"Let It Whip" by Roxcel

 

Bowling Green, Kentucky band Roxcel get all funky nostalgic on their rendition of "Let It Whip," a 1982 bygone classic from Cleveland, Ohio group Dazz Band.

It's also a pleasant surprise to see Ron Jeremy getting back in the limelight.

"You Gotta Be" by Cassandra Beck

 

Boston, Massachusetts jazz singer Cassandra Beck mellows out the 1994 R&B single "You Gotta Be," by London, UK soul artist Des'ree.  

I don't know if this version is bad, bold, hard or tough..... but it is calm and cool.  And it's got to stay together.  All I know, all I know is love will save the day.

"Blurry" by Lakeshore

 

New Fairfield, Connecticut rockers Lakeshore cover "Blurry," a 2001 single from Kansas City, Missouri post grunge band Puddle of Mudd.  

If everything's so blurry, as the lyrics begin, this article from Medical News Today could help with the diagnosis.  Could be anything from minor eye strain to a stroke to retinal detachment, so..... best of luck!

"Walking on Sunshine" by The Jazz Pops

 

Sheffield, UK cover band The Jazz Pops get into the swing of things with their remake of 1985 worldwide hit "Walking on Sunshine" from Cambridge group Katrina and the Waves.

"The Freshman" by Emory Quinn

 

It's the final day of summer for the kiddos, and to mark their return to school, here's San Antonio, Texas roots rock band Emory Quinn with their remake of "The Freshman," a 1997 post grunge hit from East Lansing, Michiganders The Verve Pipe.

"All of Me" by Pharita

 

Bangkok, Thailand K-Pop waif and Babymonster member Pharita belts out Springfield, Ohio singer/songwriter/pianist John Legend's 2013 smash hit "All of Me."

"In A Gadda Da Vida" by Church of Misery

 

Tokyo, Japan doom metal band Church of Misery sludge through "In A Gadda Da Vida," originally a six and a half hour long composition by San Diego, California acid rockers Iron Butterfly on their like titled 1968 album.  

OK... it wasn't six and a half hours long.  It was a mere 17 minutes and change.

The Church of Misery version is roughly a third as long, presumably because the band needed to take frequent Funyun breaks.

"Upside Down" by No Apology

 

Kiev, Ukraine band No Apology specializes in performing cover songs in a hard rock/metal style.  

Here is their version of "Upside Down," a 1980 disco pop number from Detroit, Michigan songstress Diana Ross.

"Slow Dancing in a Burning Room" by Youssef Qassab

 Iraqi born musician and criminologist Youssef Qassab covers Bridgeport, Connecticut blues and rock singer/songwriter John Mayer's 2006 emotionally charged hit "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room."

A 2019 Business Insider article listed 10 dangerous things to do during a fire.

As "slow dancing" wasn't among them, it should be a perfectly safe activity.  Have at it.

"Miss Murder" by Lokella

 

Grand Rapids, Michigan band Lokella cover Ukiah, California horror punk artists AFI's 2006 supremo emo "Miss Murder."

According to the ancestry site Family Search, Miss Murder is most likely from Germany, with the surname meaning either "From Murn" or "Grumpy."

"Let's Stay Together" by Ziggy Moon

 

Los Angeles, California independent music producer and music teacher Ziggy Moon takes it to the house on his electrobeat reimagining of Forrest City, Arkansas Southern Soul Artist Al Green's 1971 single "Let's Stay Together."

"Wide Open Spaces" by Soccer Mommy

 

Swiss born indie artist Soccer Mommy puts her spin on "Wide Open Spaces," a 1998 country single from Dallas, Texas group The Chicks.

According to the Soccer Coaching Pro website, soccer fields ARE wide open spaces, with dimensions of approximately 120 yards by 75 yards, and players run an average of seven miles during a regulation game.

For another Chicks cover, Whiskey Shivers' version of "Goodbye Earl" can be found here.

"The Rubberband Man" by Five After Midnight

 

Indianapolis, Indiana eclectic cover band Five After Midnight break out the brass during the Carmel Porchfest on this version of "The Rubberband Man," a 1976 smooth soul single from Michigan based R&B group The Spinners.

"Freeway of Love" by Atlas Band

 

Rochester, New York area nine-piece party ensemble Atlas Band drop the pedal and go....go....go on their energetic rendition of Memphis, Tennessee Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin's 1985 dance offering "Freeway of Love." 

"Harlem" by Oh, Shadow

 

Indie pop duo Oh, Shadow cover "Harlem," a 2013 dance rock single from Danish alternative group New Politics.

This video was uploaded to Oh, Shadow's social media in November of 2013.

Based on the singer's resume, they may have been based out of Los Angeles at the time.

Now, she renders high fidelity specifications for atoms and molecules like a bad girl out in Portland.  

For a cover by New Politics, their version of "Cecilia and the Satellite" can be found here.

"The Breakup Song" by Vision

 

Bridgewater, New Jersey hardcore group Vision lament love gone by on their remake of "The Breakup Song," a 1981 hit for San Francisco, California rockers The Greg Kihn Band.

Sure, Vision could have penned their own song about romantic misfortune, but.... they just don't write 'em like that anymore.

"Nothing but a Heartache" by The Detroit Cobras

 

Motor City garage band The Detroit Cobras cover "Nothing but a Heartache," the 1968 signature song from South Carolina chanteuses The Flirtations.

"Be Quiet and Drive" by Disarm the Geese

 

Irish guitar chill out fusion pair Disarm the Geese cover "Be Quiet and Drive," a 1998 modern rock hit for Sacramento, California nu metal band Deftones.

