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Fun Stuff => BAND => Topic started by: TrueNeutral on 17 Jan 2006, 13:49

Title: Weird Covers
Post by: TrueNeutral on 17 Jan 2006, 13:49
So, me and my friends formed a terrible metal band a while ago, and so far, we've only been practicing some covers and all (mostly due to the fact that we're all wonderfully terrible), and we had this idea that we needed to make a weird cover album that will make most mainstream people go 'what the hell'?

After throwing around some ideas, we settled on three songs. We wanted to make an acoustic ballad out of Slipknot's Wait & Bleed (we don't really like the song, we just like the idea) and trash metal out of Back In The USSR by the Beatles and I Shot The Sherrif by Bob Marley. We also want to do something with EElS Dog Faced Boy but we're not sure what yet. Making it a lumbering doom metal song would fit, I guess.

So I was wondering, if you guys were out to make the weirdest cover album, which songs would you use, and what would you do to them?
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Felix on 17 Jan 2006, 14:17
I'd try Let It Be, Mr Bungle way... Or a jam band version of the Bee Gee's Stayin' Alive.

Me and my friends had done a trash metal cover of Blink 182's Damnit once, and my friend's hardcore band once played an hardcore cover of a Green Day song. And I recorded a while ago an acoustic cover of Offspring's The Kids Aren't Alright, emo-whining style, with pathetics "wohoo" backvocals. It hurts my ears...
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Kai on 17 Jan 2006, 15:25
What you do, is you take a fairly normal song (For this case I'm going to use Louie Louie) and you weird the hell out of it, Sun Ra/John Zorn/Zappa style. That's how I'd do my covers as soon as I get a band together.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: SkatingIsGood on 17 Jan 2006, 15:37
Children of Bodom did a version of Britney Spears - Hit Me Baby One More Time.

I found it amusing.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: rive gauche on 17 Jan 2006, 15:50
The Number 12 Looks Like You did quite a nice job covering My Sharona. You should listen to it (And by you, I mean the collective you).
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Storm Rider on 17 Jan 2006, 15:53
Damn, somebody beat me to the Children of Bodom one. Also, Exodus covered Low Rider. It's totally awesome.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Kai on 17 Jan 2006, 17:47
Oh, we're talking about actual weird covers now, eh? Zombie Apocalypse's cover of Welcome to the Jungle. Some metal band covered Europe's The Final Countdown, and CoB usually get the credit, although I know it's not them. The Residents' cover of Zappa's King Kong, not to mention Hank Williams and  John Phillips Sousa, and their cover of The Rolling Stones' Satisfaction is essential, as well as their twisted album of covers of pop music from the 60's, The Third Reich N' Roll. Not sure if they covered it on any official release, but Primus covers Rush's La Villa Strangiato Master of Puppets live alot. They covered Floyd's Have a Cigar, and The Residents' Sinister Exaggerator (And on numerous occasions have done Constantinople and Hello Skinny). Phish have covered Zappa's Peaches En Ren. Oysterhead does a shitload of covers live; the oddest one I have is House of the Rising Sun.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Felix on 17 Jan 2006, 17:51
Quote from: Kai
and CoB usually get the credit, although I know it's not them.


Even if they said it in interview?


Oh and Zappa has done a real f-up cover of Hendrix's Purple Haze... weirdest shit I've ever heard... until Animal Collective last month.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Patrick on 17 Jan 2006, 18:07
What you should do with covers is try putting the song to every musical style you can think of. The thing that came to mind when I read the title of this thread was a bossa-nova style cover of The Beatles' "With A Little Help From My Friends". IT was brilliant. ^__^
Title: Re: Weird Covers
Post by: KharBevNor on 17 Jan 2006, 18:16
Quote from: TrueNeutral
trash metal out of Back In The USSR by the Beatles


It's been done, live by Type O Negative several times. They've also done Daytripper.

http://s5.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2T220PZJIPH7J11MSB46PAU11D

If you want wierd, you've got to do something totally off the fucking wall, I mean, not even rock. An NWA cover, or Kylie Minogue, or something. That's why Overlords cover of Girls Aloud's 'Sound of the Underground' and Brujeria's warped cover of the Macarena (Marijuana) are so good: because they're SO wrong.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Patrick on 17 Jan 2006, 19:43
No no no. Here's the way to REALLY whack people out. Do industrial covers of classic rock songs. Like Laibach did the entire Let It Be album by the Beatles. That threw me off something good.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Felix on 17 Jan 2006, 20:31
Richard Cheese anyone?

