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.
Over the course of each month, we complete a list of new covers that are good enough for this feature—in October, there were over eighty such gems. Elsewhere, the American Football (Covers) LP and the Dead Formats Vol. 3 compilation have gotten their share of attention, and we’ve already written about Ride The Wylde Mammoths (The Maharajas) and songs by Thine Retail Simps (Neil Young’s Barstool Blooze), The Surfrajettes (Spice Girls’ Spice Up Your Life) and Dan Webb and the Spiders (The Nerves’ Many Roads). Still, there’s way too much to share here, but given the quality available, we really can’t go wrong with whatever choice we make.
Escape (The Piña Colada Song) || Cover: Colleen Green || Original: Rupert Holmes
Lowell, Massachusetts-based singer-songwriter/visual artist Colleen Green is the definition of cool, and everything she does exudes that quality. Even an admittedly entertaining but slightly cheesy 70s classic benefits from her halo effect. This is one of twenty-five(!) versions on The Official Piña Coladas Booger Movie Mixtape on Spotify, which celebrates the film Booger (Dark Sky Films).
2-4-6-8 Rock ‘N’ Roll || Cover: Hot Rollers || Original: M.O.T.O.
We have Chain Smoking Records to thank for taking the effort to honor American garage punk band Masters of the Obvious. On the compilation Ready! Aim! 1!2!3!4! – A Tribute To M.O.T.O. no less than forty-six(!) quite diverse acts cover songs written by band founder Paul Caporino. All-female Seattle garage rock band Hot Rollers build a party in their contribution.
Killing In The Name || Cover: Hellsongs || Original: Rage Against The Machine
Hamburg-based indie folk outfit Hellsongs started reworking some old metal favorites twenty years ago, and now they’re back with the Return of the Hellsingers LP (Tapete Records). They strip songs from bands like Motörhead, Refused, AC/DC, Green Day and Rage Against The Machine, with lyrics in common that fit well into a discourse of resistance against an era increasingly characterized by heartless nationalism, racism/fascism and egoism.
Can’t Speak || Cover: Sponge || Original: Danzig
In 1994, alternative rock band Sponge formed in Detroit, Michigan. They then scored a hit themselves with Plowed, but it was also the year of Blur’s Girls and Boys, Sonic Youth’s Bull In The Heather, Oasis’s Supersonic, Mazzy Star’s Fade Into You and Danzig’s Can’t Speak. They celebrate the 30th anniversary of “the year that alternative rock conquered modern music” with a covers album simply titled 1994 (Cleopatra Records), including the tracks mentioned.
I Tried || Cover: Miranda and the Beat || Original: Dead Moon
New York City’s Miranda and The Beat released their new full-length album Can’t Take It (Ernest Jenning Record Co./Khannibalism/Wild Honey Records) last week, which, according to the press release, “blends all the best flavors from pure punk anthems played at a chair- smashing intensity to grinding R&B to hypnotic edgy sci-fi alchemy and even some heart-smashing balladry to boot.” A successful album, with an intense cover of the Fred Cole-penned song I Tried, taken from Dead Moon’s must-have 1989 Unknown Passage LP.
Come As You Are || Cover: Layzi || Original: Nirvana
If you’ve been around young people lately, you’ve probably noticed that a surprising number of teenagers are wearing Nirvana shirts. At the same time, dreamy shoegaze is enjoying a revival. Boston-based dream pop act Layzi aka singer-songwriter Carissa Myre did the math and created a smokescreen for Come As You Are. Original tune Feel The Same serves as the flipside (Born Losers Records).
Here Comes My Girl || Cover: Weezer || Original: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
The official soundtrack album (WaterTower Music) for the Apple TV+ original series Bad Monkey – the crime-meets-comedy story of a detective turned restaurant inspector in Southern Florida, starring Vince Vaughn, Natalie Martinez and Jodie Turner-Smith – features covers of Tom Petty songs by big names including The War on Drugs, Kurt Vile, Nathaniel Rateliff, Jason Isbell, Sharon Van Etten, Eddie Vedder, and Weezer. A good idea that works out great.
