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.
Honorable Mentions
Roots Bloody Roots - Chat Pile (Sepultura)
Feds Watchin' - Burst Synapse, Chop7times (Sunami)
Eyes Without a Face - Angel Olsen (Billy Idol)
Neon Glow - Dogleg (glass beach)
Bled White - Anxious (Elliott Smith)
I Miss You (Doom and Gloom) - Spanish Love Songs (Blink-182)
Woodstock - Chelsea Wolfe (Joni Mitchell)
Bad Religion - Cat Power (Frank Ocean)
Gris - Mount Eerie (Ô Paon)
Control - Antigama (Napalm Death)
Look a Ghost - Shaylee (Unwound)
Where Gravity is Dead - Shamir (Laura Veirs)
There She Goes - Sullen Eyes (The La's)
La La Means I Love You - Nothing (The Delfonics)
Speed Trials - Tamar Aphek (Elliott Smith)
claws - Hovvdy (Charli XCX)
Got a Lot to Say - Pig City (Ramones)
Last Christmas - Boris (WHAM!)
Closing Time - Kitner (Semisonic)
Islands in the Stream - Mirah, Maia McDonald (Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers)
Windows - Kero Kero Bonito (Frankie Cosmos)
Frasier Theme - Granddaddy (Kelsey Grammer)
I'm on Fire - Cassandra Violet (Bruce Springsteen) (from the 2021 movie Pig)
And here's a Spotify Playlist w/ a bunch of extra covers
