The Best Cover Songs of August 2023

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Aug 312023
 
Amanda Palmer and The Righteous Babes — The Last Day of our Acquaintance (Sinéad O’Connor cover)


You’re going to notice a theme here. We have the usual grab-bag included below (see “Best of the Rest”), but, for our featured covers up top, it’s all Sinéad. There were so many wonderful tributes performed, often in concert and always powerful and moving. Many did “Nothing Compares 2 U,” technically a Prince cover but really a Sinéad song now and forever, but others selected from elsewhere in her catalog. Of this one, which just came out Tuesday, Amanda Palmer wrote, “This song means a great deal to me, as does the artist who penned it, along with everything she still stands for.” A portion of the money from sales will be donated to The Irish Women’s Survivor Support Network. Continue reading »

New Friends Creates Atmospheric Cover of Radiohead’s “High and Dry’

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Aug 292023
 
new friends high and dry

New Friends are self-described “pop gangsters” who hail from Toronto. In an interview with the online magazine Nylon Manila, the band called the forming of their band “organic” and “spontaneous.” Both descriptors, coincidentally, describe their synergetic sound. Their most recent live cover was of the single “High and Dry” from Radiohead’s 1995 The Bends. In the video, the members are bathed in vintage-looking pink and green lights.

While the original intro is strummy and bleak, the New Friends version begins with a compelling swell. Next, the drums ramp up, then…Stefan Boulineau’s mellow vocals take center stage. From the clarity of the falsetto to its swathes of ‘verbed guitar chords, this cover is a true sonic treat. Not to mention, the group seems to dance as a unit! New Friends is not just a band, but rather, a visual and sonic act.

For more great covers of Radiohead click this link!

Pierce the Veil Covers Radiohead in a Balanced Yet Raw and Emotive Version

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Aug 212023
 
Pierce the Veil

Photo Credit: Wall of Sound AU

The post-hardcore/ experimental rock group Pierce the Veil isn’t exactly known for covering songs, but it seems the lead singer has made an exception for the popular radio series Like A Version.

“Karma Police” was the second single released for OK Computer and is a dark philosophical tune inspired by the dystopian book 1984 by George Orwell. PTV’s version of “Karma Police” builds a rich sonic landscape- one that’s melancholic yet energetic, soothing, and discontented. The band struck the perfect balance of paying homage to Radiohead, while still keeping true to their own roots.
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The Best Cover Songs of June 2023

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Jul 032023
 
best cover songs of june 2023
Aaron Taos ft. Jordana — Under Control (The Strokes cover)

Aaron Taos says: “When Jordana and I met for the first time, we realized very quickly that we both shared an obsession with the Strokes. What’s more surprising is that we also share the same favorite Strokes song, “Under Control,” an album cut off of their second LP Room On Fire. Naturally, we decided that we had to cover this amazing tune. Reimagined as a minimalist duet, this slow burn produced by Blake Richardson (formerly artist Sage Baptiste) also comes with a lo-fi vid shot in Brooklyn, NY. We just want to make Julian Casablancas proud.” Continue reading »

The Funeral Portrait Turns Radiohead’s “Creep” Emo

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Jun 212023
 
the funeral portrait

Despite Radiohead hating their breakout hit “Creep,” artists keep covering it! The Funeral Portrait, an emo-rock band from Atlanta, has recently released this banger of a version for a great cause. The band put out this emotive iteration of “Creep” to raise funds for the Hot Topic Foundation, a non-profit that benefits LGBTQ+ groups, and other beneficial organizations that support mental wellness. Continue reading »

Imperial Triumphant Release Growly Metal Cover of Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android”

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Jun 192023
 
imperial triumphant paranoid android cover

The six and a half minute mini-suite “Paranoid Android,” the lead-off single from Radiohead‘s legendary OK Computer, remains one of their most covered songs, despite, or perhaps because of, its complexity. Full of dynamic swings in volume and tempo, it’s probably a lot of fun to play once you’ve mastered it.

American experimental black metal band Imperial Triumphant are a lot less interested in the fun dynamics of “Paranoid Android” than your average Radiohead cover artists. Bands in black metal and its associate subgenres can sometimes flatten dynamics and opt instead of more subtle gradations of loud and louder. But Imperial Triumphant aren’t your average black metal band, so the dynamics you expect are still there, just different. (But are also sometimes labelled as dissonant death metal and, um, “avant garde jazz,” so you’ve been warned.) Continue reading »

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