Not all new music is really new, as many artists cover songs. Sometimes these are songs by their favorite artists, e.g. 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 (only if supported by the artist, so no live videos filmed by the audience or anything like that), here are—in a kind of random order—a bunch of successful covers from last month.
I Fought The Law (The Crickets) by Park+Riot — digital track
Police On My Back (The Equals) by Parker Woodland — from Police On My Back: Singles Collection Vol. 1 EP (Flak Records)
Le Premier Bonheur du Jour (Françoise Hardy) by Fabienne Delsol — from Indigo Red LP (Damaged Goods Records)
Boulevard Of Broken Dreams (Green Day) by Tricktheriddle — from Green Day Tribute Volume Three compilation (Coffin Curse / Punk Rock Radar)
American Idiot (Green Day) by Rabies — from Green Day Tribute Volume Two compilation (Coffin Curse / Punk Rock Radar)
Basket Case (Green Day) by Common Perry — from Green Day Tribute Volume One compilation (Coffin Curse / Punk Rock Radar)
Poker Face (Lady Gaga) by Monty Vega & The Sittin’ Shivas — from (What’m I Gonna Do?) Gordon EP
You Know I’m No Good (Amy Winehouse) by The Rolling Stones — from Foreign Tongues LP (Polydor)
She Said, She Said (The Beatles) by Joy Buzzer — digital track (Wicked Cool Records)
Temporary Secretary (Paul McCartney) by DOMO — from Demo EP (Eat Em Up Records)
Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me) (Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel) by Martin Frawley — from homework LP (Blue Room Records)
Kool Thing (Sonic Youth) by Uh Huh Her — from upcoming Nocturnes: Redux LP (Kill Rock Stars)
In a Free Land (Hüsker Dü) by Jupiter Eye — from In A Free Land/All Tensed Up EP
I Drove The Coquihalla (Chixdiggit!) by Girls With Guns — from Punk Canada Vol. 5 compilation (Quadra House Productions)
We Are the World (USA for Africa) by Spike & The Gimme Gimmes — digital track (Fat Wreck Chords; proceeds will go to the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund)
We’re Not Gonna Take It (Twisted Sister) by Ska Tune Network — video
Holy Diver (DIO) by Primus — from A Handful of Nuggs EP (ATO)
I Wanna Get A Job In The City (The Kids) by Friday My Lady — from Friday My Lady EP (Beast Records / La Nef Des Fous / IDO Spectacles)
Hungry (Cleaners from Venus) by Slow Mass — from GBP EP (Landland Colportage)
Pets (Porno for Pyros) by Anthony Green featuring Zayna Youssef — from Pets 7″ (Born Losers Records)
Beat My Guest (Adam and the Ants) by False Flowers — from Secret Futures EP
CTA 102 (The Byrds) by Arsene Obscene and the Loozers — from This is not a Guitar LP (Dangerhouse Skylab / Monotone Records)
Broke Down Van (Coffin Ships) by Hard Femme — from Lo-Fem LP
Iris (The Goo Goo Dolls) by Olorunns — digital track (LAB Records)
Wonderful Life (The Felice Brothers) by Bright Eyes — from upcoming Felice County Fair compilation (Sony)
I Wish It Would Rain (The Temptations) by Tesla — from upcoming Homage LP (Frontiers Music)
Mandrake Root (Deep Purple) by Steve White Trio — from Mandrake Root 7″ (a tribute to Jon Lord; Acid Jazz Records)
To Cover You (The Choir) by The 77s — digital track (G21 Music)
I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) (The Proclaimers) by Menno Versteeg — from 6 Covers From 6 Years Ago (And One From 6 Weeks Ago) EP (Royal Mountain Records)
Young Folks (Peter Bjorn and John) by GLOM — from Downloads EP (Nettwerk Music Group)
At Last I Am Free (Chic) by Change Life — from Change Life LP (Meritorio Records)
All I Really Want To Do (Bob Dylan) by The Krayolas — from Outlaw Garage Hits! LP (Box Records)
Crazy Love (Van Morrison) by Forest Sun — digital track
A Change Is Gonna Come (Sam Cooke) by Emma Donovan — from Take Me To The River LP (Civilians)
Tougher Than the Rest (Bruce Springsteen) by Nation of Language — from Tougher Than the Rest EP (Sub Pop Records)
Werewolves of London (Warren Zevon) by Spike aka Hannah McLoughlin — from Spike LP (Gob Nation)
I Can’t Hold Out (Elmore James) by GA-20 with Charlie Musselwhite — from BLUES NOW LP (New West Records)
People Have The Power (Live) (Patti Smith) by Neko Case / k.d. lang / Laura Veirs — from upcoming case/lang/veirs (10th Anniversary Edition) LP