Feb 152023
 

Welcome to Cover Me Q&A, where we take your questions about cover songs and answer them to the best of our ability.

cover of instrumental

Here at Cover Me Q&A, we’ll be taking questions about cover songs and giving as many different answers as we can. This will give us a chance to hold forth on covers we might not otherwise get to talk about, to give Cover Me readers a chance to learn more about individual staffers’ tastes and writing styles, and to provide an opportunity for some back-and-forth, as we’ll be taking requests (learn how to do so at feature’s end).

Today’s question: What’s your favorite cover performed by a child?
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Mar 062012
 

The members of New York’s PS22 Chorus are arguably some of the most famous fifth graders in the world. They’ve racked up 42 million views and counting on Youtube, where they post their covers of artists from Matisyahu to Kylie Minogue. Last week they shared the stage with Sinead O’Connor at Manhattan’s Highline Ballroom, opening her show with their take on Gotye‘s much-covered “Somebody That I Used to Know.” Continue reading »

Jun 082011
 

Staten Island, New York children’s chorus PS22 Chorus has done it again. After covering artists like MGMT (when they, appropriately enough, covered the band’s hit “Kids”) and Phoenix (with their gorgeous, down tempo cover of “Lisztomania”), the fifth-graders continue amping up their indie cred with a cover of Toronto “It” band Austra‘s “Energy”. Continue reading »

Mar 152011
 

America’s obsession with choirs covering popular hits has been growing with intensity over the last several years. Just look at the television sensation Glee, the Academy Award/Hollywood darlings of PS22 Chorus, and even those crappy group song nights on American Idol.  However, last year audiences were introduced to a different kind of choir in a haunting trailer for the movie, The Social Network. Sung by an all-female Belgian group, the Scala and Kolacny Brothers’ ethereal cover of Radiohead’s “Creep” played over the montage.  Their unique take on this oft-covered tune became an overnight sensation.

The United States may just be catching on, but the Scala choir has been creating chilling cover songs since 1996. With five studio albums under their belts in Europe, Scala is finally reaching across the pond. In addition to their North American tour that begins next month, the group finally released their album in the U.S. Boasting thirteen tracks from their previous overseas albums, Scala and Kolacny Brothers is a great introduction to some of their best material.  Continue reading »

Feb 012011
 

By now you’ve probably seen the video of Anne Hathaway and some Hollywood-types inviting Staten Island’s PS22 Chorus to the Oscars. That video acts as a sure sign, if one was needed, that this mass of fifth graders has “made it.” They’ll be performing the 1939 Judy Garland classic “Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz at this year’s Academy Awards ceremony, which airs on February 27. Continue reading »

Oct 202010
 

Those loveable scamps from PS22 are at it again! This time the hippest kiddie choir in the world (sorry, Glee) delivers a song about themselves—kind of—with an ultra-enthusiastic cover of MGMT‘s 2007 hit “Kids.” Choir director Gregg Breinberg takes on double duty as child-wrangler and keyboardist, but the biggest instrumental props must go to drummer Marquis for rocking that hi-hat.

Technically speaking, this rendition of “Kids” isn’t the most precise cover ever (though the choir certainly shows more gusto than Rivers Cuomo did), but when you consider the ages of the performers and the heart they inject into the songs—plus how gosh-darn cute it is—it’s tough to be too critical. Check it out below and let us know what you think! Continue reading »