A comment on the YouTube video for Dallas, Texas musician St Vincent's contribution to "Blacklist," a tribute album commemorating the 30th anniversary of the 16X Platinum 1991 Metallica release, describes the cover as the lovechild of Shirley Manson and Trent Reznor.
Accurate.
In the same spirit, here are ten things I hate about this cover.
First, uhm... uh... no, I've got nothing.
It's Jon Pron's birthday!
He's my only friend whose first name rhymes with his surname, and that's something special.
In fact, he's the ONLY PERSON I KNOW with a rhyming first and last name, since Julia Sullivan's Vegas marriage to Glenn Guglia didn't happen, thanks to a fortuitous mid-flight intervention from wedding singer Robbie Hart and Billy Idol.
He's also the reason that Stucco Lobster Breadbox didn't fold 20 years ago. A handful of people would consider that a good thing.
If any cover song would get his seal of approval, it's this one by counterculture folk hero Arlo Guthrie, paying tribute to Burlington, Vermont improvisational jam band Phish.
Which is kind of a shame, because, based on their cover of "Would?," the 1992 Alice in Chains single that Paste magazine places in the top 5 Grunge songs of all time, I would go see them.
It's THAT good.
Underground Sardinia, Italy artist Bella Socio released a DIY-on-a-zero-budget super lo-fi remake of the 1989 debut single "John the Fisherman" from El Sobrante, California ultra weirdos Primus.
While Socio can't compare to the funkcountrythrashmetaldisco uniqueness of the Bay area trio, his slow and ambient interpretation still makes you want to catch shark and stingray out of Bolinas Lagoon.
Continua a pescare!
Hamburg, Germany EDM artists Miles & Miles add energetic beats and the vocal stylings of Sukie to their recrafting of Canadian power pop singer and key lime pie aficionado Tal Bachman's 1999 Adult Contemporary Top 40 hit "She's So High."
While most of the duo's songs sit at around 200,000 streams on Spotify, this cover has been listened to over 9 million times.
I spent way too much time trying to figure out the male who sang back up vocals was before realizing that it's the female singer with her voice disguised like a corporate whistleblower being interviewed on "60 Minutes."
Long-running local band Dr. Dog (their roots can be traced to West Chester, Pennsylvania) upped the trippy psychedelic factor on Jamaican dancehall artist Ini Kamoze's 1994 track that Buzzfeed ranked among the greatest dance hits of the '90s.
I'm not sure who the guy on their album cover is, but he's wearing a Phillies hat, so I already feel that we've established some kind of rapport.
Canadian guitarist and singer/songwriter Bryan Adams' 1983 power ballad "Heaven" was revamped in 2010 by Silver Lake, California electro-noir band Robotanists.
I assume that their band name is a merger of robots and botanists, so if they don't release an album called "ChloroFil.Exe," I'll be super disappointed.
Foster the People's 2010 radio smash "Pumped Up Kicks" bothered some critics, who took issue with the disturbing lyrics surrounding a troubled high school student and his delusional fantasies about using a six-shooter to mow down classmates being sung over an infectiously catchy bubble-gum pop backdrop.
No problem! Los Angeles industrial artists 3TEETH give the gruesome lines a gritty, abrasive theme to match.
Jess was obsessed with the Netflix romance series "Virgin River," so there were several nights that we spent binge watching episodes.
As is true of most television shows that I "watch," I couldn't tell you a thing about the show. I can't remember a single plotline. I don't recall any character arcs. Who stars in it? No idea.
But, I remember hearing Los Angeles native Dresage's orchestral reworking of reggae pioneer (and, for a brief stint, fellow Delawarean) Bob Marley's song presumed to be about some canaries that would land on the windowsill of his home on Hope Road in Kingston, Jamaica duing one of the broadcasts.
It was a sweet version, of melodies pure and true.
Gender-bending Britpop outfit Placebo take on Kate Bush's lead single from the 1985 new wave album "Hounds of Love."
The Kate Bush version has reappeared on various charts, including Billboard's top alternative album, thanks in large part to the demagorgons.
Thanks, weird floral headed humanoids!
Los Angeles quartet Nova lay down a samba groove for their interpretation of the 1996 acid jazz single "Virtual Insanity" from UK band Jamiroquai.
Unfortunately, the band did not have the same filming budget to match Jamiroquai's MTV Video of the Year, so, rather than a futuristic room with the illusion of moving furniture, they had to settle for a clip of guys from 1-800-GOT-JUNK pushing old recliners around the interior of a local Denny's restaurant.
