"C'mon In and Cover Me" The recent trend of bands covering each other (Sept. 18)

by Suzanne Baran
19 September 2008

Listening to the radio while driving seems old-school to some, but it offers many hidden perks. One stands out above all the rest: I was lucky to hear GNARLS BARKLEY’s cover of RADIOHEAD’s “Reckoner.” This gave me pause. Recently, there’s been a glut of bands not only covering other bands’ current or modern hits, but bands covering each other.

But first, watch Gnarls cover “Reckoner.”

Now for the brief history lesson. The THE VIOLENT FEMMES turned the tables on Gnarls Barkley by releasing a cover of that duo’s signature track, “Crazy.” Gnarls covered the Violent Femmes’ classic cut “Gone Daddy Gone” on their first album, “St. Elsewhere.”

“Crazy” has been covered several times since its 2006 release, begging the question: What will the Femmes do to update the tune? In a statement on the band’s website, Gnarls Barkley says, “I might compare it to a calm pond. I caught my reflection in it. And I seemed to be momentarily at peace. This track sounds entirely different in the rain and supports some intriguing lilypads.” An apropos statement considering the title of the song, no?

Meanwhile, “Crazy” has previously been covered by everyone from the KOOKS and NELLY FURTADO to the ZUTONS, RAY LAMONTAGNE, SHAWN COLWINand THE RACONTEURS.

The SCISSOR SISTERS recorded a version of FRANZ FERDINAND’s edgy guitar hit “Take Me Out.” The group’s cabaret-style cover was released online, then as a B-side, with Franz Ferdinand’s permission.

THE FLAMING LIPS’ version of the THE WHITE STRIPES’ “Seven Nation Army,” was another instant cover that had a Internet life, and was released on a various-artists compilation CD.

And the trend continues with lesser-known but just as noteworthy indie acts such as ANNUALS and MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA. They both recorded the other band’s songs and had them published into a limited edition tour 7” available for purchase only at their shows. Now that’s savvy marketing. These are the songs: “Brother” by Manchester Orchestra and “Where Have You Been?” by Annuals.

But sometimes it’s a local affair. The art-punk trio the LIARS each covered one of the other band’s songs – the YEAH YEAHS YEAHS on a split EP called “Atheists, Reconsider.” These bands both hail from Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and the drummer of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs BRIAN CHASE calls the collaboration his “favorite example of bands covering each other’s stuff.” In 2003, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, released a grandiloquent cover of a Liars song (“Mr. You’re on Fire, Mr.”).

Just this week, THE FOALS leaked some news on MySpace. They’re releasing a split twelve-inch with Toronto’s HOLY F*** where each band will cover a track by the other.

Foals front-man YANNIS PHILIPPAKIS said the band will cover “Super Inuit”—the opening track from the Holy F***’s album LP—while on the flip side Holy F*** will re-make “Balloon,” the Foals’ first single from their “Antidotes” album.

Filed under