The Beaches — I Ran (So Far Away) (A Flock Of Seagulls cover)
The Beaches released one of the best albums of last year with No Hard Feelings. Now they’ve followed up with a Flock of Seagulls cover. Why? Why not! They don’t veer too far away from the original arrangement, but add an extra dose of indie-rock crunch. Halfway through it gets a little more shoegazy and expansive, with a huge build.
The Damned — Making Time (The Creation cover)
This deeper cut is a high point of the Damned’s new covers record, which, per our review, “takes the song into near heavy metal territory, if leavened by the catchy choral chorus, which, especially with the bass and drums, comes over like the Who in their prime.”
Ian Sweet — Semi-Charmed Life (Third Eye Blind cover)
This slowed-down dreampop Third Eye Blind cover comes from the soundtrack to a new movie called Or Something. It’s almost unrecognizable as the ubiquitous radio-rock hit of yore.
Loah — Dancing in the Moonlight (Thin Lizzy cover)
Thin Lizzy’s Phil Lynott passed away 40 years ago this month, so Irish-Sierra Leonean singer Loah released a cover of “Dancing in the Moonlight (It’s Caught Me In Its Spotlight)” in tribute. Accompanied by Dublin jazz pianist Johnny Taylor, Loah said, “This beautiful song has lived in my heart and my mind since I was a young ‘un, whether blaring from a speaker on late nights in the endless Dublin summer with friends or in headphones on the bus home from town. It is so romantic and such a sweet homage to the spirit of Dublin, nostalgic and hopeful all at the same time. My mum grew up around the corner from Phil Lynott in Crumlin and his songs always feel like home. He was not just a great rock star and performer but also an incredible songwriter.”
Ray Lambiase — Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner (Warren Zevon cover)
A highlight of the new Long Island-based Warren Zevon tribute album Keep Me in Your Heart is this slow violin-and-guitar version of “Roland.” Our review, which you can read in full here, calls it “an old Western ballad.”
Storefront Church — I’m Your Man (Leonard Cohen cover)
A crunchy, heavy post-punk take on Leonard Cohen’s oft-covered ‘80s classic.
The Wood Brothers — Maps (Yeah Yeah Yeahs cover)
Welcome back to A.V. Undercover! We featured their viral GWAR “Pink Pony Club” last week (it’s in the best-of-the-rest below if you missed it), but this Wood Brothers one flew further under the radar. They said they came up with a rhumba beat, like an old blues song, and went from there.
Xiu Xiu — Dancing on My Own (Robyn cover)
Abrasive. Experimental. Aggressive. These are words sometimes used to describe the music of Xiu Xiu (and they’re meant as compliments!). But they also have a melodic side, as seen years ago in their brilliant cover of Rihanna’s “Only Girl (In the World)”—our fifth-best cover of 2011, if you’re keeping track. A spiritual sequel is their new take on Robyn’s ubiquitous “Dancing on My Own.” It’s dark and twisted and haunting and reminds you that they also did a great Twin Peaks covers record. This would fit right in.
The Best of the Rest
Beauty in Chaos — Get Down Moses (Joe Strummer cover)
CHVRCHES — Addicted to Love (Robert Palmer cover)
The Dandy Warhols — Kiss Off (Violent Femmes cover)
Double Eyelid — No Control (David Bowie cover)
EBBA — Uh-Oh Love Comes To Town (Talking Heads cover)
Franz Ferdinand — U Should Not Be Doing That (Amyl and the Sniffers cover)
GWAR — Pink Pony Club (Chappell Roan cover)
Savages — Paranoid (Black Sabbath cover)
Sister Kill Cycle — Bad Moon Rising (Creedence Clearwater Revival cover)
Smush — Don’t Know Why (Norah Jones cover)
100% WET — Delete Forever (Grimes cover)
Check out previous months’ best covers lists.
