Just sharing some thoughts on covers that came out this year. Hope everyone has a safe New Years.
Where is My Mind? - Two Minutes To Late Night
After watching Malignant this past fall, all I could think was damn, it's a big year for "Where is My Mind?" by the Pixies. Along with James Wan's polarizing "was that intentionally bad?" HBO Max exclusive using a cover of the song (from 2018) by Safari Riot, the pro wrestling company AEW also bought the rights to use the Pixies song as entrance music for the faction known as The Best Friends. Being so hyper-fixed on "Where is My Mind?" this year I even gave this Two Minutes To Late Night cover a chance. If you don't know anything about Two Minutes To Late Night, I'll save you the Google search and say that it's a Youtube channel featuring a corpse-painted dweeb who interviews other musicians and does metal covers with not-as-cringey musicians of the metal, punk, and hardcore world. As far as the cover goes, I could have done without the millennial "wooo's" (or whatever it's called nowadays), but everything else about this cover is a certified banger. There's Jeremy Bolm going all gas no brakes on the vocals, incredible bass tones by Jon of Vein.fm, drums by the multi-talented Colin Young (Twitching Tongues/God's Hate), and Salem from Bloodbath and Steve from Pup providing guitar sounds that would make an unsuspecting listener want to buy and wear a leather jacket. Hell, even Orange Cassidy of The Best Friends shows up and does the intro (yes, he actually talks). Jordan Olds is definitely the worst part, but without him this cover wouldn't exist, so I got to hand it to him for that.
Change (in the House of Flies) - Wreck and Reference
Earlier in the year, the always cool, always experimental record label, The Flenser announced they would be releasing a cover compilation called "Send the Pain Below" at some point in our lifetime. One cover that has been revealed is Wreck and Reference's spin on Deftones' classic, "Change (in the House of Flies)" from their alt-metal staple, White Pony (2000). As someone who revisited White Pony a lot in the last two years, I needed no refresher on this now an adult at age 21 track. As for the cover itself, Wreck and Reference put their slithery, synth metal stamp on it as expected.
Chances are Wreck and Reference and myself weren't the only ones taking a look back at White Pony, as another band known as Homeshake from Canada also covered "Change" this past year - albeit in a slightly different fashion. That cover is worth a listen as well.
Sorry Entertainer - SASAMI
SASAMI channels something wild here with her cover of Daniel Johnston’s “Sorry Entertainer”. It’s almost as if she took all the energy she didn’t use on the "Toxicity" cover last year and used it full-force here in honor of the late great Mr. Johnston. Whether she was trying to capture that piano-key-smashing jitteriness or trying to imagine what a Daniel Johnston cover on the Crow soundtrack would sound like - I’m 100% sold either way. Peep the music video featuring the almighty Patti Harrison above!
Woke Up This Morning (The Sopranos Theme) - Kal Marks
At first glance, this cover featured on I'm Into Life Records' Creepy Covers comp looks like Boston's Kal Marks didn't understand the assignment. While The Sopranos Theme can surely give fans goosebumps, I wouldn't call the bluesy, acid jazz theme song by Alabama 3 a particularly creepy song. However, Kal Marks manage to turn the song into a dark and stormy night fit for a "BOO: The Sounds of Halloween"-type compilation. Pro-Sopranos and anti-Kal Marks fans alike will enjoy this cover since it still sounds recognizable, while frontperson Carl keeps his signature vocals at bay. I normally love when a band takes a song and turns it into their own, but with Kal Marks already turning "Woke Up This Morning" into an apt "creepy cover", it was the right choice to stick with the storytelling vocals.
Gasoline - Club Night
Comco from Community College, the solo project of Horse Jumper of Love John is one of my favorite releases of 2019. With each listen, Comco grows on me more and more. It must have a lasting effect on others as well, since a cover album was released this very year. The cover album cleverly named, compco not only features friends of the band, but also some growing names in the indie/"DIY" world such as Spencer Radcliffe, Squirrel Flower and Club Night. I could have picked a handful of covers off this comp, but decided the Club Night cover of "Gasoline" was the one I listened to the most, especially since I listened to the original about a million times this year.
