Punks Got Soul (and so do tribute albums)

 

After listening to dozens of tribute albums, one thing has become strikingly clear:  there are too many tribute albums.  Posting about them again is perhaps ill-advised, as though wishing more of them into existence.  Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to make tribute albums.  

Who am I kidding?  The listening experience is addictive.  It's like crate digging, playing one tribute album after another in search of a gem to share with you folks.

At the risk of segregating the artists of color and historically Black and Latino genres of music, today I offer you Tributes Got Soul.  This one leans heavily on the albums produced by Jon Tiven to celebrate the songs of Arthur Alexander, Otis Blackwell, Don Covay and others.  This comp also features several releases from the Red Hot Organization, plus a Hal Willner production.  (That last hyperlink is to Koen's excellent post on Mr. Willner, which inspired this deep dive into tribute albums.  Friends, don't let friends become obsessed with tribute albums!  It only leads to wasted hours combing Discogs, blogs and Soulseek.  Just when you think you've found them all, another appears from the cracks, like roaches.  

Speaking of soul, the long-running Punks Got Soul series is back for the dozenth time.  Again, a caveat: not all the performers are punk (really, only the first two this time), and not all the songs are soul.  Maybe too many synthesizers this time around, which often strike me as less soulful, even soulless at times.  But there are some fun songs here, including Yellow Magic Orchestra's goof on"Tighten Up" and Alan Vega's take on Hot Chocolate.  And some earnestly soulful performances by The Lolitas, The Bunnymen, and Cyndi Lauper.  If it gets a bit vanilla, you can always go back to Tributes Got Soul.

Halloween 2026 Vol. 2 THE CRAMPS Schoolgirls Of Satan THE CUSTOMS Redd Kross & MORE!

HALLOWEEN 2026 Vol. 2 features some artists you might expect, like; THE CRAMPS, ZACHERLE with S.C.O.T.S., & THE RAYMEN.  

Some may come as a bit of a surprise; JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS, JONATHAN RICHMAN, WEBB WILDER, TMBG, CHARLIE DANIELS BAND, & REDD KROSS.  

And, as you've come to expect from JONKY, some are on the obscure side; ZOMBIE GHOST TRAIN, THE PROVIDENCER, THE SLIMETONES, THE CUSTOMS, & ELLE CORDOVA.

You might recognize ELLE CORDOVA’s face from her sky-high presence on social media.  Or you might be more likely recognize her by her formerly-known-as name; REINA DEL CID.  With her frequent collaborator TONI LINDGREN, she tells the tale of how ROSWELL NM became "Alien Central."

CHARLIE DANIELS BAND’s The Legend Of Wooley Swamp is a wonderful tale straight out of EC Comics that I had almost forgotten about—but is perfect for a HALLOWEEN mix!

These selections makes great background music for when you’re sharpening your guillotine blade, cutting the blooms off your roses, or robbing graves.  It also goes great with a warm cup of apple cider, if you lean toward that end of the spooky spectrum.

 

A Punk Tribute To Punk Tribute Albums

 

Hello, fiends!  As we approach Halloween, there will be more holiday themed posts, but this one was ready to roll.  Continuing an informal survey of tribute albums today with a punk themed compilation.  

Specifically, I've been listening to various artists paying tribute to a single artist.  One enjoyable thing about a various artists' album is the variety of sounds and styles, which creates a more diverse listening experience (rather than an entire album by the same artist).  

It's also interesting to think about why a performer chose a specific song, and what they chose to do with it (stylistically speaking).  Some are faithful to the originals, and others are more creative in their interpretations.

The downside of a compilation is that not all of the artists are equally talented or equally compelling as performers.  If you're particularly fond of the original artist, you might be unimpressed by the remakes.  Various artist tribute albums make for an uneven listening experience, but hopefully this compilation of highlights will entertain you from start to finish.  I tried to choose standout performances from each of the tribute albums.

