Gordon D'MelloTriple J, that meddling little tune twizzler, never misses a beat. Literally. Wading through the deep waters of new music, sifting and sorting through it all, elevating some real gems to legend status. They sit at the helm of music in this fine land, with the Hottest 100 overtaking Australia Day in it’s cultural relevance, at least for now.
So what is it that’s so damn charming about a cover? Is it perhaps that we too can’t wait for our shower musings to be amplified as a visionary cover? As likely as that is. Covers take the old, the celebrated, and switch it into a new gear.
When Friday shows it’s wonderful face, that radio play gets even better. Inviting new favourites, up and comers and all time lyricists to play it there way. Like A Version has seen many a track seemingly redefine the original, even overcome it. We’ve hand picked our favourite LAV’s ever (go easy on us), so plug in and adore these musical masterminds.
Denzel Curry Goes Hard On Rage Against The Machine’s ‘Bulls On Parade’
HYYYYYYPE. Look is it ridiculously different? Not necessarily, but boy this bangs and bangs bloody hard. Curry’s high intensity is key, and his rap breakdown is what makes this unique. Add the loveable Hearts on guitar, and you just have a performance you can watch over and over.
Chvrches Do Arctic Monkeys ‘Do I Wanna Know?’
The smokey tones of the Arctic Monkeys meets the lightness of Chvrches, the results aurally astounding.
Matt Corby Slows Down The Black Keys’ ‘Lonely Boy’
The earth shattering vocals of Matt just shine in his acoustic cover. He really took the upbeat sounds of the original and transformed it into a soulful masterpiece.
DMA’s Take On Cher’s Believe Gives Us Life
When the DMA’s covered Cher, well, it was viral in an hour flat. If MySpace was still around everyone’s page song would have been bellowing the same thing. Fkn magical.
Petit Biscuit Covers ‘1901’ by Phoenix
Frenchman taking on Frenchmen, and this re-do of an indie classic is fresh yet worth tipping the hat. Perhaps the most outstanding bit is how the youngster does everything himself, the beat, the guitar, and the overlays.
Ocean Alley Get Groovy On Player’s ‘Baby Come Back’
A classic 70’s tune boasting Ocean Alley’s raw vocals, this one puts hairs on your neck. And the DIY Like A Version outro makes us love these guys even more.
Gang Of Youths Cover The Middle East’s Blood
Once again, David Le’aupepe brings us all the feels. Simply stunning, oozing class and filled with good vibes.
Ash Grunwald feat. Urthboy Turn Gorillaz’s ‘Feel Good Inc’ Aussie
Aussie hip hop is opinion-splitting. Sometimes it rocks, sometimes you quiver with cringe. But this throwback Aussie combo is fab. Distinctly Living End with dashes of Urthboy swagger.
Childish Gambino’s Version Of So Into You By Tamia
All talented, all singing, all rapping, Childish Gambino’s turn on this classic is magical. Trills of keyboard, the choral echo of vocals and something that makes you want to snap your fingers. 90’s RnB brought to life in the finest way.
Chet Faker Get’s Fun With His Take Of Sonia Dada’s ‘(Lover) You Don’t Treat Me No Good’
We not only get the iconic vocal of Nick Murphy fka Chet Faker, we get a whole bloody chorus of uplifting voices. The cover is raw and that’s what makes it so spectacular, he has used the bare minimum to make one of the greatest Like A Versions to date.
L-FRESH The LION Gets Remix-y With Panjabi MC & Fresh Prince Of Bel Air Collab (‘Beware Of The Boys’ x ‘Fresh Prince Theme’)
A hero of cultural fusion, L-Fresh The Lion brings his own brand of Aussie hip hop, Punjabi spice and the familiarity of Fresh Prince together. One big melting pot, that sounds so good you won’t stop stirring.
Meg Mac (And Her Sis) Take On Tame Impala’s ‘Let It Happen’
With a cheeky feature from Meg’s sister, the family duo take on an absolute classic. It’s not easy taking on the big dogs Tame Impala, but they bring a unique cover with some sweet harmonies.
Illy mashes up INXS, Silverchair, Hilltop Hoods, Paul Kelly, Flume for the ‘Ultimate Aussie Music Medley’
This is a showcase of the greatest in Australian music today, what makes it so incredibly special is the way Illy blends each song and melody absolutely seamlessly. Guaranteed this cover will give you goosebumps and make you smile with absolute pride.
Kasabian Get Freaky With Cover Of Cypress Hill’s ‘Insane In The Brain’
Guaranteed to be stuck in your head for the rest of the day. British rock legends take it right back to an absolute classic, and kill it. Obviously. You’re a bit insane in the brain if you didn’t think so. I’ll see myself out.
Paces feat. Guy Sebastian Cover LDRU’s ‘Keeping Score’
You wouldn’t expect to see Guy Sebastian on Triple J, and yet his performance demands repeat. The Idol winner soars LDRU’s dance jam from club wall bounce to a powerful expression. Just don’t tell Nollsy he wasn’t invited.
Thundamentals Change Up Matt Corby’s ‘Brother’
A widely unique Like A Version of it’s time. This re-imagination of the soulful cries of Corby, to the tapping rhythms of the Thundamentals is a switch worth making. It’s particularly tricky when the original is so good, but Tuka and his crew manage to pull it off.
Arctic Monkeys Get Smooth With Cover Of Tame Impala’s Feels Like We Only Go Backwards
Australia wears Tame Impala as a badge of honour internationally, so how much more fitting is it when the Arctic Monkeys take a taste of the psychedelics themselves. It’s where British rock and eccentric Australian meet, not a bad combination at all. And it’s Alex Turner, so whatever he touches turns to gold really.
San Cisco Get Funky With Daft Punk ‘Get Lucky’ Cover
A cover a pure perfection; pitch perfect vocals, stunning drums and a killer guitar solo. Even better, they layered it with an extra Pharrell cover. One of my personal faves, you’ll never get enough.
Sarah Blasko Slows It Down With Outkast ‘Hey Ya’ Cover
Sarah Blasko’s light as air voice powers through what’s normally a call to dance. We’ve seen a few iconic slow re-works of the polaroid banger, and this one will take you to a much different place.
John Butler Trio Give A Unique Spin On Pharrell Williams’ ‘Happy’
John Butler Trio do what they do best with this cover, chill vibes and funky vocals. Better than the original? Controversial, but she’s up there.
Gordi Goes Deep On Linkin Park’s ‘In The End’ Cover
Paying tribute to Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington, this cover is like something you’ve never heard before. In a good way. Completely unique and completely worth the listen – i cry everytiem.
Glass Animals Second LAV, Covering Gnarls Barkley’s ‘Crazy’
After their success covering Kanye back in 2014, Glass Animals took on yet another huge song in their 2017 Like A Version. Smooth piano, funky guitar and chilled beats take this one down a notch but nonetheless takes nothing away from the song itself.
Image Source: Triple J YouTube
