Deer Tick – Dancing In The Dark (Bruce Springsteen cover)
âFor me, âDancing in the Darkâ isnât a song about romance, but instead a desperate plea to break out of some degraded, stagnant situation. The narrator is filled with angst, self doubt, and the only way out is to the sheer force of unwavering will power,â says Deer Tick guitarist/vocalist Ian OâNeil. âBruce really shows us who he is on this one and it looks an awful lot like the rest of us.â
Die Sauerkrauts Polka Band â Now That’s What I Call Polka! (Weird Al cover)
There are a lot of Weird Al covers out there (okay, maybe not a lot, but more than you might think). This is new though. This band didnât cover one of Weird Alâs parodies. They didnât even cover a Weird Al original, like âDare to Be Stupid.â They covered one of his polka medleys (a subject I interviewed Al about in Cover Me the bookâexcerpt at The AV Club). Meaning, they covered polka versions of hits by Miley Cyrus, One Direction, Gotye, and many more, all in a brisk medley. A very silly music video brings it home.
Full Cord â Reelinâ in the Years (Steely Dan cover)
Grand Rapids bluegrass band Full Cord has done âReelinâ in the Yearsâ as part of their live set for a while, and has now recorded a studio version for upcoming album Cambium. Loose and jammy bluegrass is a long way from the Danâs famous studio perfectionism, but a good enough song can make the leap.
Jason Charles Miller â Wasted Years (Iron Maiden cover)
“‘Wasted Years’ is one of the most profound songs ever written about life on the road as a musician,â says Miller. âThe lyrics have always touched me deeply, and I wanted to put my own spin on the loneliness one feels when listening to them. We shot the entire video in one shot, which takes an incredible amount of planning. Luckily director Andrew Fogel and our amazing steady cam operator Allen Chen are experts in their craft! We put a few easter eggs on the walls, too.â
Jeff Tweedy – Filled With Wonder Once Again (Bill Fay cover)
Wilcoâs cover of Bill Fayâs song âBe Not So Fearfulâ has long been a fan favorite. Now frontman Jeff Tweedy has tackled Fay again, for the cult hero singer-songwriterâs 80th birthday. The original comes off Fayâs most recent album to date, 2020’s Countless Branches.
Katy J Pearson â Fire Leap (The Wicker Man cover)
British horror film The Wicker Man came out 50 years ago, and itâs being celebrated with a new anniversary edition box set. That set includes an EP from Bristol musician Katy J Pearson coverings songs from its score. Sheâs clearly a Wicker Man superfan; last year she covered another track from the soundtrack, âWillowâs Song,â on her own album.
Olivia Rodrigo â Stick Season (Noah Kahan cover)
Noah Kahan is the biggest Vermont musical export since Phish. Heâs emerged out of nowhere to headline arenas next summer (two shows at Madison Square Garden, both sold out). In Boston, near his home, heâs headlining two nights at Fenway Parkâthe same place Springsteen and The Rolling Stones often play when theyâre in town. Wild. The latest notch in this understated singer-songwriterâs cap is pop star Olivia Rodrigo covering his hit âStick Season.â
The Pioneers â You Wonât See Me (The Beatles cover)
Rub-A-Dub Soul is a forthcoming reggae Beatles tribute album. The first single is the Pioneersâ versions of a relative deep cut (to the extent the Beatles even have any deep cuts), âYou Wonât See Me.â
Post Malone â Them Bones (Alice in Chains cover)
When he visited Howard Stern recently, Post Malone brought an entire choir (albeit a small one) to help him cover Alice in Chains. Anyone who saw his pandemic Nirvana livestream knows that he is unexpectedly adept at covering â90s grunge. He nails it again, shredding his vocal chords even while strumming an acoustic guitar.
Sabrina Carpenter – I Knew You Were Trouble (Taylor Swift cover)
Lotta people cover Taylor Swift. Fewer get a reaction from the star herself. âWell, she nailed it,” Swift wrote in an Instagram story, sharing the cover with clapping and heart hand emojis.
The Best of the Rest
Adam Miller â Everybodyâs Been Burned (The Byrds cover)
Desire â The Power of Love (Frankie Goes to Hollywood cover)
Imperial Triumphant â Motorbreath (Metallica cover)
Lauv – Used To Be Young (Miley Cyrus cover)
Leigh-Anne – Paint The Town Red (Doja Cat cover)
Moby feat. Brie O’Banion – Weâre Going Wrong (Cream cover)
Nichole Wagner â Stand Back (Stevie Nicks cover)
Pendulum â Anti-Hero (Taylor Swift cover)
Silent Skies â The Trooper (Iron Maiden cover)
Spiders â Hanging on the Telephone (The Nerves/Blondie cover)
Troye Sivan – What Was I Made For (Billie Eilish cover)
Check out previous months’ best covers lists.