Some of the artists who are the subjects of tributes in today's collection are less familiar to me than others.  A tribute album can serve the purpose of introducing listeners to an artist via a cover song by a performer already familiar to the listener.  Maybe a Teengenerate fan (for example) will go back and listen to the Pretty Things.  Tributes can also introduce new performers to fans of the original artist.  A fan of Husker Du might be inspired to delve into Motorpsycho's discography.

Not all of the subjects of these tributes are punk bands.  Some of them predate punk (Pretty Things, Hawkwind, Iggy, The Dictators, the Dolls).  Some exist alongside punk as part of other scenes, such as new wave (Go-Go's, Duran Duran) and metal (AC/DC, Cheap Trick, Motorhead).  But there's a punk energy in the performances that perhaps was latent in some of the original recordings.  Please enjoy!

Halloween 2026 Vol. 1 RESIDENTS Zombina & The Skeletones RUBY STARR & GREY GHOST Eric Ambel & MORE!

Halloween 2026 Vol. 1

Regular visitors know that I'm a big fan of Halloween music.  This year, I've gone overboard even for me.  

Last year, I tried to include more songs that weren't strictly aimed at October airplay, & I was happy with the result.  I had enough songs left over after 2025's mix that I had a huge jump on 2026, & I wound up having enough for five volumes.

On Vol. 1 there are a couple of cuts by artists you don't associate with All Hallows Eve, like TIM POLECAT, & THE STRAWBS, NOUVELLE VAGUE & THE SILVER KING BAND.  

There are artists that are less surprising: ZZ TOP, THE RESIDENTS, & MEGADEATH.  

And there are acts that come as no surprise to anyone: THE CRAMPS, THE GRAVEDIGGER V, & THE FUZZTONES.

So pop this collection on your stereo, curl up with your favorite werewolf, neck with your favorite vampire, or inventory the bats in your belfry!

 

Pass The Dust, I Think I'm A Tribute Album

 

This third set in our ongoing tribute to tribute albums is a double baker's dozen: 26 terrific tunes of tribulation! We're still trawling through the 1990's, a decade that gave us God knows how many tributes to Bob Dylan, Neil Young, the Beatles, Ramones, and Velvets.  More than you might think, and more than anyone needed.  Although it's always better when someone else sings Bob, amirite?

The sharp-eyed among you may notice songs in today's set from two separate Bee Gees tributes.  And if you're thinking that we already featured a Richard Thompson tribute, you're not wrong: 1993's The World Is A Wonderful Place was followed by 1994's Beat The Retreat.  Hell, there were two Merle Haggard tributes released in 1994 (the pop-country Mama's Hungry Eyes and the alt-country Tulare Dust).  

If it sounds like I'm tired of tribute albums, rest assured that I'm not.  I love the way that artists add their own personalities to a cover song.  For example, "Yesterday Once More" is faithful to the Carpenters' hit, and yet it is most definitely a Redd Kross song.  And I love discovering new artists (hello, Rank Strangers!)  

It's good to catch up with old friends like Alex Chilton and the aforementioned Redd Kross. When's the last time I listened to Scrawl or the 3D's -- back in the Nineties?  (No, I went on a Scrawl binge and bought all their records just a few years ago, and "Beautiful Things" by the 3D's is a song that I always return to, year after year.)  

And it's extra cool when cool artists collaborate.  Tony Gilkyson trades licks with David Hidalgo on X's version of Richard Thompson's "Shoot Out The Lights".  Syd Straw is backed on one song by The Skeletons; and on the other by Marc Ribot. Lemmy and Mick Green do a "Blue Suede Shoes" that would make Elvis and Carl Perkins roll over in their graves.  The artists highlighted in this paragraph have been featured on this here blog (as have Alex Chilton and Redd Kross, with links in the penultimate paragraph above)!

 

Sharleen Spiteri's Best Vol. 1 with TEXAS and SOLO!

