so I’m not singling out the song or the band.
Don’t tell me I have to listen to the rest of this bands songs to talk shit. This song sucks, and the original is amazing. This is why I can’t stand people in my age group.
‘What have I doooonnne??? What have I dooonnneee?!’
Very fitting.
i don’t think they ever relate themselve to nirvana or any bands near nirvana… they are who they are.. the exies… and i think this track is a good warm up for the rest of the album… “Modern Way” & “Different Than You” demo track rocks… well, at least for me it rocks..
If this weren’t a cover, it would still be by-the-numbers post-grunge tripe. The fact that they ruin a perfectly amazing Talking Heads song while they’re at it makes it so much worse. At least the Talking Heads had pulse and creativity. You can’t honestly stack this up against Staind, Puddle Of Mudd, or any of those other crappy bands and tell me that it stands out.
the exies are a birllient band! & i think this is a good song. just because you dont like one song they did doesnt mean you can call them a shit band. if you do judge them by this one song, then your are a dumbass. how about you go listen to some of their other songs like ‘ugly’ which is a rocking song & video, or ‘my goddess’ which is another great song. so before you go shooting your mouths off about how shit a band they are, go listen to songs from their previous albums, cuz they are a fantastic band with a great sound.
rock on the exies!
the exies are a birllient band! & i think this is a good song. just because you dont like one song they did doesnt mean you can call them a shit band. if you do judge them by this one song, then your are a dumbass. how about you go listen to some of their other songs like ‘ugly’ which is a rocking song & video, or ‘my goddess’ which is another great song. so before you go shooting your mouths off about how shit a band they are, go listen to songs from their previous albums, cuz they are a fantastic band with a great sound.
rock on the exies!
I’m 17 and Remain in Light is one of my favorite albums of all time (at least top 3). No one has ever made an album that sounds like that one (well, maybe Brian Eno…or Fela Kuti, but that was before the facts). Cut to: a million other bands that make music that sounds like this cover. I don’t blame the Exies. No version of this song lives up to the original studio version. Not even Byrne could ever duplicate it live, with or without The Tom Tom Club or Tosca.
Point taken, it’s important to make a cover your own song, but not by totally distancing yourself from the source material. Take the bare essentials and see what you can lend to it. A good example would be The Futureheads’ cover of “Hounds of Love.” A bad example would be…well…The Exies’ cover of “Once In a Lifetime.”
The Exies is the best band ever!
The original version is bad for me, but this cover is so amazing. The lyrics are good and the new music is awesome.
You can’t say all that stupid things about the band, I don’t understand why people cannot like that song and this band.
If you really want to discover an excelent band you should go to http://www.myspace.com/theexies
They have been on the road with bands like Mötley Crüe and Velvet Revolver, and they are an excelent band.
Thank you Scott, Freddy and Chris for all the magnificent stuff, you shouldn’t pay attention to that kind of crazy peolple.
hmm…sounds a little too much like Nirvana’s “Something In The Way”, no?
it just sucks that these guys could take a brilliant piece of avant artfulness that successfully crossed over into the world of popular music and somehow make this taxidermic beast that though resembling the original has substituted nostalgia and preciousness (two things mr. byrne is not a fan of I would believe) for real ‘existential’ introspection, compositional brilliance, and a sense of communal inclusion. In other words, they me-ified it, taking the focus of the song away from you, the world, the listeners to which byrne is originally speaking, and made it all about himself. What a wanker.
any band that can fuck such a great song up that badly is an embarrassment. i don’t care what the exies’ earlier albums sound like; if they can make a talking heads song sound that bland, i’m terrified of their “real” music.
i’m genuinely amazed that bands like the exies, puddle of mudd, nickelback, staind, and any other “modern rock” bands that have emerged in the past 5 or so years are taken seriously. they sound like they all recycle each other’s songs, and yet, each one will be all over the radio and millions of gullible kids and teenagers will fall head over heels in love with the depressingly false, predictable, and embarrassingly trite songs they perceive to be saving rock and roll.
i hate people.
What awful, awful people these Exies are.
After Watching This Video David Bryne Would: Cry.
I think Mr. Byrne wouldn’t do anything . . . . well, he WOULD listen and then just turn it off, probably at the same time.
I honestly was intrigued by the acoustic start and then after the band kicked-in . . . . I was . . . disappointed. The original is such a “one of a kind”, and demands respect whether you like it or not, that if anyone were to cover it, they would have to respect the originality and creativity of said original and make another “one of a kind”.
However, this version just barely grabs the coattails of a ballad-obesessed, post-grunge nation at best, led by Staind, Seether and Evanescence, and they also have the “look” of said banality with complete fashion consultation paid for by . . . . wait, they’re on an indie label. Is it a subsidiary of a major? Whatever. They’re from LA, so they probably have friends who are fashionistas and designers that give ‘em freebies.
PS – To all the Exies’ fans who defended their boys (well done but nice try), I checked out their myspace which you shamelessly plugged and I saw the stereogum link posted there . . . . I was wondering how you found out about this?
You know, there are times during the song when I think, “Hey, that part’s not too bad” or “Well, I guess that bit kind of works.” But still, it’s not all that exceptional. I wouldn’t say it’s bad, but I’m hesitant to call it good. Kudos to them for doing something different with it, though. With a cover, it either has to be a near-exact replica or else something fairly different and unique. Well, this is unique.
Original Talking Heads is terrible.
This cover is better, it is acceptable.
Total shit.
Ok guys. Let’s all just be thankful they didn’t attempt and consequently slaughter “Naive Melody”.
Personally, I perfer the Kermit the Frog version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jbya4kxC6E
For the two of you who liked this song:
http://newmedia.10thst.com/exies/once_ina_lifetime.mp3
Deep and delicious. A wonderful counterpart to the “oldie”. Nice re-reading between the lines.
After hearing this, David Byrne would shrug, think to himself, “That is pathetic,” then jump on his chosen bicycle du jour, and ride off into the sunset. Unaffected.
Meanwhile the rest of us sit here and cringe. Maybe we should be more pro-bicycling and anti-fossil fuel, worry less about who’s out there murdering our favorite tunes.
LOVES IT!! The original version is annoying!! Very deep…
You guys are crazy…music snobs!! This song is great!! You just hate something that is good, as well as marketable. To the Exies KEEP ROCKING!!!!… a great take on an old favorite..this is a well thought out version of a great song that brings it into the NEW!!!! Hey to all of you old people, let go of the past and the familiar..open your minds to something new and beautiful!! My vote is YES! I loved it.
You Guys are Horrible.
Judging a band By one Song?
And Completly Bashing It?
Sure, You don’t like it.
FINE.
You don’t see us Fans Going on and on and on about Some Band you Lovee.
Or If we don’t like the ORIGINAL to this song.
Scotts Voice is Amazing in this Song.
And, When you do a Cover.. You really SHOULD make it your own.
In an Interview
Scott stevens Said
“He’d been listening to the Song, and the Lyrics Told a story to him. One that the music behind the Lyrics hid”
He didn’t do this because He didn’t like the Original, Or thought it needed to be done better.
He did it because the Lyrics ment something to him, and He expressed them How he pleased.
SO.. Before you Bash a Band.
Do your Research. Or Don’t do it.
Plain and Simple.
Theres always going to be people who don’t like a Song, or Band.
But, Theres Always completly Loyal Fans right behind those people.
With any Band..
[By the Way? I know I'm Late on this Post. Bahaha]
xoxo
this song and video rock!! What a great idea and re invention of a great song…well done!
So I saw this elsewhere on YouTube about an hour ago and was absolutely appalled. Absolute garbage, worst cover I’ve ever heard. I’m not usually one for ‘trolling’ but I’ve literally been searching for conversations about this just so I can trash it in as many venues as possible.
And the people defending it: hysterical. I’m sorry to break it to you guys, but nearly 30 years onward, the original still sounds a hundred times more unique and new than this tripe.