Or Paul Anka's Rock Swings album...
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: nescience on 17 Jan 2006, 20:36
One word: Pat fucking Boone.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: pat101 on 17 Jan 2006, 22:28
Ted Leo did a version of "Since U Been Gone" that was awsome. I think that was Ted Leo...
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Octillus on 18 Jan 2006, 00:52
Quote from: Felix
Quote from: Kai
and CoB usually get the credit, although I know it's not them.


Even if they said it in interview?



Ah but it's Norther. The band even more CoB like than the Children of Bodom themselves.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Waffles on 18 Jan 2006, 01:46
I was hanging out at a friend's party, he had a karaoke machcine, a couple cds. there was a lot of new angsty chick rock (like "since u been gone", tho i didnt think thats the one I did), and so a friend of mine told me to go do it and w/ hardcore lyrics... So I sang it (No mics required) Hardcore/Screamo/Metal style. It converted perfectly... just add a distorted bass guitar and you're good to go. Its an easy one, not so wierd, but it does the job.

Something like Zero by the Smashing Pumpkins on whimsical instruments... a little hand drum, and a flute/xylophone, with little kid style sing-song vocals - gotta rearrange the rhythmics on the whole song to make it work, but it could easily be done...

uhm... i can totally hear it... it makes me giggle...
seriously. somebody do that. if nobody else does I will, except since I dont have a xylophone i'd have to use my piano, two octaves above what the song should be.

*gigglefit*
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Reno on 18 Jan 2006, 03:02
The best cover of all time is Iron and Wine doing Such Great Heights by the Postal Service

It is not often I find a cover I like better than the original
Title: Re: Weird Covers
Post by: TrueNeutral on 18 Jan 2006, 03:39
Quote from: KharBevNor
Quote from: TrueNeutral
trash metal out of Back In The USSR by the Beatles


It's been done, live by Type O Negative several times. They've also done Daytripper.

http://s5.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2T220PZJIPH7J11MSB46PAU11D

If you want wierd, you've got to do something totally off the fucking wall, I mean, not even rock. An NWA cover, or Kylie Minogue, or something. That's why Overlords cover of Girls Aloud's 'Sound of the Underground' and Brujeria's warped cover of the Macarena (Marijuana) are so good: because they're SO wrong.


Yeah, we found a good one for really off the wall. Pussycat Dolls - Dont Cha. Personally, I despise the song, but meh. We're changing around the lyrics a bit to 'God I wish' instead of 'Don't you wish'. Trying to make it into speed metal but I don't know if that'll work. Might go grunge on that one.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: sketchyjoe on 18 Jan 2006, 03:44
Anything the Residents covered/desecrated is pretty cool. DEVO had some great covers, particularly Satisfaction. The Toy Dolls covered the Final Countdown using Kazoos. There's a great band called the Ramonetures who have surf cover albums of the Ramones and X. Nothing else comes to mind right now although I'm sure there's more I think of later.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: TrueNeutral on 18 Jan 2006, 05:14
I have a couple of songs by some band doing lounge covers of Nirvana which are pretty cool. I just can't remember what they're called.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Patrick on 18 Jan 2006, 06:45
Quote from: pat101
Ted Leo did a version of "Since U Been Gone" that was awsome. I think that was Ted Leo...


...didn't the original of that song come out like. A year ago? That's kinda like somebody doing a cover of "Hey Ya".
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: rive gauche on 18 Jan 2006, 06:50
What does that matter?
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Patrick on 18 Jan 2006, 06:54
Eh, just kinda struck me as unusual.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Praeserpium Machinarum on 18 Jan 2006, 07:40
Under Byen's cover of Leonard Cohen - I am Your Man has banjo and sinister percussion. Their female singer Henriette Sennenvaldt only makes it more bizarre;)
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: KharBevNor on 18 Jan 2006, 09:29
the gold standard for warping lyrics is Inkubus Sukkubus' cover of 'I Can't Get You Out of My Head':

Can't get you outta my head
Got a devil here inside me
I can't get you outta my head
The dead in Hell are calling me

Can't get you outta my head
As a razor tears into my flesh
I can't get you outta my head
As I'm drowning in this misery

Every night, Every day
Just to be there in your arms

La la la
La la la la la
La la la
La la la la la
La la la
La la la la la
La la la
La la la la la

Can't get you outta my head
When the soul is ripped right outta me
I can't get you outta my head
When the cloak of Death is over me

Every night, Every day
Just to be there in your arms

Can't get you outta my head
Can't get you outta my head
Can't get you outta my head
Can't get you outta my head

La la la
La la la la la
La la la
La la la la la
La la la
La la la la la
La la la
La la la la la

etc.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: TrueNeutral on 18 Jan 2006, 12:03
Claps Your Hands Say Yeah - Heavy Metal

Except, as actual Heavy Metal.