Sharleen Spiteri's Best Vol. 1

Instead of serving up a “Best Of” collection of album cuts, I always try to include live TV appearances, rarities, & various oddities.  This compilation has a nice mix of them all.  Folks who only know Sharleen Spiteri from her band TEXAS have likely missed some of them.  

TEXAS’ 1989 debut album sold over two million copies, & their commercial success spread into the early 2000’s (selling a total of 40 million albums) before the band went on hiatus in 2005.  

During her solo period, Spiteri also passed the time as a judge on the the SKY music talent show MUST BE THE MUSIC.  She recently re-recorded some truly amazing versions of her band’s early material alongside Spooner Oldham at FAME STUDIOS in Muscle Shoals.  

Spiteri said of the experience: “To have the option to go to Muscle Shoals to record was like being a little kid in a sweet shop. Working with Spooner was inspiring, fun and he’s just a wonderful human being.” (Taken from retropopmagazine.com)

Spiteri isn’t as well known in the U.S. as she is in her home, Scotland, or the rest of The UK.  She’s always made lots of promotional appearances on popular UK shows like LATER... WITH JOOLS HOLLAND, and there are a few examples here--including a wonderful live rendition of Across The Universe.  

The selections were partly chosen to shine a light on what a wonderful interpreter of other people’s songs she is.  Many Rivers To Cross, Cat People, Take My Breath Away, The Sound Of Silence, Oh, Pretty Woman, and the sexiest version of Should I Stay, Or Should I Go that you’re ever likely to hear are on display.

And Volume Two is already completed!

Another Tribute To Tribute Albums

  

Last month, I posted A Tribute To Tribute Albums.  Stinky reminded me that he had developed a set of categories for "reupholstered songs".  A cover song may be "cut from the same cloth" (i.e., faithful to the original song).  Covers may be performed ironically, or they may be twee (overly sincere, cute and sweet). A cover may be sped up (The Dickies' preferred M.O. for cover songs) or slowed down (the way Killdozer used to do 'em).

The most drastic reupholstering of a song is when the cover is performed with different instrumentation -- not just an acoustic guitar in place of an electric one (which would be twee) -- but maybe bagpipes, kazoos, or a horn section!

I have listened to several dozen more tribute albums (mostly from the 1990's, when the tribute album trend really peaked).  I picked out a song or two that I liked from each one.  Stinky's categories really hold true for the vast majority of them.

CUT FROM THE SAME CLOTH: the Mock Turtles (a staple of the Imaginary Records' tributes) perform a faithful rendition of "Big Sky". Dave Kusworth and Nikki Sudden have never hidden their Stones fixation. Power pop covers of power pop bands (Plimsouls, Raspberries, XTC) tend to be cut from the same cloth.  It's a real pleasure to hear The Records amplify the power pop aspects of the Beach Boys' music.  "Cody Cody" and "Dimming Of The Day" also sound faithful to the originals.

IRONIC: the Miserlou/Hava Nagila medley and "You Better Sit Down Kids" (by half of the Smithereens).  Hot Joe mashes up Led Zep with "Baby Elephant Walk" 

If you've never heard Fatima Mansions' vicious deconstruction of Shiny Happy People, it's both radically reupholstered and dripping with irony (or is it simply disdain?)  The late Cathal Coughlin was better behaved on "Dear Dad" (thanks for the recommendation, Richard!), and Cathal's former Microdisney bandmate Sean O'Hagan takes a Nick Drake ballad into Motown territory.  

Don Dixon's version of "Broke Down And Busted", the Jayhawks' cover of "Lights", the surf version of "Massachusetts" and Opal's rearrangement of "Jugband Blues" also fall into Stinky's INSTRUMENTATION category.  Lloyd Cole and his band subtly transpose "Chelsea Hotel" from 3/4 time to 4/4.  

"There's A Place" might be the only TWEE cover here (and it also falls into the instrumentation category).  I won't list every song on today's compilation.  I hope you enjoy listening to it!