Supremacy - Be All End All
Be All End All from South Florida play fast and tough metallic hardcore. It usually takes a little something extra to suggest a hardcore cover, but "Supremacy" hits so hard I can't think of anything else to say but: "these guys covered a 30 second PV song by Crossed Out and it rules". Now available on the insanely stacked America's Hardcore Volume 5 via Triple B Records. Let's go.
Pa Pa Power - Cat Power
When thinking about what got me so invested in cover songs in the first place, I have to look back at covers like Tori Amos’ "Smells Like Teen Spirit", The Cardigans’ "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" and Cat Power's "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction". All three covers are completely different than their source material and with the Cat Power cover in particular, the best part of the Rolling Stones' original - the chorus - is completely absent from the slow and depressing cover. When I heard Cat Power was releasing a new covers album next year, I knew Chan Marshall would not only pick some choice songs to cover but completely dismantle a song down to its bare bones once again. With "Pa Pa Power", Marshall does just that. Taking Ryan Gosling's somewhat forgotten music outfit, featuring prominent children singers to make for a spooky, Halloween-y feel, Marshall goes and strips "Pa Pa Power" down to nothing. No playful keyboard, no organ, no children's choir; just, well... Dead Man's Bones. It took me a couple of listens for this version to really click, but I now know that "Pa Pa Power" is a special cover.
Just the Two of Us - Lady Dan
Taking an already kinda creepy pop standard and turning it into an even creepier dance number perfect for a horror movie trailer is far from a new idea, but I think newcomer Lady Dan manages to make an instant classic out of this haunted rendition of "Just the Two of Us" by Grover Washington Jr. and Bill Withers (among others). Truthfully, the song itself probably didn't start getting creepy until the late 90's when Will Smith covered it for Big Willy Style. I doubt Lady Dan's cover has anything to do with Smith's version; that would be too creepy.
Candy Walls - Nag
Here’s a hidden gem for lack of a better term. Nag’s cover of TR/ST’s silky darkwave deepcut is a cymbal-heavy, chain punk plunge into darkness. It might not be as dark and depressing as the original, but it’s far from a good time. Give it a whirl.
Lonely Weekend - NNAMDÏ
As a card-carrying member of the NNAMDÏ fanclub, I will pretty much listen to anything that the Chicago-based, Swiss army knife of musical prowess decides to release. Admittedly, I did not know this was a cover, but when I found out it was a Kacey Musgraves cover, I was not surprised in the least - again, I'm a card-carrying member of the NNAMDÏ fanclub. Luckily, I don't have to feel guilty or any of that nonsense because NNAMDÏ uses some of my favorite NNAMDÏ specialties to reconstruct an insanely catchy, twinkly acoustic cover. While I think we are past the "let's hate this thing because it's super commercial and perfect for basic white girls" phase of Kacey Musgraves, I don't think I'll be waiting in line at Target for the next album. Still, this is a really fun listen that almost makes me nostalgic for FOMO on a Friday night... but not really.
Blue and Red Horses - Hovvdy & Crisman
Two bands that I love to put on when washing the dishes team up to cover another perfect kitchencore band, Big Thief. Hovvdy and Crisman obviously hit this cover out of the park. If you're looking for more recent Hovvdy, their new album is a good go-to, but the band also put out a second cover album earlier this year that features covers of Charli XCX, Frou Frou, Coldplay, and Paramore. Some might call that a cover album of guilty pleasures, but it's 2021 - no more feeling guilty about listening to Paramore while washing the dishes.
Flagpole Sitta - Intercourse
Sometimes a cover just works because it’s a cool band picking a cool song, sometimes, like Intercourse and their cover of Harvey Danger’s 90s one hit wonder, it works because the band and the cover were always meant to be. “Flagpole Sitta” has always felt like it oozed out its freshmen dorm room, sneaked into your room and sat naked on your pillow while you were in class. Intercourse, much like their "My War" cover, harness all their sludged-out edginess to create an even sleazier, 2021 version of "Flagpole Sitta".
