Music Monday: Nick Flora

Photo by: Brian Dotson (The Shutter District)

Listen to today's Music Monday feature HERE!

I first met Nick Flora through a mutual musician friend, Owen Pye, back when I was hosting small gigs in Memphis. If I'm not mistaken, this would have been around 2005-2006. Over the next several years, Nick and I played at several of the same gigs. There are a ton of great musicians out there but what sets Nick apart from many of them is his wit and entertaining stage presence. Going to see Nick play is much more than music. The intimate settings and audience participation connects Nick with the fans.

Nick has a release a number of albums, singles, and EP's. Some of my favorites come from the Remakes Trilogy (Remake EP, Remake EP Strikes Back, and The Return Of the Remake EP). For this week's Music Monday feature, I've decided to introduce you to Nick's (featuring Stacy Lantz) cover of "You're The One That I Want" from the hit movie Grease that can be found on his FREE download of Remake EP Strikes Back.

Now one thing you have to understand about "covers" is this...they aren't meant to sound exactly like the original. This is where an artist pays tribute to the original by making it his or her own. Nick and Stacy have done just that. This mellow version of an upbeat song makes it one you can listen to on repeat and enjoy rather than picturing John Travolta and Olivia Newton John the entire time you sing along. Nick has managed to pull the shear emotion behind the lyrics and put them into musical form, making it believable.

Stacy Lantz is featured on this cover with Nick. Call me a liar when I say she sounds just like Zoey Deschanel. On the second verse when Stacy has her solo and the drums kick in, you can sense the attitude that Olivia Newton John's character was bringing to the movie. The combination of these two voices is unmatched by others. These song is often on repeat in my apartment on nights sitting out on the balcony with a drink. It's the perfect combination of soulful sorrow and pure passion.

Head over to Nick Flora's website to download the entire Remake trilogy for yourself to enjoy. There are several great songs that Nick has included that take a similar approach as this one.