Cincinnati, Ohio band Walk the Moon wallowed in relative obscurity for eight years before making their presence known in a big way with their 2014 juggernaut "Shut Up and Dance."
Los Angeles, California alt folk duo Anchor + Bell performed a web cover of the song, though their version is less "Shut up and dance," and more "Shut up and stare contemplatively at the pattern in the rug of the upscale java shop while nibbling on an orange scone."
Surrey, UK session artist Talisha and guitar guy Chris form Karizma Duo, a professional pairing that brings rock, pop, and soul covers to wedding venues throughout the country.
This is their version of "I Try," the 1999 jazz/soul number rasped by Canton, Ohio singer and actress Macy Gray.
Los Angeles, California pop punk quartet Roll for It look to be that one in a million on their cover of Las Vegas, Nevada emo baroque pop band Panic! At the Disco's 2018 single "High Hopes."
For a cover by Panic! At the Disco, here's their version of Disney tune "Into the Unknown."
Bristol, UK throwbacks Trip for Biscuits cover frequent APRA award winning singer/songwriter Sia's 2015 dance hall favorite "Cheap Thrills" in a style that will have you aching to swill moonshine in a seedy Prohibition era Chicago basement.
For another Sia cover, the PVRIS version of "Chandelier" can be found here.
Highly prolific New York City, New York singer songwriter Neil Diamond earned a spot in the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984. (Just a couple of years after the release of "Heartlight" for the E.T. soundtrack.)
But, as a fledgling artist in the mid '60s, he had to develop those wings by covering other artists, among them Los Angeles, California folk vocal group The Mamas and The Papas.
On this Monday morning, here is his 1966 version of their sunshine pop single "Monday, Monday."
Sydney, Australia actress turned singer Natalie Imbruglia enlists the help of a high school marching band on her spritely version of Pete Townshend's 1980 pop rocker "Let My Love Open the Door."
Since the backing band didn't receive recognition on the album's liner notes (that I could find online, anyway), I wanted to give credit where credit was due.
I'm not sure who should rightfully get that credit, so I'm just going to guess that the band is comprised of all 32 students at Fort Washakie Charter School.
Great job on the glockenspiel, Trevor!
Adelaide, Australia emo punk band Glass Tides serve up Plano, Texas teen Gayle's 2021 entree of angst with sides of unadulterated fury and salad with piss and vinaigrette dressing "ABCDEFU."
Where many an emo band will take the song's lyrics and sing them in a growl that sounds like it's coming from a constipated Tom Waits, these guys don't.
The result? A highly enjoyable remake, start to finish.
Disclaimer: Contrary to the vitriolic chorus, there's nothing wrong with owning a Craigslist couch. At least I tell myself that while reminiscing about freecycled furniture of apartments past.
French Pagan folk band Skald mix Viking style chants with ancient instruments like the talharpa, lyre, and hurdy gurdy to reflect what Los Angeles, California acid rock band The Doors would sound like if they recorded in the Scandanavian fjords a thousand years ago.
This is their take on the 1971 psychedelic art rock single "Riders on the Storm."
For another Doors cover, Blues Traveler's version of "Roadhouse Blues" can be found here.
Happy posthumous birthday to prolific Japanese film maker Akira Kurosawa!
In his honor, here are The Lounge-O-Leers -- the New York City duo who are shoddy to the point of awesomeness -- with their cover of Barenaked Ladies' 1998 bouncy anatomy of an argument "One Week."
Like Kurosawa I make mad films... okay, I don't make films, but if I did they'd have a samurai.
Despite flubbing the line about Sailor Moon, which is the best quip in the entire song, IMO,,,, this version is still endearing in its intentional wholesome mediocrity.
For another Barenaked Ladies cover, Cornbread Red's version of "The Old Apartment" can be found here.
Fort Worth, Texas grunge band Toadies had one of the era's most distinctive bass riffs permeating their creepy 1994 flash in the pan hit "Possum Kingdom."
Sadly, this version doesn't contain a bass.
Here, I'll hum the line for you:
Ba-dum, Ba-dum, ba-da-DA-DA, ba-DA-da-dum, DA-da-dum....
This version does, however, feature Doron W, a then eight-year-old third grade student rocking the hell out of it.
The Jagged Edges provided their cover of 1992 alternative rock hit "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" by New York City band Spin Doctors to the website iSweat Music, which is, apparently, perfect for cardio workouts.
