Dusted || The 10 Best Cover Songs Of October 2023

Not all new music is really new, as many artists cover songs. Sometimes these are songs by their favorite artists, eg as a tribute to such a musical hero for a special reason, or they simply feel that a song deserves to be dusted and polished to reacquaint fans with great songs from the past. Other times, bands cover songs as a parody. Regardless of intent, some of those cover versions are so good or so much fun, we’d like to put a spotlight on them. Chosen from a wide range, here are – in random order – ten of our favorite covers from last month – links to the pages where you can add them to your wantlist included.

In October we stumbled across cover releases from The Anchoress (Versions), Duran Duran (Danse Macabre) and Kid Congo Powers (Sings the Subsonics), and tributes to The Replacements (Let The Bad Times Roll), Black Sabbath (Evil Lives), Creedence Clearwater Revival (Burn on the Bayou), The Jasons (Rock N Roll Vandalism) and Pavement (Brighton the Corners) by various artists, but below we would like to draw your attention to the following tracks.

(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding || Cover: Hallelujah The Hills || Original: Nick Lowe
A present-day and important subject, proceeds that will be donated to Doctors without Borders, cover art by Robert Coburn from a poster contest run by Avant Garde magazine in 1967, but above all a beautiful, subdued version by Boston’s indie rock band Hallelujah The Hills. Respect.

Can’t Talk To That Girl || Cover: Psychotic Youth || Original: Real Kids
Swedish power pop/punk rock outfit Psychotic Youth are still not done with their career after 38 years, on the contrary: they’ve just released an exciting album with fifteen new Happy Songs (out through Red West Production), including covers of The Clock Watchers’ Drop In The Bucket and the Real Kids’ Can’t Talk To That Girl.

In Between Days || Cover: Superchunk || Original: The Cure
North Carolina indie rock band Superchunk have released their fourth singles collection, called Misfits & Mistakes: Singles, B-sides & Strays 2007–2023 (out on Merge Records). Among the 50 hard-to-find gems is a cover of The Cure’s In Between Days from The A.V. Club’s Undercover series, recorded in 2010.

Bastards Of Young || Cover: Petite League || Original: The Replacements
The Replacements are in the spotlight once again, and Lorenzo Gillis Cook and his friends from New York’s Petite League also express that they owe a lot to them. Bastards Of Young (“God, what a mess, on the ladder of success”) is the first cover they’ve released, as 3/5 of their Song a Month EP (Zap World Records), a successful salute.

Little Bit ‘O Soul || Cover: The Linda Lindas || Original: The Little Darlings
Los Angeles riot grrrl four-piece The Linda Lindas dusted off this 1965 single for their contribution to the slasher film Totally Killer. Bela Salazar (guitar, vocals), Eloise Wong (bass, vocals), Lucia de la Garza (guitar, vocals) and Mila de la Garza (drums, vocals), joined here by Harriet Tam (sax), shine brightly between the soundtrack’s 80s pop artists.

Love’s Melody || Cover: The Half-Cubes || Original: Ducks Deluxe
The Half-Cubes are literally half of the legendary New York power pop band The Flashcubes (founded in 1977, still going strong with last summer’s Pop Masters LP). Gary Frenay (vocals, bass) and Tommy Allen (drums), joined by guitarists Randy Klawon and Fernando Perdomo, released a delicious single featuring their takes on Ducks Deluxe’ Love’s Melody and The Hollies’ Slow Down (out via Big Stir Records).

Ballerina Out of Control || Cover: The Laughing Chimes || Original: The Ocean Blue
South-east Ohio’s Seurkamp brothers aka The Laughing Chimes take a darker path than we are used to on their new (digital) single A Promise To Keep, but it turns out well. They also apply this melancholic sound in covering 80s deep new wave band The Ocean Blue on the ‘B side’. Out through Slumberland Records, the label that also recently released hit song Laurel Heights on 7″ vinyl.

We Looked Like Giants || Cover: Car Seat Headrest || Original: Death Cab for Cutie
Now this is a notable new single from Sub Pop Records, a collaboration that sees New Zealand indie rockers The Beths, together with musician/composer Pickle Darling, handle the A-side with a cover of The Postal Service’s Brand New Colony. Will Toledo’s alt-rock outfit Car Seat Headrest owns the B side with a sweeping version of Death Cab for Cutie’s We Looked Like Giants, from 2003 highlight Transatlanticism.

Hi Ho Silver Lining || Cover: Pat Todd & The Rankoutsiders || Original: Jeff Beck
Pat Todd and his roots rock band The Rankoutsiders return with LP no. 7, entitled Sons Of The City Ditch (out on Dog Meat Records). We get 40 attractive minutes of grooving guitars and growling vocals, including covers of David Johansen’s Donna and Jeff Beck’s Hi Ho Silver Lining, recorded before the unfortunate passing of the British guitar virtuoso.

Bring It On Home To Me || Cover: Abraham Alexander & Wilder Woods || Original: Sam Cooke
Dualtone Records will release the compilation album Discovered & Covered in December, for which artists from the label roster covered a varied selection of well-known songs. One of the standout tracks will be this soulful, heartfelt duet by American singer-songwriters Abraham Alexander and Bear Rinehart aka Wilder Woods. Both artists released new LPs this year, SEA/​SONS and FEVER/SKY respectively.

Honorable mentions:
1910 Fruitgum Company’s 1​-​2​-​3 Red Light by Friends of Cesar Romero
Billy Bragg’s A New England by The Dollyrots
The Electric Easy’s Groovin’ Is Easy by The Third Mind
Iris Dements’ When My Morning Comes Around by Nikki Lane
Bill Fay’s Filled With Wonder Once Again by Jeff Tweedy
Michael Jackson’s Thriller by Vitskär Süden
Misfits’ Astro Zombies by Avenged Sevenfold
Narrow Head’s Sunday by Momma b/w Momma’s Medicine by Narrow Head
Neil Young’s There’s A World by Sufjan Stevens

Want more?
Check out our Dusted playlist on Spotify for other cool cover songs.