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Dusted || The 10 Best Cover Songs Of May 2024

By / / Blues & Roots, Country & Folk, Funk & Soul, Garage Rock, Indie Pop, Power Pop, Punk, Surf / 1 Comment

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.

To be honest, I wanted to kick this off with Swedish rock band The Hives’ take on Blue Swede’s Hooked On A Feeling. You probably know the “Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga” chant from Guardians Of The Galaxy Awesome Mix Vol. 1, but the tune is actually 50 years old. The new version is recorded for Spotify Singles, which means we cannot easily embed it here (you’ll find a link in the honorable mentions later in this post). Fortunately, there’s plenty more to choose from.

Star Star || Cover: The Cynz || Original: The Rolling Stones
On their latest release, JEM Records celebrates Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, after previously honoring John Lennon (2020), Brian Wilson (2021), Pete Townshend (2022) and Ray Davies (2023) with a strong compilation in this series. This new one is also fun, with energetic contributions from favorite bands and artists such as The Midnight Callers, Paul Collins, TheAirport77s, Nick Piunti and The Weeklings. No fillers here, but I like the ragged edge of The Cynz the best.

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New album: Langhorns || Showstopper

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Since 1995, Swedish surf rock band Langhorns has been delighting the world with cinematic instrumentals full of twang and influences from rockabilly and Latin music. Their song Aspiración made it onto the SpongeBob SquarePants soundtrack, so they’ve nothing left to prove, yet they’re back with a new full-length album, their first in over twenty years. The Showstopper LP contains twelve tunes that are as original and captivating as before, varying in tempo but always with refined melodies, surprising twists, and a good sense of nostalgia.



Showstopper, written by Michael Sellers, is out now digitally and on vinyl LP through Adore Music / Beat Party Records / Bad Taste Empire.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Bengans

New album: The Porcupines || “Higher Emotions”

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The Porcupines are a German rock ‘n’ roll band featuring songwriter Onno Calzone on vocals and guitars, Michael Nisi on bass and vocals, and a singing drummer formerly known as Heavy Willie but has dropped the adjective. About 30 years ago they released the Tie Me Loose 7″ and performed here and there, and after a long period of silence they apparently got the itch again. With fresh full-length album “Higher Emotions” they present twelve energetic tunes, partly instrumental, with varying degrees of groovy surf rock and trashy pop-punk. Everything radiates infectious fun and enthusiasm, a tasty sauce on top of the original melodies and hooks.




“Higher Emotions” is out now digitally (self-released). Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: The Bacarrudas || Pool Party

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The first thing that comes to mind while listening to The Bacarrudas debut album Pool Party? “Well it ain’t Barracuda man, but I think we got a hit record.” The second thought? This might just be the most enjoyable record of 2024. The third? This isn’t just fun to listen to, these songs are actually pretty great.

With Pool Party, The Bacarrudas – a band masterminded by Adam Rabuck of Dirt Bike Annie, deliver a soundtrack tailor-made for your next BBQ or poolside bash. Drawing heavily from the playbook of frat rock and ’60s garage and R&B, The Bacarrudas offer a rollicking ride through infectious tunes and irresistible hooks. With its fun-loving attitude, occasional moments of rowdiness, and consistently upbeat tempo, Pool Party is a collection of crowd-pleasers that practically begs for sing-alongs. From classic call-and-response sections to dynamic drumming and driving organ arrangements, there’s never a dull moment. I totally agree with Josh Rutledge’s assertion that The Bacarrudas must be an insane live band with 100% party guarantee.

What sets The Bacarrudas apart, however, is their genuine authenticity. While they might sound like they stepped straight out of a retro party scene, there’s nothing gimmicky about their music. These are well-crafted, finely-tuned tunes that hit all the right marks – that applies to the party songs, but also to the surprising indie pop leaning songs on the record like Heart Beating, and (Don’t Go) Running Out).

Pool Party is out now on CD at Mom’s Basement Records.



Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Mom’s Basement

New EP: Los Dedos || El Salado

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Los Dedos are an instrumental surf rock band from Bristol, featuring Willy Malo (guitar, trumpet), Picu Moreno (bass, Spanish guitar) and Sam Bigland (drums, percussion), on their new EP El Salado assisted by Clod Jovino (keyboards). In its six cinematic tunes they bring other worlds to the British coast: the title track bears influences of a spaghetti western, Hot Rod Bob is the soundtrack of a vintage car race, in Domingo Negro the tempo is slowed down to suit a more serious subject, and so on. The reverb-drenched guitars and rolling drum beats make it always work.