Chattanooga, Tennessee TikTok personality Jxdn (pronounced "Jaden") does a pretty solid job covering this mopey masterpiece from Olivia Rodrigo.
The drums on this pop-punk reboot are played by Travis Barker of Blink-182. Barker is older than Jxdn and Rodrigo put together, but, what's his age again?
Two times the age, one fourth the overly dramatic late teenager woe-is-me-ishness.
A good litmus test for discovering whether or not your cover song is successful is to see if it has ever been used to promote tacos during a Superbowl.
Los Angeles rapper and singer Doja Cat passes with flying colors, with her remake of 1998 Courtney Love-fronted alternative band Hole's single and NME magazine favorite "Celebrity Skin" getting airplay during Superbowl LVI in a Taco Bell advertisement.
So, if there were ever any doubts, it's clear that yeeeeeeeeaaaaah, now she really made it.
New Brunswick, New Jersey ska band Streetlight Manifesto crush this remake of the exuberant 1996 swing-jazz throwback "Hell" from North Carolina group Squirrel Nut Zippers.
They toss in a lively clarinet solo, because, why (the hell) wouldn't you?
I'm jealous that these guys are in New Brunswick, as they can order a Fat Darrell sandwich pretty much any time that they feel like eating one.
Originally hailing from Grand Rapids, Michigan, indie pop artist Blondfire performed this dreamy rendition of Twenty One Pilots' contribution to the soundtrack of 2016 DC Comics based film "Suicide Squad."
This one's also in the running for creepiest cover art. Thanks for the nightmare fuel, young lady.
The song can be found on his mini-album "Love in Albania," which may or may not have had the working title "My Sugar Boo."
It's Quatorze Juillet, known in the States as Bastille Day.
To commemorate the occasion, here is music producer Hallasen's joint effort with fellow Swedes (and, apparently, Insane Clown Posse wannabes) Millows -- a slap house release of Bastille's "Pompeii."
Here, they target youngsters with their catchy version of Calgary, Alberta twin sisters Tegan and Sara's cornerstone of "The LEGO Movie" soundtrack.
Estupendo, bebe
That description is pretty spot on, as is their incredibly danceable remake of British synth-pop duo Eurythmics' 1986 single "Missionary Man."
Stockholm, Sweden Indie rockers The Genuine Fakes add a little bit of energy to Beyonce's 2006 mid-tempo R&B ballad in which she directly addresses a cheating low-life, rather than getting Joey Greco to confront him on her behalf.
Quebec City jazz quartet The Lost Fingers give Deee-Lite's funky 1990 nightclub smash "Groove Is in the Heart" a gypsy-style facelift.
Their misleading album art may have folks thinking that the lead vocalist is a moose. But, no, no moose were present on this recording.
At least, I don't believe there were.
Peter Steele warbles "Summer Breeze makes me feel fine," while sounding like nothing could be further from the truth.
Seattle, Washington power pop band Visqueen play "Centerfield," the John Fogerty staple heard in MLB stadiums everywhere. It was also featured on the soundtrack of the 2005 remake of "Bad News Bears."
Fun fact: for the 25th anniversary of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, Fogerty played a Louisville Slugger shaped guitar, which he donated to the museum immediately after his performance.
What if you not only can't sing like Elvis, but, by universal minimum standards, can't really sing at all? Get out there!
Whatever lofty goals you set for yourself, reach for them! Because, chances are, you'll be better in your endeavor than Pilarm is in his.
Friendly reminder : You do not have to watch a YouTube video all the way through.
It's Independence Day here in the States, and, though I'd love to throw up something more rah-rah jingoistic, this Limp Bizkit cover by Wilmette, Illinois alternative hip hop artist K Flay is probably much more appropriate at this time.
While not bad by any means, this version sounds like he exchanged Gray's vocal harmonies for an overload of vibrato.
Like, holy quavervoice, Batman. The chorus sounds kind of like it's sung by Jim Breuer's mercifully short-lived Saturday Night Live character Goat Boy.
When I started Daily Cover Song, I had planned to write about a cover song each day for a year.
Though I may continue longer than intended (I'm having a blast!), today marks the midway point of 2022. The middle, as it were.
Manhattan songwriter and producer Prince Fox remade Jimmy Eat World's emo-pop single "The Middle."
While the cover version is good, Pitchfork magazine named Jimmy Eat World's version as #165 on its list of the top songs of the 2000s.
Kind of hard to top that. A valiant effort, though.
The ending of that tearjerker is so sad that, while I'm watching it, it's not unusual to see me crying.
