Various Artists
The Big Cover-Up
(Big Curve Music)

A big, heavy, breathing synth with snapping metallic cuts of a backbeat inform the cover of Billy Idol’s “Eyes Without A Face,” from 51 Pegs that begins this Big Curve Music compilation, The Big Cover-Up. Here are collected some of this label’s idea of the best of indie bands of the DMV (that’s DC, MD, and VA states).

Landis Harry Larry’s “We Built This City” is a real wild take on a tune I always thought was one of the weakest ‘hits’ of the MTV era! Yet, here it is dark and raucous…and great!

Idiot Code’s kinetic and nasty “Fortunate Son” is another perfect take on what I feel a cover should do…completely flip the original tune on its ass, and deliver something new. I’m not a fan of this playing-too-quick riffery, but I applaud how different this is from the original song, yet it still retains the tune’s meaning. Fantastic stuff here!

There are bands covering Black Sabbath, AC/DC as well as Echo And The Bunnymen; these bands run the gambit with the bands they are paying tribute to as they pretty much rock and roll it up on each tune.

A popping bass metallic run at The Cure’s “The Walk” by Hollowboy ends The Big Cover-Up, as good a jumpy pop semi-love song as ever there was one, to cover.