Sun Kil Moon - "Tiny Cities Made of Ashes" (HQ)

[thespacephantom]

I...kinda like it. And that's coming from a major Modest Mouse fan.

It doesn't have the exact same tune or anything, but it's still a good song.

[keziski]

It sort of ceases to be a cover when the tune and beat are completely different. I love this version, but I just don't think you can take someone else's lyrics, throw it into your own song, and call it a cover..

[Wettaco13]

Great song. I Don't really care for modest mouse much at all, but still a great song.

[Bojangles126]

What... What the fuck did he do to Tiny Cities Made of Ashes? The way this guy does this just does not work with Modest Mouse, I'm sorry.

[reflectiveeyewear]

why do people insist on molesting modest...., its one of those things that when touched in anyway turns to meaningless shit

[Nelsonis]

Look look - this is not a one off cover. Mark Kozelek is a huge Modest mouse fan and this is just one of the songs from a whole album of Modest Mouse re-interpretations. Some Mouse fans might not like the style but the complete body of work is an interesting and considered set of interpretations from a respectful fan. Of all the covers in the world these ones do not need slagged.

[TheGeneralBurn]

Wats this song about?

[hooha44]

I'm a fan of Modest Mouse. I'm a fan of Mark Kozelek's work. "Have You Forgotten" is one of my favorite songs of the past 25 years. But this cover comes off as a bit contrived. The lyrics sound forced to Kozelek.

[curtainsin]

it's called deconstruction. and every good cover does it. Hendix doing all along the watch tower? good bands re-interpret. bad bands cover.

[reltuButler]

..The hell?

[assdan27]

why do they copy every MM song. It's like they take modest mouse and take a plopping turd on it. This song is meant to be sung with intensity not like crapy folk song

[Gelaphor]

@assdan27

Shocking news: different people have different fucking tastes in music! Sorry if this realization may have shocked your little fish turd of a brain, but I felt it needed to be said.

[TheJoeyTaylor]

@assdan27 Probably because it's A MODEST MOUSE COVER ALBUM, maybe?

[mjl61287]

@assdan27 um ok. well back in the day a guy name robert zimmerman wrote a song called "hey mr. tambourine man" well this other band called the byrds, they thought hey we can make this song better. well this is called a cover. see they covered mr. zimmerman's song and made their own version. some people liked the byrds version better and some liked zimmerman's version better. but ppl were perplexed, friggin perplexed that someone could sing an old song and make it different. suck a pene

[dinuccij]

covers arent supposed to be exactly like the original version

[TheSphinxster]

How does liking Sun Kil Moon versions take anything away from Modest Mouse originals? Answer, it doesn't. I heard the SKM versions first which prompted me to listen to the originals (the reverse of most). Both are trying for a completely different vibe, SKM haunting, MM mainc. Both work!

My guess is that Mark Kozelek heard the MM lyrics, realized how great they were, and thought he good see them expressed in a different way. In reality, SKM Tiny Cities is a homage to MM.

[l3umas1]

whose modest mouse?

[faraway1nspace]

Beautiful melancholic spin on the strange song. Better than the original and one of my favourites!

[Loveracious]

This is terrible lol, dude sounds like he has a mouth full of marshmallows.

[ivendpeanuts]

@Loveracious (terribly underrated post)

[TheWillOfFire]

I didn't like Modest Mouse's version. I prefer this version of the song.

[vGravev]

@TheWillOfFire AMEN.

[jessicatron]

Modest Mouse as Yacht Rock.

[Navan1991]

I didn't like the modest mouse version, this is so beautiful.

[afro176]

This is just awful. It's not just that I'm a diehard Modest Mouse fan, but it just has no feeling to it. That and the fact that he raises his voice at the most inappropriate times. This good sir, is not a good cover.

[hieldjiv]

This is some scary shit.

[bethiewethie909]

This dude sucks all the style and soul out of the tune... It sounds like some nightmare department store background music

[admasta]

@HiddenWoodsMedia no u

[HiddenWoodsMedia]

This is horrible.

[CK3890]

Honestly, I usually like covers, but this cover is horrible.

