Today we’re looking at some our favorite cover songs and cover albums of 2011

AFROHEAD 7 LINE- “YMCA”

SECRET 7 LINE has been trying to court me for years now. All it takes is afro wigs and classic rock songs, though. You can’t hurry poops. (web, CD Japan,Play-Asia)

Cokehead Hipsters- “We Will Rock You”

The Cokehead Hipsters don’t have any kind of gimmick, but this song will always take me back to my basketball days. (web, CD Japan, Play-Asia)

A- “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis”

I’m not used to hearing visual-kei bands covering anime songs, but A does Evangelion proud. Awesome violin! (web)

Miranosand- “Poker Face”

What’s the best way to cover a Lady Gaga song? Give it the riff to Nirvana’s “Come As You Are”! (web)

Monobright- “Happy Together”

In the most bizarre move of 2011, Toru Hidaka decided to join Monobright as their bassist instead of doing something important after the breakup of Beat Crusaders. Luckily they did put out two EPs with covers on them and Toru Hidaka got to sing this Turtles classic. It’s like MUSICRUSADERS all over again! (web, CD Japan)

Merpeoples- “Ikenai Rouge Magic”

Merpeoples got a little help from Love and Hates, Miila and the Geeks and Twee Grrrls Club on this bright and cheery cover of Ryuichi Sakamoto and Imawano Kyosiro’s homoerotic original. It does worry me a bit that this is by far the best song on their mini-album. (web, CD Japan)

HALCALI- “Roman Hiko”

Oh how can I forget my girls with this awesome ska version of the Kome Kome Club’s “Roman Hiko“? (web, CD Japan, Play-Asia)

Crossfaith- “Omen”

Not a big Prodigy fan, but this was one of the few screamo tracks from Japan that caught my ear last year. (web, CD Japan)

Peelander-Z- “S.T.E.A.K. (Self Cover)”

“S.T.E.A.K.” was by and large my first experience with J-Rock back when MXC premiered its video on Spike TV. So how do you mess with a classic before the band’s best of album comes out? Pull a Katy Perry and throw in a saxophone! If 2011 was good for anything, it brought back the damn saxophone. (web/Amazon)

Another great self cover was Spangle call Lilli line’s “For Rio,” which takes the relaxed vibe of the other 3-4 Rios and turns it into a sped up rock number. Unfortunately I can’t find a clip of it online.

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Compilations

VA- Make Merry Christmas

Are you in the mood for Christmas tunes but there’s nothing out there Japanese enough for you? Make Merry Christmas brings together all your favorite J-Punk bands in one place to sing the classics. (CD Japan, Play-Asia)

VA- Imaginary Flying Machines “Princess Ghibli”

Death metal meets Studio Ghibli! Coroner Records brings metal acts from all over the world, including Blood Stain Child and Yoko Hallelujah from Japan, to scream the classics from movies like My Neighbor Totoro and Ponyo. Your childhood will never be the same again! (Amazon)

VA- V-Rock Disney

Visual-kei covers of Disney songs? Not something I’m interested in hearing, although I did give A’s “Cruel Angel’s Thesis” a shot and loved it. And I do love my Disney covers…

It’s amazing how seriously these VK bands took these songs without the makeup and gothic music videos to distract us. A worthy successor to Disney Rocks!/Mosh Pit On Disney/Dive into Disney. (Play-Asia)