The choices that Sebzzz made were so unique that comparing the two songs would be impossible but incredibly fun to try. I think it would be fun to que up both tracks back to back and listen to them. But as he said, “I really think it’s better this way” so how bad can you feel for the guy? While the original track made me laugh (I know people who live this life) because of the lyrics, the cover makes me feel sad and even a bit angry for the guy. The guy sounds a little bitter and disenchanted which is appropriate for the story being told. I feel like the vocal style works well with the musical choices and the song’s lyrics. I really dig the whistling parts as it adds an almost whimsical touch to what is really a pretty down song lyrically. It’s for sure the rhythm of the song, you can’t mistake it but there is something just a bit off from the original. The down beat drums are a really interesting punctuation to the song. There is a nice slow burn intro with some static that reminds me of listening to vinyl. When I first listened to it I couldn’t help but think that it sounded like a cross between The Talking Heads and The Cure. This one happens to fascinate me in new and exciting ways. I happen to be of the opinion that they can do no wrong, so I tend to get a bit, um, elitist when it comes to covers of their songs. I’m a huge fan of covers in general and I have been listening to The Offspring since their first single dropped. It seems to just be making the rounds on radio stations in smaller markets. The release is from the band’s 2017 album, A Decade of Destruction. I also really enjoyed hearing Omnigone mash up Op Ivy with their Rancid cover.This was thrown at me through a twitter user and I couldn’t not post a review. Las Vegas, Nevada-based heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch covered the Offspring’s Gone Away and the result is masterful. There’s also the one-two punk of Omnigone and Link 80 providing music, with the Link 80 song being one of their first recorded song in years. One highlight include Matamoska! and their transformation of “Listed M.I.A.” to a full-fledged organ-driven 2-Tone ska song.
There’s nothing worse than hearing a band cover a song and having it sound exactly like the original.
But, there’s also some indie and straight forward rock too! And, I’m happy to announce that the bands involved in this project didn’t phone it in. Makes sense considering the source material. The excitement I had listening to them came back immediately upon listening to the opening rendition of “Maxwell Murder” by Stay Wild.Īs expected, the comp is a majority ska, punk, and ska punk bands.
I was addicted to the BYO Split Series and the old Before They Were Punk comps. The idea of a Rancid tribute comp isn’t a new one, but what makes this one unique is that it’s a song for song recreation of the ska punk classic.īeing able to listen to another artist’s interpretation of an original work is really exciting for me. Releasing digitally, and as a sold out co-physical release between Lavasocks Records and Sell the Heart Records, this tribute comp has a little bit for everyone. This year, it inspired a brand new tribute comp called …And Out Come the Lawsuits. Now, almost 26 years old, …And Out Come the Wolves remains as influential today as it did when it was originally released. Thankfully, Rancid decided to stay put, and the rest is history. It even led to a bidding war as several major labels tried to snatch Rancid up for themselves. Wolves saw several singles, MTV airplay, and world tours for the Bay Area punks. That third album in the Holy Trinity I alluded to above was Rancid’s third studio album, …And Out Come the Wolves. Where Green Day opened the door up, The Offspring “Smashed” it down for the rest of the mid-’90s punk bands to come through. Not only was that album a commercial success, but it was released on an independent label. Then, a few months later, The Offspring released Smash, which changed everything. Between 19, three albums released that put a spotlight on modern punk rock music.