[ClearValleyFrost]

@CK3890 you're horrible

[kidshowbusiness1]

@ClearValleyFrost

i've got to agree with this. i can understand someone preferring MM's original over this, but what i can't comprehend is that there are people unable to recognize Kozelek's genius. This is a fantastic song, and Kozelek is arguably the best American singer-songwriter of our era. The fact that he remains somewhat obscure, and that young people in general have been conditioned to prefer shallow garbage over true artists such as Kozelek is indicative of a failing society.

[2009LoveOfMine]

@CK3890 - I actually love this cover. I was introduced to Sun Kil Moon several years ago and listened carefully to this song. It's wonderful in my opinion.

[GutHoister]

It's a pleasant song and a nice arrangement, sure, but I think it's a bit cheeky to take someone else's lyrics and put them to your own toothless arrangement of the song. In Modest Mouse's original the edginess of the lyrics is perfectly reflected in the music; in this version they're unrelated. MM's original said something (in lyrics and music) about the brutality and detachment of modern city life. SKM's cover is just another pleasant singer/songwriter tune.

[blackmanorigins]

@GutHoister Your really have no idead what you are talking about

[sniedleworts]

you know what i hate bastards who go to a cover and say another version is better there both great get you head out of your asses modest mouse fans. this is not bias because i myself love modest mouse and only listened to this out of curiosity

[danistrad]

Wow. Tiny Cities is one of my favorite Modest Mouse songs. TIL it's a cover. Thank you, youtube.

[DemonPazuzu666]

Both versions are pure gold. Stop hating, I'm a huge fan of Modest mouse yet I still like this.

[sustainpedal66]

Isaac takes jewels and covers them in dirt. Sun Kil Moon polished it and the beauty of the song comes pouring out.

[Crackhouts]

Good advice, uploader ("If you want to hear this song performed like Modest Mouse does it, go listen to Modest Mouse"). I don't really just want to hear the Modest Mouse version. I'm willing to branch out. And while I realize we all have our own opinions, my opinion is that this just sucks and the music does not match the lyrics in the least. If it means something to you in this format, I totally respect that. I hope Sun Kil Moon has opened you to other good music by Modest Mouse.

[Makky321]

@Crackhouts i couldnt stop laughing at how your modest mouse shit sounds i mean do you actully like that crap. i couldnt stop laughing at how shit it is! XD how about you stop leaving stupid comments. if you dont like it. dont listen to it. SIMPLE!

[Crackhouts]

@Makky321 I had to listen to it once to learn I don't like it. I have not listened to it since.

[blackmanorigins]

@Crackhouts That is why you dont like it coz you listen to it once

[Crackhouts]

@blackmanorigins I'm listening again because I care about your feelings. It still sucks.

[Alexxx2292]

:(

[LunarSquidTheEmoKid]

eeeewwwwwww D:: what is this!? hahaha i love how he sings ima hit you in the face ia punch you in the glasses lolol

[frydkitteh]

I appreciate this type of music, however, it can't really be called a "cover" if you only take the lyrics, you also have to take the feel of the song and still make it your own. Sun did make the song his own, but he didn't capture the "essence" of the original song. The original song is supposed to sound chaotic, as if existence as we know it is gone, instead he made a calm, melodic piece. It's a nice song, but not a nice cover.

[MouseGordon]

i really like that this happened, i love modest mouse, and an entire album of covers of them is a really cool idea, however, the songs ive heard does not do a thing for me. i mean, its almost like the lyrics were taken and the music was rewritten, like, alot of it doesnt even seem to retain the general... essence if you will. im not bitching here, so please, dont attack me. >,<

[KommunistKat]

I like both. I liked Modest Mouse first but this makes me think of the song in a different way.

[sustainpedal66]

@KommunistKat Exactly, props to Isaac and the mouses ;) for the initial composition, but reworking art is not sacrilege when it takes an blatantly different angle on the same expression. They are so different to the point that they do not even effect one another.

[omichron420]

Am I allowed to like both versions? Or will I be strung up by the masses?

[Quicklost182]

I don't know why people are complaining. I like this version (:

Plus the MM version isn't that good, no offense. They just yell, didn't really sit well. Too loud, it just doesn't sound good. Anyways d=

[lukeFingthompson]

The sound does not work with the lyrics... like at all... this needs to stop.

[sDKJBFKJSDLBFLKASBFK]

The thing that I hate is not that he's covering modest mouse songs, but that he just takes their lyrics. He makes music up that's entirely different from what their original intent is, then just sings with their lyrics and calls it a cover.