So, how would one go about disarming geese?

According to Billy Corgan, you should disarm them with a smile, and leave them like they left you here to wither in denial.

"Blank Space" by Equiz

 

Madrid, Spain twosome Equiz cover "Blank Space," the 2014 girl-next-door gone wild single from West Reading, Pennsylvania pop culture behemoth Taylor Swift.

Because they're a duo, there are Dos Equiz.

I don't always write about Spanish folk cover bands, but when I do, it's Dos Equiz.

For another Swift cover, Against the Current's version of "Shake it Off" can be found here.

For a cover by Taylor Swift, her version of "Riptide" can be found here.

"Hot To Go!" by Honey Tree

 

Minneapolis, Minnesota indie band Honey Tree perform the 2023 synth-pop cheer "Hot To Go!," originally by Springfield, Missouri artist Chappell Roan.

Though it's been embraced as a queer anthem, I assume that "Hot To Go!" is about Little Caesar's pizza.

Or, if the spacing is off, about Hot Togo!, which is fitting due to that nation's proximity to the equator.

"Cult of Personality" by La Strange

 

Spilamberto, Italy band La Strange perform their quarantine cover of "Cult of Personality," the 1988 funk metal single from New York City band Living Colour.  

If this had been sung in Italian, they'd have repeated the phrase "lo sono il culto della personalità" quite a few times, and that would be really tough to keep within meter.  Whole lotta syllables there.

For a cover by Living Colour, their version of "Back in Black" can be found here.

"Even Flow" by Mixed Up Everything

 

Melbourne, Australia sibling group Mixed Up Everything play their acoustic rendition of Seattle, Washington grunge band Pearl Jam's 1992 single "Even Flow" busker style, presumably to collect enough change to purchase their drummer a shirt.  

"1985" by Been There Done That

 

Young Iowan band Been There Done That bring some Hawkeye flavor to the Quad Cities venue The Gypsy Highway on their remake of "1985." a catchy 2004 pop punk number from Baltimore, Maryland band SR-71, popularized later the same year by Wichita Falls, Texas power pop band Bowling for Soup.

For a cover by Bowling for Soup, their version of "Let Your Love Flow" can be found here.

"88 Lines About 44 Women" by DeLARGE

 

It's August 8th.... 8/8.... so, figured today would be a good day to drop a cover of the 1981 new wave single "88 Lines About 44 Women" from Boulder, Colorado group The Nails.

The cover is by a band called DeLARGE, presumably named for the main character in Anthony Burgess's 1962 near future dystopia novel A Clockwork Orange.  Their cover art would support that theory.

There is a band called Delarge from Sevilla, Spain.  But, this cover was released in 2002, when members of the Spanish band would have been negative four years old.

I couldn't find anything about the cover artists themselves, but they're on the Dellfold Entertainment label, which had a mailing address in Chalmette, Louisiana. So, I'd guess that they're local to that area.

Unrelated, but here's a link to the 1996 psychedelic rap song "Pepper" from San Antonio, Texas band Butthole Surfers.  I think they owe The Nails writing credit on this one.

"Cake by the Ocean" by Roadblocks Band

 

Tampa, Florida half pints Roadblocks Band tackle Los Angeles, California disco funk throwback band DNCE's 2015 dance pop single "Cake by the Ocean." 

This blog post from a Sarasota, Florida band called The Troublemakerz indicated that members of Roadblocks Band were between the ages of 11-14 when the two groups shared a bill in April of 2019.

So, at this event, the members were as young as 9 and no older than 13.

Kudos to them on their musical chops, and on being innocent enough to remain blissfully unaware of euphemisms.

"Against the Wind" by The Hold Steady

 

For some good old fashioned heartland rock straight out of (checks notes) Brooklyn, New York...  

New York City?!?!?

Anyway, here's urban heartland rockers The Hold Steady with their version of Detroit, Michigan singer/songwriter Bob Seger's 1980 country tinged single "Against the Wind."

"Fat Bottomed Girls" by Remember Monday

 

Happy Monday!

British girlband Remember Monday make the rockin' world go 'round on this remake of "Fat Bottomed Girls," the provocative 1978 glam single from iconic London rockers Queen.

For more Queen covers, Electric Six's version of "Radio Ga Ga" can be found here, and the Regrettes' version of "Don't Stop Me Now" can be found here.

"Walkin' with My Angel" by Hanoi Rocks

 

Helsinki, Finland punk band Hanoi Rocks glam up "Walkin' with My Angel," a 1961 single from Fargo, North Dakota teen idol Bobby Vee.

"This is How We Do It" by Candice Sand

 

Orangeville, Canada singer/songwriter Candice Sand tells her neighbors that they've got much flavor on this remake of "This is How We Do It," the 1995 debut hip hop soul single from Los Angeles, California R&B artist Montell Jordan.

"Mr. Roboto" by Mose Giganticus

 

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area electropunk sludge project Mose Giganticus cover "Mr. Roboto," a 1983 synth pop song from Chicago, Illinois arena rock band Styx.

If I'm not mistaken, this song was recorded with just one guy screaming while playing keytar.

Domo Arigato, Matt.

"August" by HotKid

 

Happy first day of August!

Toronto, Canada psych pop band HotKid cover "August," a 2005 single from New Brunswick lo-fi indie band Elevator.

FYI: If you'd like more information about the artist, don't Google "HotKid," as I did, because it throws up like 20,000 red flags.

Their website can be found here.