Awesome Covers

Slow down and enjoy a Saturday morning classic theme song, as interpreted by the always awesome Scott Bradlee and friends, with POW!GRL dishing out the sultry vocals. Part of the new Saturday Morning Slow Jams series.

Musician Kawehi records unique cover versions of popular songs and original tracks by combining electronic loops with her soothing vocals. Here, she covers one of Michael Jackson’s classics. Be sure to check out her YouTube channel.

You’d never know that this guy is about to kick out the most impressive vocal impression of Axl Rose that you’ve ever heard. They should do what Journey did and hire this guy to go out on tour with Gn’R. Also, he loves Game of Thrones.

Christopher Bill covers Pharrell’s hit single Happy using only his trombone and his own body as a percussion kit, layering and looping both through Ableton Live. You can download the cover on Christopher’s SoundCloud page.

Jelani Eddington stands in for half an orchestra with this cover of the Star Wars Main Title. Jelani performed using the Sanfilippo Foundation’s Wurlitzer theater pipe organ, which might as well be the Death Star’s control panel.

Ten Second Songs performs Katy Perry’s Dark Horse in 20 different styles, from Metallica to Sinatra. Some of his impressions are off – was that Michael Jackson or Fallout Boy? – but overall this is one skilled and funny dude at work.

A sublime acoustic guitar cover version of Eurythmics ’80s hit Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This), performed by ortoPilot and his pals. Be sure to check out his YouTube and Spotify channels for lots of other awesome covers.

After dishing out an incredible performance of Lorde’s Royals, the 7-foot-tall sad clown with the golden voice is back to cover another of one of the Kiwi teen’s tracks in his own inimitable style.

An accurate rendition of the music and sounds of Super Mario Bros. played on a Chinese wind instrument called the Sheng that predates the 30-year-old game by 3,000 years. We’re wondering if Miyamoto was inspired by its sound.

Jimmy Fallon rounds up the ol’ Ragtime Gals on his new late night show to cover R. Kelly’s undying club staple, Ignition (Remix). We think it’s cool and all, but the audience is way too pumped up for this – pumped up for thiiiis! – ahem. Sorry.

Musician Elijah Aaron looped and layered his voice and other instruments to cover TLC’s classic No Scrubs, with a bit of Big Pun’s Still Not a Player mixed in. Hear more of his music here.

Musician Austin Criswell delivers a soulful and bone-igniting performance of Coldplay’s Fix You, accompanied by his ukulele. A few of our other faves from Austin: I’ll Follow You into the Dark, and Build Me up Buttercup.

Miley Cyrus’ Wrecking Ball gets a haunting echo courtesy of British electronic pop band London Grammar, one of last year’s breakout bands. If you dig their sound, check out the band’s debut album If You Wait.

Alex Boye’s energetic and intense rendition of Lorde’s hit track is further proof that cover versions can be better than the original. Though he’s a bit frightening in the Christmas wreath getup. Buy the track on iTunes or Bandcamp.

(NSFW: Language) ItsMetroGnome starts out playing a cover version of Dave Porter’s Breaking Bad theme song on his acoustic guitar, but quickly transitions into a wub-wub filled electronic remix, using samples from the show.

Pop a capella group Pentatonix vocalize Daft Punk’s robot rock, including Technologic, One More Time and Harder Better Faster Stronger. The medley is from their new album PTX Vol. 2. The dude with cornrows is a human subwoofer.

Puddles is a 7-foot-tall clown – with the voice of an angel. While we’re a bit perplexed by the concept, there’s no denying his musical talent, as he cranks out an awesome cover of Royals by Lorde – that dare we say it – bests the original.

(NSFW: Language) James Cochrane bought used toys and gadgets from thrift shops then hacked them to perform a cover of Thrift Shop. He tried to make the stuffed toys look like zombies, but Elmo ended up as something scarier.

The talented musicians of UK ensemble Vigilante Brass perform an awesome cover Muse’s epic Knights of Cydonia. Now we want to see a college marching band do the same thing at half-time this Sunday.

Musician Michell Kwan plays a brilliant cover of Guns N’ Roses classic Sweet Child o’ Mine on her Guzheng – a traditional Chinese string instrument that dates back to the 5th century BC. We can almost hear Axl’s singing along.

Music instructor Aaron Okeefe lets some of his young students show off the skills he’s imparted in this impressive cover of Forty Six & 2 by Tool. As one YouTube commenter put it: “the drummer and bassist are just killing it!!!!!!!!”

You know a song has officially become a meme when marching bands start playing it during halftime. The Ohio University Marching 110 Band does their best rendition of Ylvis’ hilarious The Fox. Though it loses something without lyrics.

Our fingers always got all tangled up when trying to play Enter Sandman on Rock Band, but that doesn’t seem to be a problem for the musicians of Iron Horse, who gave the Metallica classic a shiny coat of Bluegrass paint.