Something by the prodigy will probably be power metalfied.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Der Golem on 18 Jan 2006, 13:07
In my book, taking a metal song and turning it into an acoustic ballad or taking a calm, relaxing song and doing a metal version of it is neither weird nor particularly clever. There are other genres too you know. Try to funk up some Tom Waits or do a blues rendition of some pop-punk track or something.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: TrueNeutral on 18 Jan 2006, 13:19
Yeah, but: We're a metal band, and like I said, we're trying to make the 'mainstream' audience go 'wtf?'. I doubt they even heard of Tom Waits. Not any of the people I know, anyway. Besides, we're terrible, so we need some simple things to start with.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: amok on 18 Jan 2006, 13:23
I was going to think of an original reply to this thread but ever since I heard "dub will tear us apart" it's been my stock answer for every covers topic ever.

(it's just an EP Of 4 dub reggae covers of Joy Division classics. Quite awesome.)
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Der Golem on 18 Jan 2006, 13:56
Quote from: TrueNeutral
Yeah, but: We're a metal band, and like I said, we're trying to make the 'mainstream' audience go 'wtf?'


Well then metal covers it is. They can be quite awesome too, if done well. (And even if they're done badly it will still make people go "wtf?") Have you heard Fantomas' Directros Cut? They have some truly wicked hardcore/metal/avant-garde covers of film music.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Mr. Oysterhead on 18 Jan 2006, 17:10
Pretty much everything Kai said. Primus and Residents ftw. Primus' rendition of The Devil Went Down To Georgia and the matching video brings a tear to my claymated eye.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: E. Spaceman on 18 Jan 2006, 17:11
Quote from: TrueNeutral
Yeah, but: We're a metal band, and like I said, we're trying to make the 'mainstream' audience go 'wtf?'. I doubt they even heard of Tom Waits. Not any of the people I know, anyway. Besides, we're terrible, so we need some simple things to start with.



Do "Hit Me baby one more time", use the cover by Travis as a basis but replace wussy vocals and acoustic with some bitchin' guitars and a suitable vocal.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Patrick on 18 Jan 2006, 17:52
Hah. Do the vocal melody on a heavily-distorted guitar. A Les Paul or a copy thereof, preferably, since it has that amazing "I am going to destroy you" tone to it.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: eagle14 on 18 Jan 2006, 18:18
big red car by the wiggles or any other childrens songs!
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: E. Spaceman on 18 Jan 2006, 20:55
Quote from: KimJongSick
Hah. Do the vocal melody on a heavily-distorted guitar. A Les Paul or a copy thereof, preferably, since it has that amazing "I am going to destroy you" tone to it.


Indeed, listen to Muse's coer of "I can't take my eyes off you" for inspiration.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Spartan Pho3nix on 19 Jan 2006, 00:08
Wow - the Ted Leo cover is amazing.

Especially the Yeah Yeah Yeahs cover right in the middle. MAAAAPPS.

So fricken funny. I started laughing my fricken ass off when he started singing maps, esp with how smoothly he blended it.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Patrick on 19 Jan 2006, 04:54
Don't do the Alphabet Song, my band and I already have plans for it. We're thinking either reggae, blues, or a 'Top Gun'-inspired guitar riff ballad.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Kai on 19 Jan 2006, 13:40
Bon Jovi Style Alphabet song? GO FOR IT
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: cibohphobic on 19 Jan 2006, 15:37
I've always been a fan of Throwdown's cover of "Baby Got Back".
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Inlander on 19 Jan 2006, 15:53
Definitely the white-power metal version of ABBA's "Dancing Queen" that I heard blaring out of a neo-Nazi skinhead's earphones on a train in Finland.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Patrick on 20 Jan 2006, 10:24
YOU ARE THE DANCING QUEEN
YOUNG AND LEAN
ONLY 17 (GAS THE JEWS)
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: almost thursday on 20 Jan 2006, 11:23
if i was in a covers band it'd be speeddisco versions of hymns
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Bumface on 20 Jan 2006, 11:31
Nina Gordon's acoustic cover of Straight Outta Compton is a bit fucking great.

