Clash of the Cover Songs: Band of Horses vs. Serena Ryder

The Rules for Battle: Each week, we pit versions of the same song by two different artists in a head-to-head death match for musical supremacy. (Sometimes it will be the original recording vs. a cover version; other times it will be two different covers.) Then it's up to you to decide: Listen to and vote on which version you think should emerge victorious and which should be sent packing. May the best band win!



The Song: 'The Funeral' (original version by Band of Horses)

The Contestants: Band of Horses vs. Serena Ryder

In This Corner -- Band of Horses: In 2006, the Seattle rockers released their debut album, 'Everything All the Time,' and 'The Funeral' served as their first single. The song is something along the lines of epic, built up with emotion, big chords and plenty of momentum. In a recent live performance of the track at SXSW -- seen in the video below -- the group fittingly took a moment to relish the power of the track by having a mini rock-out session onstage, with frontman Ben Bridwell calling out his fellow band members to give them much-deserved credit.

Band of Horses, 'The Funeral' (Live)

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In This Corner -- Serena Ryder: Before she introduced herself to the US with the release of 'is it o.k.,' the Toronto-based Ryder made a big impression on the Canadian music scene, where her album 'If Your Memory Serves You Well' was certified gold. The Juno Award-winning singer-songwriter covered 'The Funeral' for a four-song EP in 2009, and her live performance of the tune has a totally different vibe than the original. Ryder keeps her instrumentation stripped down and low-key, trusting the strength of her pretty yet soulful vocals to make the magic happen on their own --and it works in the song's favor.

Serena Ryder, 'The Funeral' (Live)

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