Mp3-pack, Covers Dept.: The Living Sisters, Touché, Of Verona, Capital Cities, He’s My Brother She’s My Sister, Beach Party

Kevin Bronson on
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[More of those cover songs we promised, some downloadable:]

The Living Sisters, “Can You Get to That” – Imagine that, the Living Sisters taking on Funkadelic. Well, if you know the respective works of the all-star ensemble, nothing will surprise you. Becky Stark released a Lavender Diamond album this year; Eleni Mandell weighed in with her latest, greatest “I Can See the Future”; new addition Alex Lilly adventured in electro with Touché; and Inara George (The Bird and the Bee) embraced motherhood in 2012 by “releasing” twins in June. This song is on the trio’s “Run for Cover” covers EP due Jan. 8. On Jan. 12, they open for Steve Earle at Royce Hall.

Touché, “Wild Horses” – Speaking of Touché, Lilly and her multi-talented collaborator Bram Inscore get loopy with this song from synth-era Prefab Sprout. Enjoy responsibly.

Of Verona, “Hurt” – The L.A. electro-rock trio fronted by Mandi Perkins were inspired to cover this Nine Inch Nails song by the story surrounding Amanda Todd, the Canadian teenager who committed suicide after posting a YouTube video detailing how she she had been stalked and bullied.

Capital Cities, “Nothing Compares 2 U” – Just a hunch, but I suspect plenty old-schoolers won’t care for this version of the Prince-penned Sinead O’Connor hit. Give the L.A. duo credit, though: They made it their own. Expect to hear a lot from Capital Cities in the new year; they recent signed to Capitol Records.

He’s My Brother She’s My Sister, “Straight Shooter” – The theatrical folk ensemble of siblings Rob and Rachel Kolar, along with tap-dancing percussionist Lauren Brown, Oliver Newell and Aaron Robinson, make the 1965 nugget from the Mamas and the Papas a little twangier. The band’s “Nobody Dances in This Town” album was picked up by Park the Van Records, and they celebrate Jan. 19 at the Troubadour. [Previously: “Electric Love”]

Beach Party, “Heart of Glass” – Hey, this sounds like fun. Let’s take Blondie to the garage, toss back a few and not worry too much about fidelity. Seriously, covering a song like this is often a lot better than trying to be too “true.” [Previously: “Catch That Train”]