El Salado, recorded & mixed by Ben Capp, is out now digitally, on CD and 10″ vinyl, through Otitis Media Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Otitis

New album: Mick Beaulieu || Seashore

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French multi-instrumentalist Mick Beaulieu not only plays in garage punk outfit The Bliss, but he also does some pretty cool stuff on his own. On his YouTube channel he regularly shares new cover songs surf rock style (last year this led to the Nirvana …Goes Surf LP, which can be listened to via Spotify), but his latest album Seashore contains ten original tunes that are actually more exciting than that. These are cinematic surf instrumentals in which you’ll hear the influences of Dick Dale and Duane Eddy echoing, captured in truly refreshing melodies. A twang machine only 25 years old, so skilled and with a rock ‘n’ roll heart in the right place – there is hope for the future.



Seashore is out now digitally via Crash! Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New single: The Hula Girls || Tabou / Zombie Stomp

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Californian ‘hulabilly’ outfit The Hula Girls – Shorty Poole (upright bass), Spike Marble (Gretsch guitar), Gary Brandin (steel guitar) and Doug Sanborn (drums) – have been bringing an attractive mix of instrumental surf, rockabilly and exotica to the stages for over fifteen years. Their Hibiscus Hula tune made it to the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse soundtrack, but with this new 45 they prove once again that they can also score with more mature titles such as Tabou and Zombie Stomp. The former is an understated popcorn grinder, the latter is an uptempo and infectious floor filler. Oh boy!


Tabou b/w Zombie Stomp is out now digitally and on ‘leopard’ colored 7″ vinyl through Hi-Tide Recordings.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Hi-Tide

New album: X Ray Cat Trio || Live at the Jenny

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Around 4 o’clock in the afternoon on Sunday, October 1 last year, El Nico (guitar, vocals), Howling Ric (drums) and Adam Richards (bass) took to the stage at the Jenny Lind Inn in Hastings Old town (UK), to round off the annual Property of the Lost weekender. We’re talking about West Yorkshire’s X Ray Cat Trio, who delivered 46 electrifying minutes of garage rockabilly, psych surf and doo wop. The show’s thirteen songs offer a fun overview of their back catalogue, including the title track from their amazing 2022 Haunted LP and a cover of Hava Nagila. A suberb set of tunes, inspired and memorable.



Live at the Jenny is out now digitally, on CD and vinyl LP through Property Of The Lost.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || PropertyOfTheLost

New album: The Hamiltones || In Space

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The Hamiltones are a Buffalo, New York-based surf-punk outfit featuring John Toohill (guitar & more), Nick Reynolds (bass & more) and Chris Scamurra (drums), who channel their love of science fiction and horror in their music. They celebrate their tenth anniversary with the new full-length concept album In Space, that they themselves describe as “the soundtrack to an epic space opera, borrowing familiar themes and textures from mid-century sci-fi and superimposing them onto thoroughly modern surf rock.” The wonderfully performed 40-minute journey consists of 15 largely instrumental tracks, interspersed with layers of strings, horns, synths, theremin, samples and vocal ooos and aaas (enter Lucy Bell). From the cinematic overture that kicks off the record to a joking Elvis in the rolling Viva Los Space at the end, it is all fascinating and exciting what happens here.




In Space, mixed & mastered by John Angelo, is out now digitally and on 12″ vinyl through Swimming Faith Records and Big Neck Records. The first pressing of the LP comes exclusively with a 6 page insert and the Moon People 7″.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

New album: Coastal Surf Club || ​Final Round

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Xiamen, in southwest China, has an emerging surfing culture, and of course that requires an exciting soundtrack. Leave that to Coastal Surf Club, the surf rock trio featuring composer Chen Zhenchao (guitar, vocals), Ji Wei (bass) and Huang Da (drums). Three years ago we wrote about their debut EP 難​忘​的​衝​浪​歌​曲 no​.​1, now they have released their first full-length album 最​終​回​ (translated: Final Round). The first six tracks are cinematic instrumental tunes, which are followed by two convincing songs with vocals (in English), of which the viciously rocking 輪迴 (Reincarnation) hits the hardest, also because the lyrics express the waves so clearly: “What goes around comes around // The judgment will come // Coming again and again under the sun.” Cool stuff.



最​終​回 is out now digitally via Fluorite Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp

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