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!

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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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 »

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 »

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 »

Apr 032023
 
best cover songs of march 2023
Bria – When You Know Why You’re Happy (Mary Margaret O’Hara’ cover)

Bria’s “Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?” made our list of the Best Covers of 2022. The track was a sneak peak at her covers EP Cuntry Covers Vol. 2, and the full thing dropped a few weeks ago. It includes a wonderful version of this much more obscure song. Bria explains: “Mary Margaret O’Hara is a creative force and one of my favorite Canadian artists. I have been a huge fan of hers for quite some time and really wanted to try my hand at one of her songs for Vol. 2. She is a real queen of vocal improvisation. It’s a trait of hers that I’ve always admired, so I really wanted to explore that when recording this cover. The video for this track is special to us, a sort of collage of memory; fragmented footage of summer taken over the last two years is dispersed throughout shots of a vast winter scene, filmed while we finished the record up North with our live band.” Continue reading »