Minnesota acoustic 5-piece Trampled by Turtles are a hybrid of classic American songwriting, bluegrass and folk. Since the release of last year’s Palomino, they have been tearing up the festival scene with their infectious high-energy live sets. Yesterday, they released their first new recording in a year with the Pixies‘ “Where is My Mind.” Having all come from or currently playing in rock, punk and metal bands, covering the 1988 alt-rock track was natural. Continue reading »
It’s always fun to find out why artists decide to cover the particular songs they do. In the case of the spontaneous teamup of The Vaccines and Noah and the Whale, the reason was simple: “I don’t know the lyrics to very many songs,” said Noah frontman Charlie Fink on Britain’s Triple J radio before performing the Pixies’ “Where is My Mind?” As always, we get the typical radio banter with the DJ talking endlessly and the band just ready to get the show on the road already, but, when they finally do, it’s a treat. Continue reading »
Last year, Surfer Blood’s John Paul Pitts told Prefix that their band name came from teasing a friend who brought a surf bag on a road trip (it started as “surfer bro”). The point being, there is no connection whatsoever to Pixies’ acclaimed 1988 album Surfer Rosa. Still, we can’t help wondering if the name similarity influenced their choice of Surfer Rosa song “Gigantic” for their A.V. Undercover set. Continue reading »
Since releasing their debut album in 2006, ambient rockers The Coral Sea have kept busy: crafting the follow-up Firelight, appearing not once but twice on Grey’s Anatomy, and heading on tour with The Walkmen and Silversun Pickups. They have also found the time to offer a pair of covers as free downloads, drawing inspiration from two very different places. Continue reading »
In the Spotlight showcases a cross-section of an artist’s cover work. View past installments, then post suggestions for future picks in the comments!
Everyone has a different favorite Pixies song. “Debaser.” “Here Comes Your Man.” “Where Is My Mind.” “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Wait – what? Sure, technically the single listed Nirvana as the artist, but Kurt Cobain himself admitted the homage bordered on imitation. “I was basically trying to rip off the Pixies,” he told Rolling Stone. “When I heard the Pixies for the first time, I connected with that band so heavily I should have been in that band – or at least in a Pixies cover band. We used their sense of dynamics, being soft and quiet and then loud and hard.” Continue reading »
Some Pixies fans will tell you this album invented alternative rock. Others will say it invented indie. Regardless, what remains clear is that Doolittle helped is still revered by musicians today. Every indie band seems to have a Pixies cover up their sleeve, if their original songs don’t already sound like Pixies covers in the first place. From the opening riff of “Debaser” through the loud-soft “Gouge Away,” it’s a classic for anyone who wants to understand the past twenty years of music.
Rogue Wave – Debaser
The guys substitute a riff of their own in the intro and continue reworking things throughout, from the tune to the harmonies. It takes a bit of getting used to if you know the original, but they manage to make it a completely new song valid in its own right. [Buy]
Local H – Tame
Scott Lucas talk-sings over a thumping bass line until the primal freak-out over the chorus, showing these guys to be anything but tame. [Buy]
The Arcade Fire – Wave of Mutilation
A little mini-song here, Win and the gang got a little audience sing-along going on this tune last year. It sounds spontaneous until the instruments quietly come in and you realize the band knows this song backwards and forwards. [Buy]
PC Munez – I Bleed
If you think you can’t dance to Doolittle, you’d be wrong. Electro blips and thumps ignite the singing duet, threatening to explode but barely staying bottled. The air raid siren sound seems apocalypticly appropriate. [Buy]
Lerkruka – Here Comes Your Man
For some reason I think Frank Black would approve of a Swedish-language cover, reasonably close to the original if you ignore the lyrics. [Buy]
Radio Active – Dead
Off of a Japanese tribute to Pixies, the lyrics are in…oh, I guess that’s English. Strong accent, but the roaring guitars come so close to drowning out the lyrics it doesn’t matter. These cries of agony cross continents. [Buy]
Far – Monkey Gone To Heaven
Making the verses sound like radio-transmitted chatter about seems a perfectly nonsensical way to approach this one matter-of-factly talking about “ten million pounds of sludge” and burning the ground. Next to that, the chorus almost makes sense. [Buy]
TV on the Radio – Mr. Grieves
I have yet to discover the story behind this a cappela gem, but thank god for Tunde nd the boys. It’s rich and beautifully world, making me think these guys should have auditioned for Ben Folds recent CD. [Buy]
Venus Imperium – Crackity Jones
With so many bizarre and processed covers, sometimes a simple acoustic take is refreshing. It’s light, bringing out both the lyrics and melody as simply as possible. [Buy]
Weston – La La Love You
“Shake your butt.” “Not too hard.” Has there ever been a better intro to a song ever? Add in some whistling and you’ve got gold. [Buy]
Elk City – No. 13 Baby
The recent Dig For Fire Pixies tribute album is worth a listen or ten, not least for this falsetto-swoon that almost makes it sound like a bluesy Tom Waits cover. [Buy]
Asterid – There Goes My Gun
Frank Black’s website forum facilitate a fan-based tribute album that the band’s manager said had as good covers as he’d ever heard. The toy piano tinkles an intro for a tune that gets louder fast with horns and yells. [Buy]
Eskimo Joe – Hey
A little acoustic jive here, bumping along slowly like a funkier Ben Harper. [Buy]
Bluebottle Kiss – Silver
Quiet brushed drums provide all the rhythm this slow-burn needs to stay focus as it inches forward, molasses-slow but keeping you along for the whole ride. [Buy]
Andrew McCubbin – Gouge Away
Absurd number of covers of this one, but Andrew’s voice does it for me. Organ, bass and guitar is all the backing this singing needs. [Buy]