Archie and the Bunkers
Play the Damned EP
scum stats: my copy on black, apparently there’s a limited quantity on black with red and yellow splatter
If middle fingers on the front cover didn’t piss me off or have me rolling my eyes, then that’s saying something.
What can I say, I’m a sucker for younger folks playing rock and roll. The drums/organ, big brother/little brother duo of Archie and the Bunkers are good. Their heads seem on straight, they’re influenced by all the right shit from the past. And I honestly think that if they keep at it, they will make something GREAT.
As for Damned covers, they dug a little below the surface, ignoring the obvious covers like “New Rose” or “Neat Neat Neat” and I have to give ‘em credit for that. I never spent much time with the Damned, really just a little bit with the first album. So besides the lead-off track, these songs are all kinda fresh to me.
I think the band is still figuring things out and I predict in another year, two tops, they will put out a masterpiece. Until then, this record (and the rest of their increasingly-expanding catalog) serve as moderate placeholders.
In my never-ending quest to keep you weirdos engaged, post in the comments about your favorite releases where one artist covers exclusively another artist. Don’t just LIST something, convince me as to why it is important. Can be Pussy Galore doing Exile, Sonic Youth doing the Fall, Dylan (or Willie) doing Sinatra, whatever. Maybe turn me on to something I’m unaware of? Anyway, most enlightening comment (as determined by me) gets an original Sub Pop pressing of the White Stripes covering the songs of Captain Beefheart. See the connection there? Deadline is a week from today, so get your shit in here already.
Deer Tick covering Nirvana as Deervana. Hands down one of my favorite shows I’ve ever attended. They never did any sort of official release but played a handfull of shows that consisted of only Nirvana covers. The first time I saw them was in the backyard of a little bar during SXSW 2011. I never had the opportunity to see Nirvana live but I can’t imagine it was much different than the incredible show these guys put on. If John McCauley wasn’t such a damn good singer/songwriter I think he could easily have a career covering Cobain. He’s just perfect for the part. Win or lose I want you to at least check some of these videos out. It’s been awhile since they have done one of these shows but I’m always keeping my fingers crossed that we will get the opportunity again. https://youtu.be/vK_KyGv4DuE this is just one example of a video (many more can easily be found) Have fun!
Don’t kick me out of the Vault for lack of coolness, but Deftones cover of Duran Duran’s The Chauffeur is dark and sexy. It’s off of Resident Evil: Apocalypse Soundtrack. https://youtu.be/9MTvP4BXMMI
Don’t kick me out of the vault for this one but the Black Keys Chulahoma is the greatest homage to Junior I’ve ever heard. The clip of Junior’s wife telling them they done him good puts the stamp of approval on it.
The Flaming Lips version of Pink Floyd’s the wall was just epic. The guest spots by Peaches and Henry Rollins we’re on point and complimented the Flaming Lips sound to a T. It was fun, strange, and weird. A perfect album (the original and Flaming Lips version). An honorable mention even though it’s not really an artist would be Primus doing the Willy Wonka soundtrack. Bizarreness at its best.
I love The Bird and The Bees’ cover album of Hall & Oates tunes. I seriously love H&O, so the songs are already great to build on. The B & The B bring synthy-pop with the light and airy vocals of Inara George. Somehow it all (in the words of The Dude) ties the room together.
Cheap Trick’s live album covering Sgt. Pepper for many a reasons…
One, I saw the original 3 shows of this at the Hollywood Bowl as 3 of the 40+ times I have seen Cheap Trick so it was amazing to have a professionally recorded version of it opposed to the few bootlegs I had of the Hollywood shows. Secondly, I grew up listening to the Beatles and found Cheap Trick as a teenager and it was such a natural progression for me. They’ve always sort of been the “American Beatles” in my mind and both bands have had a huge impact on my life in so many ways, be it live experiences of cheap trick, paul McCartney, etc or roles their albums have played in relationships in my life. It seems to be a neverending connection to as I ge two see Cheap Trick this december at the Cavern Club in Liverpool.
Not an album or even something I would ever listen to, but more years ago than I’d like to admit I was at a Bridge Benefit show where Jill Sobule did a solo acoustic cover of Destiny’s Child’s “Survivor.” She took this super pop song that’s totally self-serving and turned it into this raw, emotional heartbreak that sounded like she was still trying to convince herself. I’ve never listened to Jill Sobule or Destiny’s Child but it really showed how the perspective you bring to a song can totally change the meaning and the message. Kind of how I’ve always been amazed when you see the same stage production with a different leading actor and even though they’re saying the same lines in the same costumes with the same blocking it can be a totally different experience. Thanks for the musical musings and recommendations!
I am a huge U2 fan been to every tour since Popmart and saw them several times in multiple countries after Songs of Innocence was released. U2 has been covered many times and while I enjoy many of the covers I don’t think many are above and beyond the original, some I would say are as good but there is only one that I have heard that is definitely better than U2’s. Jack White cover on Love Is Blindness reaches the depths of despair/need that Bono isn’t quite able to communicate as well. Jack of course has sound to the guitar part as well to further that depth. I love his cover so much that I way over paid for the liquid filled release.
The Walkmen covering Nilsson/Lennon’s “Pussy Cats.” When my daughter was younger she would go around the house singing “Here we go loop de loop!” and it was sort of different from the one I remembered from the Nilsson “Pussy Cats” release. I played it for her and she said that wasn’t the one she’d heard. So I went on a quest to find what she’d heard. A pal of mine in England wrote me about this Walkmen release. And, sure enough, that was the version she’d been singing. She couldn’t remember where she’d heard it so I still don’t know to this day. But the Walkmen record is actually an enjoyable attempt. Most notably when they cover Nilsson/Lennon covering Dylan. And around and around we go.
Jimi Hendrix opening at Monterey doing Howlin’ Wolf’s Killing Floor. Still the best thing I have ever seen. Intro gives me goosebumps.