Cover songs are like musical crack. No matter who the group is and no matter who they are covering...you're always curious..."Nirvana covered Terry Jacks' Seasons in the Sun? ...I have to hear it!" "Pat Boone covered Sweet Child O' Mine? Turn it up!" Why does this turn us on? Why do we feel the need to download Travis covering Britney Spears' "Hit Me Baby One More Time?" I think it ties into nostalgia for something we already know. Can this new group take something familiar, re-invent it and make it new again? 99% of the time...that's a big fat no. But still we persist. Because when that 1% is good...it's damn good.
The Me First and the Gimme Gimmes have made a career of floating around that 1%. They take poppy radio songs and turn them into full throttle pop punk electro-charges. From AM 70s to Show Tunes to R&B, the Gimmes have annihilated every genre of music except one...country. And that's the focus of their new release...out now. Until you buy this red state skewering...
Here are the 11 Best Me First and the Gimme Gimmes Songs:
1. Rocket Man (Have A Ball)
2. Wild World (Blow In The Wind)
3. Rainbow Connection (Are A Drag)
4. Crazy (Take A Break)
5. Science Fiction Double Feature (Are A Drag)
6. Danny's Song (Have A Ball)
7. Country Roads (Denver)
8. Different Drum (Blow In The Wind)
9. I Write The Songs (Barry)
10. Hello (Take A Break)
11. Uptown Girl (Have A Ball)
Maybe because it was the first one I heard but I really like their cover of Mandy--another Barry song.
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