BitchTapes

Alex Chilton, vocalist and founder of Big Star, died last week.

Big Star hardly sold any records during it's brief 3 album stint, but is now recognized as one of the most influential and certainly under appreciated bands of the 1970s. Big Star was crucial in the emergence of alternative and indie rock in the 80's and 90's, and a key influence of pioneering bands like the Bangles and the Replacements.

South by Southwest had a tribute concert for Alex Chilton, which featured almost exclusively male rockers. That's a shame, since Big Star's music has been covered and wonderfully re-arranged by a huge array of musicians.

Here's a broader sampling of Big Star's legacy from BitchTapes...full track list after the fold.

Wrap your work week up with an *extra special guest Bitchtapes!* Misty, a Bitch mag reader and winner our subscription contest last month for a Bitch goody bag and a shot at Bitchtapes, has handpicked a great selection of covers side-by-side with their original. Here's Misty's mix in her own words:

My choices are 5 original songs and 5 covers (though as I created this playlist, I saw some songs that I thought were originals were not, so there may be versions of even these songs from way back when). As I have no talent for music, I have always found it interesting how one musician can put out a song and another artist takes it and really makes it their own. With instantly-recognizable classics, a musician must possess a self-confidence in their abilities to take a song that so many people relate to or love and put their mark on it. Though I wouldn't describe all these originals as timeless classics, I like how each of the covers are so much more than just repeated lyrics.

Check out Misty's track list below and enjoy this reader-deejayed Bitchtapes!