See also : Ben Folds' cover of Bitches Ain't Shit.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Kai on 20 Jan 2006, 15:46
I love that cover. BITCHES AIN'T SHIT BUT HOES AND TRICKS


Quote from: KimJongSick
YOU ARE THE DANCING QUEEN
YOUNG AND LEAN
ONLY 17 (GAS THE JEWS)



That is so awesome that it gets a sig quote.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: KharBevNor on 20 Jan 2006, 15:57
That's probably on the 'A Metal Tribute to Abba' CD, which I don't think has any WP bandfs obn it, just normal sort of shit.

Therion - Summer Night City slays all on that. Also, it has, like, one of the most out there fucking videopsl,
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Patrick on 21 Jan 2006, 02:29
Yay! I've been sigged!
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Praeserpium Machinarum on 21 Jan 2006, 04:05
Be My Baby with Scary Demon Vocals could be fun or maybe Help!

HELP!
I NEED SOME BLOOD
HELP!
NOT JUST ANY BLOOD
HELP!
YOU KNOW I NEED SOME BLOOD
HELP!

but that has probably been done...
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Aram on 21 Jan 2006, 08:59
Trash metal version of "I shot the sheriff"? Are you -insane-?
Although, I'm rather curious to as to what it would sound like... Damn you, curiosity!
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: pat101 on 21 Jan 2006, 13:27
Quote from: Spartan Pho3nix
Wow - the Ted Leo cover is amazing.

Especially the Yeah Yeah Yeahs cover right in the middle. MAAAAPPS.

So fricken funny. I started laughing my fricken ass off when he started singing maps, esp with how smoothly he blended it.


I was listening to it on my ipod at work and just BURST out laughing, people thought I was totally insane.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Patrick on 21 Jan 2006, 13:42
I want a Dragonforce cover of "Yesterday" by the Beatles.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: penpen17 on 21 Jan 2006, 14:38
I like the Frou Frou cover of Holding Out for a Hero that they did for the Shrek 2 soundtrack.  Not so much a crazy cover, but it is fun
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: KharBevNor on 21 Jan 2006, 15:04
My personal updated 'strange covers' CD:

The Dresden Dolls - War Pigs [Black Sabbath]
Edge of Sanity - Invisible Sun [The Police]
Type O Negative - Back In The USSR [The Beatles]
Anti-Ben - Born In The U.S.A. [Bruce Springsteen]
KMFDM - These Boots Are Made For Walking [Nancy Sinatra]
Bauhaus - Spirit In The Sky [Norman Greenbaum]
Ewigkeit - Ea 2000: Out for the Count [Cover of Burzum's 'Ea, Lord of the Depths']
Nina Gordon - Straight Out Of Compton [NWA]
Entombed - Amazing Grace (Punk Version)
Inkubus Sukkubus - I Just Can't Get You Out Of My Head [Kylie Minogue]
Brujeria - Marijuana [Cover of Los del Río's 'Macarena']
Tori Amos - Raining Blood [Slayer]
Skyclad - Prime Evil [Venom]
Overlord - Super Rocking Secret Song [Cover of Girls Aloud's 'Sound of the Underground']
Discordance Axis - Gimme Gimme Gimme [Black Flag]
Libitina - Gothic People [Cover of Pulp's 'Common People']
Anal Cunt - Stayin Alive (Oi! version) [Bee Gees Cover]
The Misfits - Monster Mash (live) [Bobby "Boris" Pickett and the Crypt Kickers]
The Meads of Asphodel - Utopia [Hawkwind]
Therion - Summer Night City [Abba]
Children of Bodom - Oops! I Did it Again [Britney Spears Cover]
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Aram on 21 Jan 2006, 15:24
You know what would be awesome? A Death Metal cover of Sound of Silence, by Simon and Garfunkle. I wonder what that'd be like. Picture a video for it. Some wild-haired buff tattooed dude screaming into a mike, "HELLOOOOOOOO, DARKNESSSSSSSSSSS!!!! <Crowd screams 'YEAH'> MY OOOOOOOOOOLLLD FRIEEEEEEEEEEEENDD!!!"
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Kai on 21 Jan 2006, 16:52
Your mention of Nancy Sinatra covers (Khar) reminded me of the Residents. They covered These Boots Are Made for Walking (Shortened to just Boots, released on Meet The Residents) that is so warped that you can't tell that it's a cover unless you listen for it.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Patrick on 21 Jan 2006, 17:32
Ugh, that bitch Jessica Simpson...
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: IronOxide on 21 Jan 2006, 18:19
Operation Ivy covered it too.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Aram on 21 Jan 2006, 22:45
I've been listening to Wolf Parade a lot lately... But..
I wonder what a Wolf Parade cover of The Beatles - While My Guitar Gentley Weeps.
They have a really nice sound, and I think it'd fit the song. Thoughts?
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Hat on 21 Jan 2006, 23:08
The Pictures did a great cover of Milkshake, by Kelis on Like a Version.

