Cover Songs
Michael McDonald and Willie Nelson Cover “Dreams of the San Joaquin” for Charity: Stream
<span class="localtime" data-ltformat="F j, Y | g:ia" data-lttime="2021-05-07T16:18:17+00:00“>May 7, 2021 | 12:18pm ET It’s Bandcamp Friday again, which means dozens of artists are releasing new tracks as the platform waives 100% of its revenue shares. To coincide with the monthly event, Michael McDonald and Willie Nelson have teamed with Los Lobos’ David Hidalgo for a charity cover of “Dreams of the San Joaquin”. Originally written by Randy Sharp and Jack Wesley Routh, “Dreams of the San Joaquin” was made famous by renditions from Kenny Rogers and Linda Ronstadt. It tells the story of field workers in the California’s San Joaquin Valley during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl eras. Fittingly, proceeds from McDonald and Nelson’s new cover will go to b...
Faith No More, Beastie Boys, Mastodon, Cypress Hill, 311, Sepultura Members Cover Public Enemy: Watch
The Kings of Quarantine collective have returned with another socially distanced cover song, this time taking on Public Enemy’s “She Watch Channel Zero” to benefit Roadie Relief. The star-studded crew is spearheaded by Slaves on Dope’s Jason Rockman and Kevin Jardine, along with Mastodon guitarist Bill Kelliher. For each performance, the trio are joined by an all-star team of music luminaries, and they recruited some big-time names for the Public Enemy cover. Along for the ride are Billy Gould and Mike Bordin (both of Faith No More), Mix Master Mike (Beastie Boys), SA (311), MC Serch (3rd Bass), Derrick Green (Sepultura), Sen Dog (Cypress Hill), Toby Morse (H2O) and a special cameo from pop-artist Ron English of Popaganda fame. With vocal stylings from veteran hip-hop artists like MC Serch...
System of a Down’s Daron Malakian Supports “Gun” Cover of “B.Y.O.B.” and Guns, In General
System of a Down guitarist Daron Malakian had thus far been relatively quiet throughout the recent political headlines surrounding his bandmates — specifically the polar opposite beliefs between left-leaning singer Serj Tankian and right-wing drummer John Dolmayan. However, Malakian recently offered his support for Second Amendment gun rights by reposting a video of a drum cover of SOAD’s “B.Y.O.B.” using firearms as percussion. The video was created by “GunDrummer”, a guy who actually shoots guns to make beats, as he plays along to the song with pistols, rifles, and machine guns. The footage (below) is literally triggering, so watch with discretion. Malakian, who released the 2019 single “Guns Are Loaded” with his band Scars on Broadway, used the occasion to announce his pro-gun stance wi...
Alex Lahey Shreds on Cover of Faith Hill’s “This Kiss”: Stream
Australian indie rocker Alex Lahey has shared her own take on Faith Hill’s classic 1998 hit, “This Kiss”. Stream the cover below via Amazon Music. For her version of the country pop ballad, Lahey slightly speeds up the tempo and replaces the acoustic guitar with an electric. The cover transforms “This Kiss” into a straightforward rock tune and it absolutely shreds. “For years, I’ve had this big idea of doing an indie rock cover of Faith Hill’s ‘This Kiss,’ Lahey shared in a statement. “Two key changes, that iconic chorus, a million vocal harmonies — what more could you want? It was such a treat pulling this together with my mates Oscar and Jess as we navigated the depths of Melbourne’s lockdown last year and I’m so stoked that Amazon Music are putting it out perfectly timed with ...
Spoon Share Tom Petty Covers “Breakdown” and “A Face in the Crowd”: Stream
Spoon’s Britt Daniel (photo by Heather Kaplan) and Tom Petty (photo by Philip Cosores) Spoon have shared covers of the late Tom Petty’s “Breakdown” and “A Face in the Crowd”. Stream both songs below. The Texas indie rockers recorded both tracks live at the Catacomb in Austin, with “Breakdown” originally being broadcast as part of Tom Petty’s 70th Birthday Bash, a virtual tribute concert that took place last fall. Back in 2017, Spoon lead singer Britt Daniel explained to Stereogum why “A Face In The Crowd” is his favorite Tom Petty song. “Divine Fits (Daniel’s other band) played ‘You Got Lucky’ at just about every gig we had. What an insane single. It’s got an intense lyric and the most powerful, creepy guitar riff and somehow Dan was able to tap into that attitude every time. It was ...
