Artist	Song
William Shatner	Common People (Pulp)
El Vez	Lust for Christ (Iggy Pop)
The Fall	Rollin' Danny (Gene Vincent)
Kaiser Chiefs	I Heard it Through the Grapevine (Marvin Gaye)
I Am the World Trade Center	Call Me (Blondie)
The Black Keys	No Fun (Stooges)
Mekons	Folsom Prison Blues (Johnny Cash)
Petty Booka	The Tide is High (Blondie)
Giant Sand	Plants and Rags (PJ Harvey)
Butterfly Boucher	Changes (David Bowie)
Kelley Stoltz	Rescue (Echo and the Bunnymen)
Sodsai Chaengkij	Lady Madonna (Beatles)
The Frogs	Vacation (Go-Go's)
The Plastics	Last Train to Clarksville (Monkees)
Cansei de Ser Sexy	Hollywood (Madonna)
Snowden	Time of the Season (Zombies)
Rachid Taha	Rock el Casbah (Clash)
Vyvienne Long	Seven Nation Army (White Stripes)
Nouvelle Vague	Guns of Brixton (Clash)
Willie Nelson	Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana)
George and Antony	Happy Xmas (War is Over) (John Lennon)
Flaming Lips	Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen)

Comment:

1. I love the original version and I love William Shatner. So this was a sort of peanut butter and chocolate coming together, yes? Well, sort of. I never took his forays into sound recordings very seriously (did anybody other than him?) and thought "Has Been" would be some pathetic joke. Instead of his earnest delivery being a handicap, I find that it works well in the service of the songs. But none of them reach the heights of this track, which I love for reasons I can't entirely express. When Joe Jackson swoops in to help things along, I'm in heaven.
2. I love El Vez because he is both political and funny, a rare combination. I love this song because it is both reverent and funny, which is equally rare.
3. Beyond being brilliant in their own right, the Fall are a cover mixers dream - ace choices that they make their own. This is one of my faves of theirs.
4. Nice funked up version of this song.
5. More "new wavey" than the original. Not a bad stab at the song, though covering Blondie works to point up the vocal limitations here (no one, I repeat no one, can match the incomparable D. Harry).
6. The Black Keys are one of those recent bands I'm told I will like. But I haven't listened to them, other than this song. Captures the spirit of the original but in its own way, I think.
7. The Mekons are another band I have long loved and one of the few that can successfully cover Johnny Cash. How do these Brits come off sounding so genuinely musically American? They've got the spirit.
8. "Let's Talk Dirty in Hawaiian" is my most recent antidote to the blues - fun stuff.
9. Great band, great song to cover.
10. Apparently Butterfly is her real name. I guess that gives her some kind of cred. Good job here covering Bowie (and she doesn't really need his help, but it's a pleasant surprise when he shows up).
11. This is from a cover of the entire "Crocodiles" album, which is an LP that was a significant part of my teenage soundtrack. This pays proper due to it.
12. I have no idea who this is but I like it.
13. The Frogs are one of those bands I've kept meaning to listen to (in this case, since 1989) but have not really explored yet. This is a very fun piss take on the song and southern California culture.
14. The Plastics were a very quirky band and if you only know them by their godawful Island lp, the original Japanese albums are worth tracking down.
15. No clue about this one - but it's fun!
16. Another mystery band to me. A really nice interpretation of a 60s classic. Puts me in mind of the Danse Society's take on the Rolling Stones' "2000 Light Years From Home."
17. From all evidence I've heard, Algerian-French phenom Rachid Taha is the genuine article. Against all odds, he makes me momentarily forget Joe Strummer when I hear this. Now that's a good cover.
18. Vyvienne Long does a nice cello-based interpretation of the Jack White Show. Good for her.
19. New wave bossa nova - outstanding! Where was this band during my high school prom? 20. Willie gives the Nirvana anthem some soul. 21. A pleasant meeting of the minds. 22. A hard cover to pull off. I think the Lips manage it, though. Just barely. ***Cover image is "Dancing Trees" by Dun Luna.

Feedback: