New Music Monday: Big Curve Says COVER ME UP
Independent record label Big Curve Music dropped a sick compilation of covers late in 2021, but it’s really starting to make buzz now in 2022, due to the recently released music video for Nova Koloso’s cover of Black Sabbath’s “Supernaut” and increased visibility of the comp’s first music video, Landis Harry Larry’s extremely unique take on Starship’s “We Built This City”. As fun and interesting cover songs are a particular interest of this music critic and appreciator, I must admit that I’m very excited that this hopped onto my radar.
10 tracks of 70s, 80s, and 90s tunes interpreted by the best fresh and exciting indie acts from the DMV (the DC, MD, VA metro area), this compilation is one helluva fun ride. Big Curve takes its name from another hellua ride, a particularly gnarly stretch of the DC Beltway. Appropriately named, Big Curve spends its days presenting “dangerous” alternative rock acts that challenge music’s status quo.
It’s hard to deny that Landis Harry Larry’s cover of “We Built This City” that channels Starship by way of Interpol is one of the standouts here. With a feel much akin to She Wants Revenge’s big 2006 single “Tear You Apart” but a spirit uniquely its own, LHL is among the high points of this end-to-end solid compilation.
And, while this cover has gotten some great press already and is rightfully respected as a highlight, it’s the back to back tracks of “Big Balls” and “Killing Moon” that most tickle my proverbial fancy. Dingleberry Dynasty’s “Big Balls” feels more-or-less like a pretty faithful cover of the AC/DC classic, but with a bit of a Mr. Bungle or Sykotik Sinfoney vibe.
Project:Leviathen’s “Killing Moon” is also a mostly straight ahead cover with a small twist to make it their own. However, both bands seem to have chosen the perfect songs to adapt into their own renditions – whether coincidentally perfect or painstakingly decided upon, both bands really nailed the selection of songs that fit what they are able to do.
While I’ve already highlighted nearly half of the compilation, it’s fair to say that none of the 10 tracks is just a poorly conceived or generic cover song. Whether Year Of The Fist’s female fronted punk rock version of Butthole Surfers classic “Who Was In My Room?” or the hypnotic and trippy transformation of Alice in Chains’s “Down in a Hole” from Steep Steps, each track is a fantastic listen, making the compilation a pretty wonderful collection of cover songs that highlights some of the best up-and-comers in the DMV.
Grab the album on Bandcamp or stream on your favorite platform today.