Because the band substitute "chick" for the B word and "tick" for the P word, this song can also be played at Bat Mitzvahs without getting too many feathers ruffled.
Though I wasn't able to find out anything about the band, the video was uploaded by Symphonic Distribution, which is based out of Tampa, Florida.
Ontario, Canada fuzzy pop band Tuuli were wrapping up their recording of Motley Crue's 1987 glam metal strip joint verselet "Girls, Girls, Girls" when one of the sound engineers approached them.
"This is great and all, but the original version had a motorcycle revving at the start of the track. We could probably sample..."
"Jennie can make a sound like a motorcycle!" her bandmates agreed.
"Are you sure? I don't mind isolating the sound and.."
"She sounds JUST LIKE A MOTORCYCLE," they interrupted. "It's crazy how on point her impression is!"
I get super strong William Hung vibes from Alexandria, Egypt singer Mahmoud Mahrous's version of the 1999 spicy Latin pop song "Rhythym Divine," originally by Spanish heartthrob Enrique Iglesias.
This version is still spicy, I guess. Just a completely different spice. Tahini, most likely.
The video was uploaded to YouTube nine years ago, when Mahrous was an aspiring singer.
Perhaps his newer material is much more refined.
You're more than welcome to explore that. I'm good.
Eugene, Oregon singer/songwriter Grace Mitchell contributed a version of Hall and Oates' 1982 pop rock song "Maneater" to the soundtrack of 2013 Ben Stiller/Kristen Wiig comedy adventure "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty."
My guess is that nobody informed her that the song lyrics are supposed to be metaphorical, as her version sounds like she's about to silently creep up to some dude on the subway and start separating the sinew from his bones with her teeth.
For your listening pleasure while downing your pints of green beer, here's a song that hits the rare Emerald Isle Trifecta.
This is Dublin, Ireland celtic rock band Aslan, who are named after a character in a series by Belfast, Ireland born theologian C.S. Lewis, with their cover of fellow Dubliners U2's 1988 track "All I Want Is You," from their arguably self-important album and accompanying documentary style film Rattle and Hum.
For another U2 cover, Electron Love Theory's version of "New Year's Day" can be found here.
Albany, New York melodic metalcore band In This Moment take the 1976 space rock song "Fly Like an Eagle" by San Francisco natives Steve Miller Band and dress it up in a leather jacket covered with razor blades.
For another Steve Miller Band cover, Sugar Ray's version of "Abracadabra" can be found here.
Once upon a time (in 1970, to be exact), there was a Chicago, Illinois based jazz rock fusion band called The Ides of March, who played a song called "Vehicle."
I didn't know the band or song by name, but after the first couple of notes, the tune's recognizable. Trust me, you've heard it.
For the 50th anniversary of its release, Leonid and Friends released a web cover.
And, out of the 439 cover songs featured on the blog thus far, this one is hands down the most impressive.
Leonid is Russian... as are six of his friends performing.
One is Ukrainian.
Another is Belarusian.
Yet another is Moldovan.
So, this is a melding of musicians with at LEAST three different primary tongues, none of which are English.
And, they crush it.
Great God in heaven, you know I love this.
Or, courtesy of Google translate, Великий Бог на небесах, ты знаешь, что я люблю это.
Happy Pi Day!
What better way to celebrate the day honoring the mathematical constant than with this cover of 10 piece Washington, DC band The Pietasters' frat party slur-along "Out All Night," performed by Fairfax, Virginia ska group Thirteen Towers.
Los Angeles, California punk band The Regrettes make a supersonic man out of you on this remake of 1979 power pop gem "Don't Stop Me Now" from London, UK classic rock band Queen.
For another Queen cover, Electric Six's version of "Radio Ga Ga" can be found here.
The cover of Wilmington, North Carolina country artist Charlie Daniels Band's 1979 Southern rock tune "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by Adrenaline Mob is the musical equivalent of pouring an extra strength bottle of cherry flavored 5 Hour Energy into a can of Java Monster and chugging the whole shebang.
Buffalo, New York band Reset 2 Vinyl are one of western New York's premier ambassadors of nostalgic tunes from the 70's through 90's.
If you please, this is their version of Toronto, Canada one hit wonder Alannah Myles' 1989 crowd pleaser "Black Velvet."
The live performance was recorded at the DHU Strand Theater in North Tonawanda.
