“Friday on My Mind” – Me First and The Gimme Gimmes (2011)
Original – The Easybeats (1966)
OK, this entire list, and a dozen more, could be populated by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. Featuring the bass player from the aforementioned Swingin’ Utters, the singer and drummer from Lagwagon, and Fat Mike from…well, he’s Fat Mike…this punk supergroup has joined forces to put out about a dozen albums and EPs of punk covers.
They do everything. Dylan and Elton, show tunes and country. They seem to have a particular affinity for Billy Joel. They did a cover of “Hava Nagila” on an album called Ruin Johnny’s Bar Mitzvah. They recorded the opening track on The Rocky Horror Punk Rock Show album. Why am I choosing the Easybeats classic “Friday on My Mind?” I don’t know. It’s a great version. And it’s Friday. I don’t have a better reason.
“Out of Touch” – Tsunami Bomb (2020)
Original – Hall & Oates (1984)
“Out of Touch” was a huge dance-pop hit for Hall & Oates when they were at their peak in the early ‘80s. It was the last of their six number ones. The new version of Tsunami Bomb, with Kate Jacobi taking over vocals from Agent M (Emily Whitehurst), did their own version in 2020 as part of a double-single with an equally high-energy cover of Oingo Boingo’s “Dead Man’s Party."
The Hall & Oates cover is a little bit punkier with Andy Pohl’s guitar grinding the once pretty melody. Tsunami Bomb was more punk when Agent M was singing – Jacobi’s voice has more of a traditional power pop quality – but they can still bring the energy and passion. (FYI – when Agent M was fronting them, Tsunami did a blistering take on “Planet, Shmanet, Janet” on – you guessed it – The Rocky Horror Punk Rock Show.)