Speaking of These Boots are Made for Walking covers that aren't appalling, Little Birdy did a cover of it that came out on the CD as well.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Aram on 21 Jan 2006, 23:22
I didn't like Jessica Simpson's cover of that. The video was tantalizing, though, to say the least.
The Pictures did a cover of Milkshake?  I should look into this.. Was it good?
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Hat on 22 Jan 2006, 00:45
I thought it was awesome as hell, but you can decide for yourself. (The Pictures cover that is. I can't imagine anyone here enjoying the massacre of Nancy Sinatra that Jessica Simpson did)

http://s35.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2B09T1ZHUJ6252AX43GFNRVR72

The whole Like a Version CD was awesome in my opinion. There are songs I didn't really like originally that were really well done, like The Cat Empires version of Hotel California, and Damien Rice doing When Doves Cry, and some bands I've never really liked doing covers of songs I like that were decent as well, like Jebediah doing "Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head"

For some reason, that annoying as fuck nasally voice works really well with Raindrops, when I should just be appalled.

Also, Love Outside Andromeda doing Bowie's Andy Warhol was cream-tacular in general.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Patrick on 22 Jan 2006, 08:14
I'm thinking my band needs to do a cover of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," but put the lead guitar through a wah pedal. Give it that "White Room" feel that it wants so badly.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Inlander on 22 Jan 2006, 22:35
Quote from: KharBevNor
That's probably on the 'A Metal Tribute to Abba' CD, which I don't think has any WP bandfs obn it, just normal sort of shit


The rest of the C.D. the guy was listening to was filled with songs about concentration camps and the like: he had the C.D. turned up so loudly that even though he was wearing earphones, it was possible for everyone else in the train carriage to hear every word.  Also, the guy in question was wearing clothes covered in Nazi insignia (the Nazi swastika, S.S. logo, etc.).  The cover of "Dancing Queen" sounded like it was done by the same band as the rest of the C.D.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Aram on 23 Jan 2006, 06:11
Quote from: KimJongSick
I'm thinking my band needs to do a cover of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," but put the lead guitar through a wah pedal. Give it that "White Room" feel that it wants so badly.


Would that sound good? I mean, the whole thing of the guitar weeping was original, yes, but any other way than the Beatles did it would be like, wrong :o
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Patrick on 23 Jan 2006, 07:24
Well, I mean, it's worth a try. If it turns out it sounds like crap, we'll just scrap the project.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: almost thursday on 23 Jan 2006, 07:29
man, you only live once - when it comes to music, try everything. use steel pans in yr songs, make an entire album of kazoo noise, have girls sing over whitenoise then write hour loing songs that are onyl the sound of water, have a violin player in the band, cover whitehouse and M.I.A and dress like nuns while you play, sample helicopters and eighties soap opera's, do glitch remixes of orbital records then yodel over them, use radiaotrs and tin whistles as instruments, reference every obscure nineteen forties finnish quintet you can think of. don't ever not do anything because it sounds wacky - it might turn out to the the best idea somebody else has ever heard.
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Patrick on 23 Jan 2006, 08:36
Hah, I'm gonna sample random human sounds (baby crying, farting, screams). Then my bassist and I will mix it on GarageBand and make a hella cool beat. Then we'll play a Pink Floyd-inspired depressing riff over it. :B
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Aram on 23 Jan 2006, 12:32
Dude, if you mess up that song, I'll hunt you down :P
Title: Weird Covers
Post by: Patrick on 23 Jan 2006, 14:29
I'll do my bset. I like to think I have an ear for music, so I doubt I'll screw it up too badly. :B