Just write your own damn lyrics, you make great music.

[cavegoat13]

We need more Heron Blue-like songs.

Dark, slow, deep... it cannot be replicated.

[CoN0R115]

Better than Modest Mouse's version, and this is coming from a huge MM fan, so you can just stfu in advance.

[Quicklost182]

@CoN0R115 I agree with you fine sir. I like Modest Mouse. I just think this version is better (: Sorry If I came out of nowhere haha d=

[DarkSunGod]

wow... someone who takes the lyrics, and shows absolutely no respect for the music, is tantamount to butchery.

[universalhat]

@DarkSunGod In my opinion, it's better than someone who lifts essentially the entire content of the song and says "I've got nothing to add- I'll sing it just like the original." And then makes barrels of money for not contributing to the creative process.

[AROCKSOCKPROJECT]

he sings good .....its just borriiiinnnggg!!

[ace5572]

@Ghostofgrace92 Learn what to capitalize and what not to capitalize.

[OldUnkieAl]

or the life of me, I can't understand why people HATE HATE HATE this cover so much. I love Mark Kozelek's work, I think he's a brilliant songwriter and performer. I can only assume that there's an equal amount of hate on all his Modest Moust videos, and that's really sad to me. People are drawing conclusions of Mark's work, saying it sucks because they're comparing it to MM. I think he's incredibly under-rated and one of the most wonderful musicians of his generation.

[Duffman177]

It really is pathetic how angry people are getting over this song. I honestly don't understand how anyone can take this so seriously. I happen to like both songs. But if other people don't like one, I don't care. I can respect their opinion. I do however take issue with all the douchebags going on each video and telling people what their opinion should be, usually with lots of swearing and unnecessary insults. Why can't people just enjoy the music they enjoy? That's what music should be about.

[fuckinwayoftheroad]

this is not in a good way.

not at all.

going back to the real song now, I think.

[loljustice29]

WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS D:

WHY D:

[faraway1nspace]

I can't believe how much I LOVE this cover, and how much I care so little for Modest Mouse.

[faraway1nspace]

I can't believe how much I LOVE this cover, and how much and I so little for Modest Mouse.

[mk13ultra4th]

@faraway1nspace

I second this

[ClearValleyFrost]

Dear Modest Mouse Fans,

If you want to hear this song performed like Modest Mouse does it, go listen to Modest Mouse.

[Dustin322]

@ClearValleyFrost

if it sounded the same it would be a boring cover lol

[augustearth]

I threw up in my mouth five seconds after this started. It was better than listening any further.

[fuzzywalrus82]

this abomination should be removed from the face of the earth. and any other planet that might misfortune upon it. this is like taking the mona lisa and putting a mustache and monocule on it.

[WishIWereCarla]

@mothafuckinkelso As in I'd rather listen to Disney. This is wretched.

[Senatorcraigz]

You can practically hear the humor draining lifelessly from each line.

[elenamarino1]

this cover really sucks

[Ganondorf42]

i thought this was going to be good, by how everyone talked about the cover, i just really. don't like this. At all. whatev.

[niallredmond]

I actually think this is brilliant- totally flips the song to almost a seventies "America" type of sound and production- I thought there was alot of feeling in this to be honest

[joshmarsh1]

ok screw this back to modest mouses version

[blackmanorigins]

@joshmarsh1 TROLL

[chbnks15]

aaaahhh sun kil moon makes me maaadddd he has no energy in his singing there is nothing redeeming about this music why would they do this :(

[quinnweller]

awful...

[muzikluvr517]

lol im gonna punch you in the face/glasses very calmly

[0hShepherd]

This is insulting.... I feel bad for modest mouse.

[GreyAlaska]

@CannibalCandace Personally, I like MM's version of this one better, but I'm not entirely sure if I would agree with you in general. I believe that Modest Mouse and Sun Kil Moon are both incredible bands. But hey, everyone is entitled to their own opinions :)

[poeticvariance]

I kind of feel like the lyrics lose their meaning what ever they were when they aren't with the beat and sound modest mouse used. This slow music seems to change everything the song was about, for me, some how. Anyway good attempt I guess.

