Newermind

There are a few hits and a few misses, but everyone’s heart was in the right place on this tribute disc. Nirvana’s landmark Nevermind is given a makeover by contemporaries (Meat Puppets, The Vaselines) and kids who were barely born when the disc came out 20 years ago (Jessica Lea Mayfield, EMA). It also features a couple of head-scratchers – super-pop producer Butch Walker takes a stab at In Bloom, somehow making a song about gunplay sound sugary sweet, while glam rockers Foxy Shazam flip Drain You on its head without losing its original cool. One of the most faithful covers comes from one of this year’s hottest acts, Surfer Blood, who bring Territorial Pissings back from a grave it was never properly buried in. If Courtney really did lose that kid’s backpack that held Kurt’s ashes, this record might almost make up for it. Get it at www.tinyurl.com/newermind2011.

Published in Volume 66, Number 4 of The Uniter (September 22, 2011)

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