This is, presumably, near the lakes where Nickelodeon series "Salute Your Shorts" was filmed.
Long-established Chicago, Illinois alternative duo Local H released a version of Los Angeles, California gothic rock band Concrete Blonde's heart wrenching 1990 ode to an alcoholic "Joey" on their awesome mix tape #1.
Melbourne, Australia synthpop duo Parralox channel their inner weirdo on this 2011 remake of the 1993 debut single "Creep" from experimental Oxfordshire, UK art rock band Radiohead.
Groove Da Praia are a studio band from.... dunno.
I can't find a list of band members, or any biographical info.
But, here are a few working theories:
1) Based on their collaborations with Los Angeles, California chill/bossa band Ituana, they may also be from the states.
2) They are represented by PMB, a label that operates out of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Maybe they're Argentinian.
3) The name "Groove Da Praia" is Portuguese for "Groove of the Beach," so, possibly Brazilian?
4) Their music is featured on the album "Vintage Reggae Cafe," which is described as "the best expression of Jamaican music produced in this decade." So, possibly Jamaican.
Wherever these mystery artists hail from, they lay down an undoubtedly praia type groove on their reworking of 2013 slow-burning stoner rock song "Do I Wanna Know?" from Sheffield, UK garage rock band Arctic Monkeys.
Smyrna, Georgia intergenerational group Foxes and Fossils are likely the best cover band that you've never heard of.
This is their near flawless rendition of Boston, Massachusetts band Letters to Cleo's 1994 power pop single "Here and Now," recorded in the parking lot of a long shuttered Twisted Taco restaurant. (this article shows the closure date some time before February 2014)
This article pegs the performance date as August 2, 2013.
The video shows a clear shot of a Benjamin Moore paint store.
Vinings Paint & Supply moved into the Shops at Silver Comet in December 2011.
So, this parking lot is technically on Camp Highland Road, not the connector.
And, for the morbidly curious, it looks like the Twisted Taco is now a Japanese sushi and steakhouse.
For a cover by Letters to Cleo, their version of Cheap Trick's "I Want you to Want Me" can be found here.
1974 Latin funk song "Low Rider" by Long Beach, California group War was remade by the lo-fi riders Drunken Boat, on the New York, New York hipsters' 1992 album "See Ruby Falls."
"Under the Milky Way," the 1988 accidental neo-psychedelia hit song from Sydney, Australia band The Church, was given a feminine touch on this charity release from Toronto, Canada indie rock group Metric.
French swing ensemble Pink Turtle take Australian disco era sibling group The Bee Gees' 1971 pop ballad "How Deep Is Your Love" and toss in some jazz lines that are as silky smooth as a vanilla bean Crème Brûlée.
Milan, Italy gothic metal band Lacuna Coil released their version of Essex, UK new wave techno pop band Depeche Mode's 1990 single "Enjoy the Silence" on their 2006 album "Karmacode."
After the first verse, the band employ a technique known as "backmasking."
If you isolate the backward vocal track and reverse it, you'll hear a recipe for a really ripping lentil soup.
For another Depeche Mode cover, Def Leppard's version of "Personal Jesus" can be found here.
Boston, Massachusetts industrial metalists Powerman 5000 charge through Akron, Ohio geek punk band Devo's 1980 mainstream hit "Whip It."
You must whip it before the cream sits out too long.
But, how long is that?
So, if you take heavy cream out of the fridge, instantly forget, and flip on the 2009 Ellen (Elliot) Page/Kristen Wiig sports drama "Whip It", you can watch until the credits roll, and then you've got less than ten minutes to hurry up and whip that cream into shape, shape it up, get it straight before it starts self-fermenting. Which is nasty.
Today marks (believe it or not) the fiftieth anniversary of the release of "Dark Side of the Moon," Pink Floyd's quintessential progressive rock masterpiece which spent an astounding 1500 weeks among the top 200 Billboard albums. It's estimated that the iconic record, on a slow week, averages between 8,000 and 9,000 copies sold.
In 2011, Mary Fahl released an album that reimagined "Dark Side of the Moon." Among the covers on the tribute album is this haunting take on "Brain Damage."
For a cover of Mary Fahl's band October Project, the Gregory Douglass version of "A Lonely Voice" can be found here.
For another Pink Floyd cover, Rasputina's version of "Wish You Were Here" can be found here.