Lzzy Hale and Members of Code Orange and Baroness Cover Pantera’s “Mouth for War”: Watch
Two Minutes to Late Night‘s “Bedroom Covers” quarantine series rolls on, and the latest socially distanced collab is an all-star rendition of the Pantera classic “Mouth for War”. Among the participants is Halestorm singer Lzzy Hale, Baroness guitarist Gina Gleason, and Code Orange guitarist/vocalist Reba Meyers. Rounding out the lineup is Year of the Knife’s Madi Watkins, drummer Ben Koller of Mutoid Man, along with “Two Minutes” host Gwarsenio Hall (aka Jordan Olds). Needless to say, it’s a star-studded ensemble, and they rip through the opening track from Pantera’s 1992 thrash masterpiece, Vulgar Display of Power. “Mouth for War” is one of Pantera’s most extreme songs both vocally and guitar-wise. The collection of talented musicians do Philip Anselmo and Dimebag Darrell justice in ...
YouTuber Masterfully Performs Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus” as a Motörhead Song: Watch
YouTuber Denis Pauna imagines an alternate universe where hit songs were recorded by different artists. For his latest hypothetical, Pauna pondered, “What if Motörhead wrote ‘Personal Jesus’ by Depeche Mode?’” That’s the title of the Croatian musician’s latest pseudo-mashup cover. As if to discover the answer to his own question, he dressed up in full Motörhead regalia — even donning Lemmy Kilmister’s signature mutton chops — and played Depeche Mode’s classic in the vein of the British heavy metal pioneers. As Pauna proves, if Motörhead had written “Personal Jesus”, it would have still been an awesome song. Over a propulsive riff and the crushing Kilmister bass tone — all played by Pauna himself — hearing the chorus rendered through his spot-on Lemmy bark is truly satisfying. It made us cu...
Tool and Nirvana Songs Performed with a Chinese Hammered Dulcimer Are Mesmerizing: Watch
A musician named Anthony “Bones” Reid has been covering songs by Tool, Nirvana, and other acts using a Chinese hammered dulcimer, and the performances are absolutely mesmerizing. On top of his skillful instrument playing, Reid is also a talented singer. Reid, who performs under the moniker Horns of Pan, has posted a number of videos on YouTube and Facebook over the past couple years. Surprisingly, his YouTube channel has a relatively low number of views considering his impressive musical gifts. The musician has mastered the Chinese hammered dulcimer known as the yangqin, an elaborate percussion-stringed instrument with an ethereal sound. Among his standout performances are covers of Tool’s “Lateralus” and “Descending”, along with Nirvana’s “Heart-Shaped Box” and The Cure’s “Close to Me”. E...
King Crimson’s Robert Fripp and Wife Toyah Perform Eccentric Covers of Nirvana, Alice Cooper, GN’R, and Sex Pistols: Watch
King Crimson’s Robert Fripp and his singer wife, Toyah Willcox, have stayed busy in recent weeks with eccentric interpretations of classic heavy songs by Nirvana, Alice Cooper, Guns N’ Roses, and Sex Pistols. They’re the latest additions to the couple’s “Sunday Lunch” pandemic performance series. You may remember the couple’s utterly bizarre Halloween rendition of Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid”, which saw Fripp playing the song on guitar while Willcox sang and danced in what appeared to be a prison cell. Although the new covers aren’t quite as unconventional as the Sabbath performance, they still showcase the idiosyncratic talents of each artist. Fripp tends to handle most of the music, while Willcox sings and supplies interpretative dances, including a one-person mosh for Nirvana’s “Smells Li...
Older Gentleman Delivers Amazing Cover of Slipknot’s “Snuff”: Watch
YouTube singer-songwriter Frank Watkinson might seem like an unlikely Slipknot fan for his age. Yet, his thoughtful cover of the band’s 2008 track “Snuff” proves that Watkinson knows at least one of the band’s songs to its core. The already slow track is rendered even more emotionally direct through the simple combo of Watkinson’s powerful voice and an acoustic guitar. Sitting in his living room, he delivers a rendition worthy of an actual concert audience. The clip originates from August but made the rounds over the past couple days (via Metal Injection). While the original track is a ballad by Slipknot standards, Watkinson strips the song even further to its bare chords and sentiment, harnessing a simplicity that genuinely conveys the song’s intended message and atmosphere. Watkinson’s c...
The HU Unleash Mongolian Cover of Metallica’s “Sad But True”: Stream
Mongolian act The HU have covered the Metallica classic “Sad But True” in their native tongue, employing both traditional Mongolian instruments and throat singing. It’s a passionately detailed twist on the catchy metal song, transforming the song’s hook and bouncy riff into something new altogether. It manages to sound like The HU’s other traditional Mongolian folk rock without losing the song’s inherent Metallica-ness. Don’t worry, you can still effectively headbang to it. “Like millions of people around the world, Metallica has been a huge influence and inspiration for us as music fans and musicians,” The HU’s Galbadrakh “Gala” Tsendbaatar said in a press release. “We admire their 40 years of relentless touring and the timeless, unique music they have created. It is a great honor to show...