New Slang - Porridge Radio
This cover by Porridge Radio of The Shins (that turned 20 years old this year!) feels like running into a ghost. Whether it's the fact that I haven't listened to The Shins in over 10 years or the fact that this cover feels like it should be from 10 years ago, there's something haunting about this song even before pressing play. This new "New Slang" feels like one of those "zoomers listen to folk punk for the first time" Youtube videos you catch yourself watching because you stayed in bed for too long one depressed-out mornings. You are both in on the joke and so far removed from it that it makes your skin crawl. I have a hard time even putting this cover on this list despite my ever-growing obsession with it. But here it is, it exists and it can't be erased from my conscious.
Gratitude - Buggin
Another awesome hardcore cover. This one serves as a perfect reminder that Beastie Boys never completely shed their punk roots. “Gratitude” might not be “Tough Guy” punk rock Beastie Boys but it’s definitely not “Intergalactic” or "Sabotage" joke rap Beastie Boys either. The Chicago Area hardcore outfit put so much life and energy into this version of "Gratitude" that now the original feels like a lifeless filler of a song. I can't recommended this cover from a highly recommendable band enough. Definitely keep your eyes peeled for more Buggin in the future.
Damaged Goods - IDLES
IDLES left 2020 with a lackluster full-length release in my very serious critic opinion, but it might have also been their opinion as well since they made it abundantly clear that they weren’t just a one and done, social-conscious flavor of the week. so, throughout 2021, IDLES stayed in the spotlight by releasing multiple covers and remixes before dropping another album in November. Along with their Metallica cover which might be my favorite of the bunch (there’s plenty of absolute duds), IDLES reminded everyone that they are a punk band by taking an aggressive approach to Gang of Four’s Post-Punk standard, “Damaged Goods”. And, boy or boy, does it whips.
IDLES weren’t the only band from across the pond to tackle this particular GoF track. Nope, La Roux (remember them?!) also tackle the song. La Roux take a safer approach to the song, despite smashing a microwave with a baseball bat for the music video. I’m curious if La Roux caught wind of the IDLES cover and realized "oh crap, we have to do something else" and instead just released a whole album filled with remixes of their said “Damaged Goods” cover. La Roux's dance-y cover is decent, but come on, IDLES absolutely killed it.
Every year I write some loose metaphor referring to the year being some kind of rollercoaster. Rollercoasters have their ups and downs, yes, and it's a hell of a ride. 2020 wasn't a rollercoaster. 2020 was that god awful ride that sticks you to the walls; the one that's inclosed and the lights just stopped working. Floating in air and g-forces crushing your insides... at least you can jump out of a rollercoaster.
101. Better Off Alone - Purity Ring (Alice Deejay cover) (indie pop/dance)
A nice little cruising song perfect for bike riding, car riding or played in your spaceship on the way to your new planet.
79. Fuck the Pain Away - Peaches
"Fuck the Pain Away" by Canadian musician, Peaches is a lusty little number will make you go "where have I heard this subtle song before?" Well, it doesn't matter. Thanks to film and television this song will forever live on in your subconscious.
78. Day One - Enemymine
Enemymine was a short-lived but just as loud drum and two bass noise trio. Starting as a godheadSilo side project, Enemymine explored a more drone-like style while continuing to test the limits of loudness on both the listener and themselves thanks to the extreme use of bass amplification. “Day One” in particular feels like garage rock projected through blown-out speakers with enough spazz in the vocals to attract the attention of 00's emo/screamo fans.
77. Drama in the Emergency Room - I Hate Myself
I Hate Myself released a 2 song demo on top of rereleasing their now-essential 10 song LP in 2000. Not everyone's cup of tea but the demo still makes for a nice coaster on your coffee table.
76. The Sea is In Here - The Mercury Program
A quick break from harsh vocals for second, here's some calming post rock straight from the sea.
75. 360 - Keelhaul
Originally released on Hydra Head Records in 2000, Keelhaul's clanky mathcore no doubt fits right in with Hydra Head's catalog. The topsy-turvy-ness of "360" feels more like a ship sailing aimlessly through 10 foot seas than an actual keelhaul. "360" is still a rough-ride never the less.
