Most Unique Cover Songs

It's awesome to watch a band take someone else's song and do something amazing with it.


The most unique covers I can think of right now are by the bad plus; I've been pretty into them for the last couple of years and they are one of the coolest things happening in music right now imo. Their covers are great and their originals are equally enjoyable if not better. I'm absolutely shocked that I never see anyone mention them here. . . Partly because their drummer (David King) is very unique and an all around amazing drummer and partly because they're pretty controversial (especially in jazz circles). Anyway, here are some of their covers that I'm a big fan of. I would highly recommend checking them out if you haven't.

They have a lot of other great stuff, I just figured I'd put these up since these are their first songs I heard that really got me into them.

Cover of Aphex Twin's "Flim" (really creative drumming on this one) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX_I...6A870EB7&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=63

Cover of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (song starts around 3:00) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEyfLM8tKhc

Cover of Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyz5_al-Dww

What are the craziest covers you guys have heard?
 
It's awesome to watch a band take someone else's song and do something amazing with it.


The most unique covers I can think of right now are by the bad plus; I've been pretty into them for the last couple of years and they are one of the coolest things happening in music right now imo. Their covers are great and their originals are equally enjoyable if not better. I'm absolutely shocked that I never see anyone mention them here. . . Partly because their drummer (David King) is very unique and an all around amazing drummer and partly because they're pretty controversial (especially in jazz circles). Anyway, here are some of their covers that I'm a big fan of. I would highly recommend checking them out if you haven't.

They have a lot of other great stuff, I just figured I'd put these up since these are their first songs I heard that really got me into them.

Cover of Aphex Twin's "Flim" (really creative drumming on this one) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX_I...6A870EB7&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=63

Cover of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (song starts around 3:00) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEyfLM8tKhc

Cover of Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyz5_al-Dww

What are the craziest covers you guys have heard?


YES!!!!!!!!! Someone who knows their genius!!! I've seen them twice at the village vanguard, saw 2 sets each time. They are soooooo gooodddddd!!!!!!! every single time i hear them live i am completely blown away. Their totally unorthodox style and the fact that they're SOOO tight just boggles my mind. My favorites are anthem for the earnest, their cover of chariots of fire (ohhh that bassline!!), everything from prog...well who am i kidding i really love all their stuff, except that new album, it doesn't do it for me with the singer.

Once i read the title i immediately thought bad plus, and im happy someone else knows who they are. I can't really think of anyone else that makes totally original and outlandish covers comparable to theirs.
 
Leningrad Cowboys do some great covers, sometimes just like the original, but usually with their own flavor, which varies from polka to metal (and they do both very well!)

Bermuda
 
Mark Kozelek whose bands were Red House Painters and later Sun Kil Moon had quite a few totally almost unrecognizable covers. He usually writes pretty dark depressing yet very intense stuff. Here's him covering an ACDC song and the original

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEKpOgF-Jzc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvPIWyJVsmA

And I always liked Yes' reworking of America by Simon and Garfunkel. And also Devo had some pretty cool interpretations of Satisfaction by the Stones and Working in a Coal mine (Can't remember who did that).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I09xjQgMAI
 
YES!!!!!!!!! Someone who knows their genius!!! I've seen them twice at the village vanguard, saw 2 sets each time. They are soooooo gooodddddd!!!!!!! every single time i hear them live i am completely blown away. Their totally unorthodox style and the fact that they're SOOO tight just boggles my mind. My favorites are anthem for the earnest, their cover of chariots of fire (ohhh that bassline!!), everything from prog...well who am i kidding i really love all their stuff, except that new album, it doesn't do it for me with the singer.

Yeah, amazing band. Best concert I've ever seen. I talked to them after the show and it just blew me away how humble they were. I told Dave King that watching him just made me want to give up on drums :p. I actually like the album with Wendy Lewis though. It's definitely not as good as their instrumental stuff and I feel like she kind of steps on their toes at times, but it's still an interesting album.

Have you checked out Happy Apple? It's another trio with Dave King in it. Saxophone/Electric Bass/Drums. They're even crazier than the bad plus. I have to listen to most of their songs at least 3 times before I can understand what's going on.


Haha, that was pretty neat. Classic song, I thought it was pretty funny on 'the Making of Aja' when they showed that rap song that sampled Black Cow.
 
That bad plus stuff is weird, too many dischords for me i'm afraid and i'm usually a fan of them.

I've heard the seether cover before thought it was pretty good.

Personally i think this has got to be one of the all time greats:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKnxmkOAj88

Here's one i liked, partly because i hate Kelly Clarkson so much (even if DG did all her music for her!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkmTAt1aKUg

also here's one i did, if you've ever heard of a program we have in the UK called "ready, steady, cook!"?

http://profile.ultimate-guitar.com/eddiehimself/music/

It's on my mp3s somewhere.
 
Finnish power metal band Sonata Arctica covering Bette Midler's "Wind Beneath My Wings" comes to mind:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5pY-_e8znE

Original, for those unfamiliar with it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDURv8fj9dk&feature=related

Sonata Arctica have a lot of killer cover songs in general, always adding their own twist and flavour to them. How about Metallica's "Fade To Black":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HifmJQ66Ji8

...or The Scorpions' "Still Loving You":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00pRnGoYtY0

...or Iron Maiden's "Die With Your Boots On":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3U-1u6YnvUM

...or Helloween's "I Want Out" (probably their most faithful cover):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZg5Rek2y6o
 
Megadeth - Anarchy In The UK. / Sex Pistols.
Judas Priest - Johnny B. Goode. / Chuck Berry.
White Zombie - Children Of The Grave. / Black Sabbath.
Scorpions - Can´t Explain. / The Who.
Van Halen - You Really Got Me. / The Kinks.
...........
 
The most unique (hilarious) cover i can remember is Type O Negative's cover of Seals and Croft's "Summer Breeze."
 
That bad plus stuff is weird, too many dischords for me i'm afraid and i'm usually a fan of them.

I've heard the seether cover before thought it was pretty good.

Personally i think this has got to be one of the all time greats:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKnxmkOAj88

Here's one i liked, partly because i hate Kelly Clarkson so much (even if DG did all her music for her!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkmTAt1aKUg

also here's one i did, if you've ever heard of a program we have in the UK called "ready, steady, cook!"?

http://profile.ultimate-guitar.com/eddiehimself/music/

It's on my mp3s somewhere.

Agreed, the jeff buckley cover of hallelujah is magical. I prefer over leanord cohen's version any day of the week.
 
I like Alanis Morisette doing "King of Pain" by the Police
Avril Lavigne's "Fuel" at Metallica's Icon show from MTV
Sting's cover of "Little Wing" by Jimi Hendricks
Metallica doing "Stone Cold Crazy" by Queen
 
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