[kermiya]

thumbs up if the oc brings you here

[Neighborhoodbordness]

When modest Mouse is conformist, tell me. Kthx. all the covers are slow arpeggios looped, not terrible, but not creative.

[WishIWereCarla]

IDGAF if Modest Mouse is some trend, this is shit, he just takes their song and makes it depressing.

[poeticvariance]

@WishIWereCarla Hah your comment made me laugh...i don't know why.

[mothafuckinkelso]

@WishIWereCarla depressing in the way that id rather be listening to something Disney made... took a great song and put like a depressing college rock twist to it 0_o i saw comments on the original and had to check this version out... wish i didnt

[goodleshoes]

=/ Uh.

[ATHEISTCAVEMAN]

What a song to end the night on. =)

[galenrflynn]

lol, no bass, what a joke.

[BlackNhite]

This melody is really soothing, feels like floating, like its carrying me off on some type of journey. At the same time you listen to the lyrics and realize how defeated the vocalist is. Good dissonance, equal parts funny and depressing. Interesting re-direction of the original song.

[denouements]

urk. couldn't get past 0:21, but for the sake of being just, i made myself listen on, except it just got worse.

when you listen to MM's version, there's so much more depth and layers to the song, not just the instrumental parts, but also in the way they sing it. this is like taking an amzing 3D piece of work and the quashing it into a linear flat piece of crap.

but objectively, i gotta say that Sun Kil Moon's own original songs are good.

[therewegomagick]

so good, all these covers.

[m3iscoolerthanyou]

im not one of the people who sais other music sucks. i think alost all quality music sounds good. this is just kind off ripping off MM. its not respecting them. its not insulting them. its profiting off the work of MM when they didnt really have to do anything creative. i sont think these guys deserve money.

thats why im mad. if i think it sucks then i wont listen. but they are just riding off the succes of MM.

the cover for "space travel is boring" has more views than the actual song

[m3iscoolerthanyou]

im a huge MM fan and well.. kindly said this really angers me. i think that these guys are making money of the genuis of isaac. i understand that some people say this sounds good and thats an popinion thing. BUT!! MM is not only about sounding nice. its about emotion and making music people can relate through

@Ghostofgrace92 almost no one i know at my highschool listens to them. comments may give u that impressin but MM is still relatively underground

[jahcksawn]

whenever I listen to a cover of modest mouse, i realize what the lyrics are

[ATHEISTCAVEMAN]

I don't like modest mouse's style, i think that these guys get the songs that modest mouse has failed to do justice to and make them what they always should have been

[ElectricDinosaurs]

@ATHEISTCAVEMAN .

I'm a fan of modest mouse personally, and I think that it depends a lot on the person. I really like the sound that modest mouse already has, as do a lot of people. There's such things as different tastes :]

Cool name by the way :D haha

[Floskeknosk]

E-P-I-C!

[H0LYH4NN4H]

@Ghostofgrace92 Every Word In A Sentence Does Not Need To Be Capitalized.

[dieselrepublic]

@muzikmafia27-Well put, sir.....or ma'am.

[kmacmuzikmafia27]

@dieselrepublic

It's ma'am, and thank you :)

[dieselrepublic]

@mynamesinept-Preach, man. Preach. Totally agree with you. Like I said before, SKM's album is a COVER album?! Take into consideration there will be changes and the tunes WILL sound different. But this track is done beautifully and somewhat mystical. Love it!

[kmacmuzikmafia27]

I like Modest Mouse. They have a frantic, mentally unstable way of playing music that I love. But I also like this. It's sincere and somber, and like...not sad, but...IDK.

It reminds me of heading down to New York to visit the family for Holidays. Drinking diet Dr. Pepper by the gallon and getting ready to "shake hands with the masses." And nobody knows a way for a body to get away.

[Archimonde45]

@kmacmuzikmafia27 That was the best way to describe the tone I get from Modest Mouse's general music.

[kmacmuzikmafia27]

@Archimonde45

Haha. thanks :) 

[mynameisinept]

You people are knocking this song because you heard the Modest Mouse version first. It's basic psychology, especially when you all want to suck Isaac's cock. The bottom line is had Sun Kil Moon wrote the song first exactly like this none of you would say shit, in fact you might like it. Why aren't there any negative comments on "Carry Me, Ohio" when it's sung and played in the same fashion as this cover?