74. Give Me Some Reality - In Control
Don't let "Nardcore" fool you; "Give Me Some Reality" isn't some forgotten mish-mash of genres. Nope, it's just straightforward cali hardcore.
73. The Kindness of Automatic Doors - Helms
Proof that artsy spoken word can still be bouncy.
72. Don't Want to Die Young - Backfire!
Not sure why Backfire!’s 2000 album is all mixed up on Spotify and Youtube but from the scanned booklet via Discogs, lyrics for "Don't Want to Die Young" match up with the song by the same name and not "Still Dedicated" which also match up with the lyrics for that respective song. Either way, Backfire!'s Dutch hardcore 2000 output is a passionate tribute to the band's late guitarist Richard Bruinen, who did in fact die young.
71. Big Riff - Cave In
Naming a song "Big Riff" is a big commitment but Cave In of Methuen, Massachusetts deliver on the promise. "Big Riff" gets a little too prog rock for my liking, but come on, the song is from an album called Jupiter after all.
70. No Cigar - Meanwhile, Back in Communist Russia...
Talking instead of singing was apparently all the rage in 2000. Of the bunch, “No Cigar” a single from Meanwhile, Back In Communist Russia’s debut 2001 release Indian Ink feels the most like poetry in motion rather than an artsy gimmick. Last.fm listeners might remember this song the best as it showed up a lot on post rock radio stations along with being a free download for quite some time. There’s also the chance that you heard the name Meanwhile, Back In Communist Russia… via some buzzfeed “worst band names of all time” list as well.
69. Sex Jam Two: Insect Incest - Milemarker
Not the most welcoming song name but all boiled down, "Sex Jam Two: Insect Incest" is a very sleazy post hardcore, ummm, banger about sex and the way insects do it.
68. Headlines - The Spirit of Versailles
Top notch screamo from an almost endless sea of screamo released in 2000. "Headlines" was originally released on a 7 inch split with Rise From Ruin (which just got digitally rereleased this year with the rest of The Spirit of Versailles' X Summer 1999 X recording session).
67. Hold it Down - Madball
Set it Off for the new millennium.
66. I Love the Unknown - Clem Snide
Not the most overlooked pop rock song of 2000, but Clem Snide's little deadpan love song is a charming number originally panned by critics.
65. Bull Nakano - The Ultimate Warriors
Another wrestling song from 2000. This one is a lot more obscure in nature and in subject matter. Rather than Stone Cold or The Rock, here's a quick love letter to Japanese wrestling legend, Bull Nakano.
64. Mr. E's Beautiful Blues - Eels
Goddamn right this song was in Road Trip (2000).
63. Regieloser Film - Yage
Even with the rough start, this ripper challenges the "all screamo just sounds like Orchid" rhetoric with incredible bass and the shouting of unrecognizable French.
62. Conversations and Smokescreens - Kolya
Not to be outdone by other emotive spoken word jams of the day, two polished-up songs from Kolya's 1999 demo surfaced in 2000.
61. Roseability - Idlewild
This pop rock song from Scotland has no right being so catchy, but hey, a rose is a rose is a rose, right?
60. Time to Bounce - Tom Tom Club
"Who Feelin' It" from the end credits of American Psycho (2000) is fun and all, but "Time to Bounce" is really when TTC came into their own. Commercially and artistically.
101. The Sky's the Ground, the Bombs Are Plants, and We're the Sun, Love - Storm & Stress
Some 2000 Ian Williams' highlights include appearing in High Fidelity, releasing American Don and almost dying on the way to what would have been Williams' last Don Caballero show. On top of all that, Williams, along with long-time Don Cab bassist Eric Emm, released Under the Thunder and Fluorescent Lights, a highly experimental project influenced by Sturm Und Drang and free jazz. While not the crowd-pleaser that American Don is, Storm & Stress laid the groundwork for what would eventually become the band Battles, including the blueprints of Williams’ innovative guitar tapping skills.
100. Dinosaur Act - Low
Low more like slow amirite? Well, here’s a slowcore song about dinosaurs.