Stop and Think It Over || Cover: The Lotts || Original: Compulsive Gamblers
We take every opportunity to shine a spotlight on Memphis, Tennessee-based singer/guitarist Greg Cartwright, one of our all-time favorite songwriters. With garage rock band Compulsive Gamblers he released the Crystal Gazing Luck Amazing LP in 2000, with Stop & Think It Over as an irresistible highlight. British rock ‘n’ rollers The Lotts do a good job of giving it new energy, on the B-side of their Zero Zero 7″ (Swelltune Records).
She’s Leaving Home || Cover: The Staves || Original: The Beatles
Last spring, London-based indie folk duo The Staves released their new album All Now (Nonesuch Records), which they followed up in late November with a four-track acoustic EP called Happy New Year, on which you’ll find this cover. As life-long Beatles fans, Jessica and Camilla Staveley say they’ve known and loved the song forever: “The simplicity of it felt very familiar to us and it inspired us to want to pick up the acoustic guitar and do our own version; to tell it’s story and to sing those melodies together, just our two voices.” It’s beautiful.
Ghostbusters || Mister Leu and the Nyabinghers || Ray Parker Jr.
The Specialized Project have posted the compilation Skank Up the 80’s: The Decade Reimagined on Bandcamp, a selection of sixty-seven(!) covers curated by Dan Vitale and Paul Ayriss. The title gives away how the biggest 80s pop hits – no, this one is not missing – sound here. Guilty pleasures all over, but Ghostbusters Ska by these French musicians delivers the most fun.
Also worth mentioning:
Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) (Nancy Sinatra) by Abes Bones
Bicycle (Refrigerator) by The Reds, Pinks & Purples
Big Love (Fleetwood Mac) by Ian McNabb
Champagne Supernova (Oasis) by Middle Kids
Como Una Perra (Thee Headcoats) by Los Pólipos
Cream Of Gold (Pavement) by DIIV
crushcrushcrush (Paramore) by King Falcon
Egyptian Reggae (Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers) by Pancho Acosta
Don’t Come Back (The Kaisers) by The Kaiserinas featuring Alice Faye
Every Day Is Halloween (Ministry) by Vista Blue
Fazer (Quicksand) by Hot Water Music
Feliz Navidad (José Feliciano) by Fantastic Cat
Fire in the Western World (Dead Moon) by Superchunk
Fortnight (Taylor Swift) by Court Reporter
From The Bottle To The Bottom (Kris Kristofferson) by Goodnight, Texas
Ghostbusters (Ray Parker Jr.) by Elliott BROOD
Mr. Grieves (Pixies) by DEHD
Groove Is In The Heart (Deee-Lite) by Super American Eagle
Heart Attack (Jack & the Ripper Z) by Ichi-Bons
Hybrid Moments (Misfits) by Jae Star
I Put A Spell On You (Screamin’ Jay Hawkins) by Samantha Fish
Is It A Star (Hall & Oates) by Fernando Perdomo
I Want To Hold Your Hand (The Beatles) by Diners
Most People I Know (Think That I’m Crazy) (Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs) by Me First And The Gimme Gimmes
My Size (John Entwistle) by Ex Norwegian as The Silky Strings
Pass the Hatchet, I Think I’m Goodkind (Yo La Tengo) by Quivers
Rocky Raccoon (The Beatles) by Swamp Dogg
Say Yes To Heaven (Lana Del Rey) by Fontaines D.C.
Sensitive (The Field Mice) by The Melancholic Men
Teenage Kicks (Undertones) by Viva Lone Justice
Time After Time (Cyndi Lauper) by Garfunkel & Garfunkel
We’ll Live And Die In These Towns (The Enemy) by The Subways
What If I Like It (Alyse Alan Louis & Pretty Filthy Original Company) by Pacing
While My Guitar Gently Weeps (The Beatles) by Lucinda Williams
The Witch! (The Sonics) by The Strongest Tool
Check out our Dusted playlist on Spotify for more cool cover songs.
Compulsive Gamblers ♥