Cover albums can be amazing if they’re done correctly. Most of the time they’re not, but ska bands have had a good track record of producing interesting takes on old classics that don’t always come from their genre. The cover album Reel Big Fish put out last year was a solid effort, and Madness’ “The Dangermen Sessions Volume 1” was some of their best work since their early years. But I don’t think I’ve more hotly anticipated a cover album than the first volume of Streetlight Manifesto’s “99 Songs Of Revolution” series that is set to release March 16th.
I first saw Streetlight Manifesto two years ago as Less Than Jake’s opening band at the Wiltern. About 10 seconds into their first song, I realized these guys are not an opening band – they’re the main event. They are loud, fast, catchy, extremely proficient on their instruments, and above all, passionate in the way they play. Every member of that band goes for it on stage, and this really comes across on their records as well.
So, you can imagine my excitement when they announced the track listing for this record. They cover bands that you might expect a ska-punk band to cover – NOFX, Bad Religion, The Dead Milkmen and the like. But what really interests me is how they’ll interpret songs by Radiohead, The Postal Service, and… wait for it… Paul Simon. I can just imagine what their cover of “Hell” by the Squirrel Nut Zippers is going to sound like, and that alone was enough to get me to pre-order the album. If you’d like to do the same, you can do so at theriscstore.com.