WWF Aggression is a compilation of wrestling theme songs with rap and hip hop artists placed on top of tracks. Think the Judgment Night soundtrack except a lot less hardcore. This list wouldn’t be very 2000 without a Stone Cold Steve Austin reference, so here’s Stone Cold Steve Austin’s glass-shattering theme featuring rap bars by Snoop Dogg & WC. While it's no surprise to see Snoop Dogg pop-up on a wrestler’s theme, the WC feature makes this remix hit a bit harder. It's no Disturbed “Glass Shatters'', but it will still make you want to Stone Cold Stunner your non-social distancing neighbors at their quarantine BBQ.
Bonus ramble: Every time I revisit this album I get excited to see a Gangrel theme remix featuring C-Murder (also of Wolfpac theme fame) only to remember that the Gangrel track is not the much cooler Fangin' and Bangin' version that the Vampire Warrior himself uses on the indies.
98. Shadows - Nasum
Melody and grind combine just as man combines with machine to form Human 2.0. Yeah, something like that. Welcome to 2000.
97. Everything Means Nothing to Me - Elliott Smith
Figure 8 feels like bubblegum pop ready to be loaded into the barrel of a feel-good-metaphorical gun. Pressing play equals a shot straight through your head, ear-to-ear. That being said, underneath the emotionless Beatles-fodder that is Elliott Smith's final album (before his death in 2003) is a serious cry for help.
96. Ruining the Show - Kickback ft. Profecy
Don't let this hardcore punk meets French rap ripper fool you, this is not nu metal, nor is it for the weak.
95. Ms. Jackson - OutKast
You won't find a lot of songs featured on MTV's Total Request Live on this list, but in the abundance of boy band, girl band, soft rock and pop rap that littered the airwaves in 2000 - Ms. Jackson by OutKast still holds up to this day. Hell, even the "I am four eels" memes hold up.
94. Fucking Racist Maggots - A Global Threat
New England punx directing their aggression to what truly matters, saying fuck you to racist maggots. Nuff said.
93. Nailwork - Night in Gales
German death metal meets the new millennium with Night in Gales’ final release on Nuclear Blast. Could this be radio death metal? It sure sounds better than “melodic” death metal. “Nailwork” never gained much traction between the casual radio crowd or “true” metal fans. Regardless, it’s a valuable track to revisit, especially when genre-mashing is far from taboo these days.
92. I Won't Back Down - Johnny Cash
While Johnny Cash's rendition of "I Won't Back Down" from his American Recordings series doesn’t pull on the heart strings quite like "Hurt" two years later, it's transparent that the man in black's popularity and health was on the decline. Due to Cash’s poor health, reworks of hit songs had to suffice to honor his locked-in contract with Rick Rubin. At first, Cash’s Tom Petty cover felt a bit on-the-nose as a symbol for a cowboy refusing to let go of his spurs. However, with both Johnny Cash and Tom Petty gone now, there’s something triumphantly sad about this cover.
91. He’s Simple, He’s Dumb, He’s the Pilot - Grandaddy
Wreaking of David Bowie and Radiohead comparisons, Grandaddy manage to make a 9-minute indie rock opera bearable.
Spoiler alert: this is the closest thing to Radiohead that's on this list. So for any of you R-heads holding out for Yorke and the Idioteque gang you can stop reading now and go listen to Kid A on your own time.
90. Sand (Eric’s Trip) - The Microphones
The Microphones cover of “Sand” by Eric’s Trip in no way evokes the life-altering experience that the Glow Pt. 2 would a year later. “Sand” is merely a little lo-fi song that flows in and out of existence. Still, this little cover-that-could is a nice reminder that the Microphones aren’t all blast beats and foghorns. Not that those things don’t totally rule, of course.
89. Taste - Coaltar of the Deepers
Coaltar of the Deepers also released their own 9-minute epic in 2000. Japanese indie rockers' meditative-form echoes that of the Smiths or the Sundays without incessantly being labeled the Japanese version of either band. Despite the runtime, "Taste" breezes by even with its beautiful 2 minute piano epilogue.