[kmacmuzikmafia27]

@mynameisinept

I agree...I swear, it's like people feel some kind of claim to the song and freak out like this guy attacked and devoured their only child or something.

[pluschristine]

@mynameisinept but it's just so fucking weird.. the way he croons "going to hit you on the face, gonna punch you in your glassesss :)", it just kills the mood of the song entirely

[pluschristine]

LOL wtf is this?

[RenaIvelisse]

@pluschristine I agree :0

[Ginnyaw24]

I am really sorry to people who like this, I'm sure this guy has lots of good pieces, but this is .... terrible (IMO). This songs like a drone, the lyrics have no significance when they are sung with no emotion. MM's lyrics are hugely emotive, so you're kinda meant to play on that factor.

[johanthepirate]

God, what a weird idea.

[mutmoo]

I like a lot of the album (reminds me of Bon Iver), but the lyrics don't fit this at all. That said, stop comparing MM's originals to SKL's versions, they are completely different beasts. I still prefer Modest Mouse by a long shot, but this album is still solid.

[senorcromas]

I'm sorry, but no. The lyrics do not match the rest of the song, like, at all.

It's just not a good idea to mix these kinds of things together..

[TheDaveyswife]

I love it

[dieselrepublic]

Obviously the two previous commentors know nothing about music. Granted I do give props to Modest for their music but this VERSION does not suck. If they knew anything about Kozelek and his music, they would feel differently.

[miserybusiness112907]

i dont like the sound of this at all. its like modest mouse adapted for the general public, which seems to me like an insult to the creativity of issac, jeremiah, and eric.

[LSO92]

@miserybusiness112907 Agreed; too the words right out of my mouth.

[Ghostofgrace92]

@miserybusiness112907 They Already are Adopted by the General Public haha. No one knows who these Guys are. Every Teenage Bopper listens to Modest now. I don't know where you've been but your whole Indy "the music the General Public listens to is terrible." is also the newest Trend. Sorry buddy but you are not Individualistic. Just a new Fashion Statement. Get over cute little Trend, Stop and Actually Enjoy something Artistically Beautiful. This Shows Isaac Brocks Amazing writing, no insult here

[colourfulpensss]

@Ghostofgrace92 Although I agree with the sentiment that "the music the General Public listens to is terrible" I can't say that MM is one of those bands. Yes, people liked one of their songs but they've quickly forgot about them. So MM still keeps their Indie status because their fame with the masses isn't to the level of Katy Perry etc. MM is genius and this version takes some of the intensity of the original away... it's not a better version, just a more boring one.

[Ghostofgrace92]

@colourfulpensss i get what your saying, they aren't at well shit whatever it is people are listening to now, but i will stick by my Opinion, whether or not this is better or not is Simply a matter of opinion and my opinion is i like this version better, i think the Acoustic guitar and the way it is sang, really brings out the lyrics.

[metal1man15]

@Ghostofgrace92 just a question, if "every teenage bopper" is listening to modest mouse, how does it happen that none of my friends have a clue who modest mouse are?

[theoogabear]

@metal1man15 judging from your name, you hang out with metal heads. modest mouse isn't metal.

[metal1man15]

@theoogabear metal is more than just a music genre, try... like... metal... is... metal? you know, the substance?

[SystematicSlug]

@miserybusiness112907 You suck at life or at least music appreciation... So... yeah... work on it please?

[TheAmazingTmann]

This versioj blows, is cliche, and is not original at all.

[dieselrepublic]

I must say I'm a huge Sun Kil Moon fan and after hearing both versions, I think SKM's is way better. Honestly, the Modest Mouse "original" really sucks in my opinion. Kozelek is a genius!

[OtaconNachos]

@dieselrepublic no.

[eggplantmilkshake]

all he really covered was the lyrics, everything is so much different, thats how i like to cover songs

[NA3CL31]

*sniffles*... it's the vocals.*sniffles*

[liamfoster009009]

Beautiful!

[IrohDOW]

anyone know where i can find guitar tabs for this?

[WePandas]

Forced? I think this cover is brilliant. :)

[jstlive]

I love kozelek but most of these MM covers seem forced...

[UnitedDiscord]

@jstlive It's true. I dunno, Sun Kil Moon is an awesome project, but they should've left Modest Mouse's songs alone...at least this one.