88. Motion Sickness - Bright Eyes
While Bright Eyes has recently returned to relevance for reasons I won’t go into here, Bright Eyes’ Fevers and Mirrors does not warrant a 20-year revisit. Not all Bright Eyes material from 2000 has rotted with age, though. Take for instance “Motion Sickness” from a 7” with “Soon You Will Be Leaving Your Man”. While the latter song feels like the slimy emo prominent on Fevers and Mirrors, “Motion Sickness” is a stripped-back track that manages to not offend the eardrums while still being very Bright Eyes in nature.
87. Prayer - Neurosis
“Prayer” resides at the crossroads between Times of Grace (1999) and A Sun That Never Sets (2001). Figuratively and literally. Starting with an chilling guitar pattern reminiscent of Times of Grace, “Prayer” takes a side-trip to an ice-cold opening monologue before turning into a cavalcade of tribal-drum chaos - the same kind of tribal-drum chaos that is explored further in A Sun That Never Sets.
86. Knife Fight - Society's Finest
In a classic case of don't judge a book by its cover, "Knife Fight" by Society's Finest is neither an indie rock band, as the cover might suggest, nor a youth crew hardcore band, as the band name might suggest. Instead, Society's Finest is a christian metalcore band, which might explain their non-graphic album artwork (not that blood and guts are really needed to inform the listener your band is metalcore). “Knife Fight” is also one of those rare cases where the scream vocals and clean singing actually mix well together. So yeah, don’t judge this song by the cover, by the band name, by the religious undertones, or (most importantly) by the dual vocals.
85. One Summer Last Fall - Jets to Brazil
Four Cornered Night might pale in comparison to Jets to Brazil's 1998 must-listen, Orange Rhyming Dictionary (which is also a name of a song on Four Cornered Night), there's still choice tracks on the album begging to be discovered. Try "One Summer Last Fall" for instance, which includes keyboard and guitar work wittier than the song's title. While I wouldn't immediately recommend this song to anyone looking for something along the lines of Jawbreaker (Blake Schwarzenbach's earlier band), Four Cornered Night still offers something that's not quite college radio rock, not quite power pop and not quite emo.
84. Fluorescent Lights - Carissa's Wierd
In 2000, Ugly But Honest was released featuring music recorded between 1996 and 1999 using whatever resources Carissa's Wierd could get their hands on. It’s ugly but honest. It's also quite beautiful and honest. Using minimal instrumentation and spoken, almost whispered vocals, Carissa’s Wierd fit right in at the the 2000's post rock and indie rock table. CW members would eventually gain mainstream success blending the two styles into the refined sound of Band of Horses. Spiritually however, “Fluorescent Lights” feels more like guitarist/vocalist Mat Brooke’s later project, Grand Archives.
83. Sever - Karate
Oh, the smooth and silky jazz rock that is Karate. Karate goes down like a glass of rich chocolate. Karate was so rich and addictive, in fact, that they've been banished from major streaming sites to keep people from consuming too much and throwing up all over their MacBook Pros. That's one theory, at least.
82. Say it In Slugs - Entombed
After introducing their new self-labeled Death ‘n’ Roll sound in the late 90's, it looked like the Entombed career path would eventually lead to watered-down garage rock. Entombed’s 2000 release Uprising along with the track “Say it In Slugs” proved the world wrong. Rather than going full commercial rock, “Say it In Slugs” brings the heaviness. Entombed go back to their Swedish death metal roots, dig them up and drag the roots through the mud to create a new death-induced sludgefest, throwing away everything that was wrong with their 1998 release, Same Difference. Entombed proved that they were heavy without returning to Wolverine Blues which, at this point, would have felt just as stale. Give it a few years though and their early death metal style would root itself once again in both the metal and hardcore community tenfold.
81. The Platform - Dilated Peoples
Dilated Peoples’ debut mainstream album, The Platform is still a banger amongst the radio rap and hip-hop of the day. While “Work the Angles” (originally released as a single in 1998) is the clear stand-out on the album, the eponymous track is not to be slept on. "The Platform" features infectious turntable scratching familiarly heard on “Work the Angles” and serves as a perfect introduction for the rest of the album.
