Since forming in 2000, the Laramie-based punk band Teenage Bottlerocket has released a handful of well-received albums, including ‘They Came from the Shadows’ in 2009 (Fat Wreck Chords), ‘Freak Out!’ in 2012 (Fat Wreck Chords) and ‘Tales from Wyoming’ in 2015 (Rise Records). Most recently, the band returned to Fat Wreck Chords to release an album of cover songs. I know, cover albums usually suck, and they often mark a bad turn in a band’s career. This is not the case with Teenage Bottlerocket’s ‘Stealing the Covers,’ however, which is actually a pretty rad and enjoyable selection of covers, some of which will undoubtedly prove obscure gems that a lot of listeners will be discovering for the first time.
According to the liner notes for ‘Stealing the Covers,’ the band has been talking about doing a covers record since 2005 or thereabouts. Finally, Teenage Bottlerocket made the firm decision to choose some songs to cover, most of them from small, unsigned bands that Teenage Bottlerocket encountered on tour at one time or another. Also in the CD booklet, beneath the title of each song, is a little something written by each of the band members—at least Ray, Kody, and Miguel—regarding his personal relationship to the song and how he happened upon it in the first place.
Among the standouts on ‘Stealing the Covers’ are “The Way I Know” (originally by Varsity Weirdos), “Back and Forth” (originally by Hollywood Blondes), “Robocop is a Halfbreed Sellout” (originally by Sprocket Nova), “Gay Parade” (originally by The Gullibles), “Hat Nerd” (originally by The Four Eyes), “I Kill Butterflies” (originally by Onion Flavored Rings), and “Why the Big Pause” (originally by The Punchlines). In all, there are fourteen songs on ‘Stealing the Covers,’ and all of them are worth listening to.
The band dedicated this album to the late Brandon Carlisle, Teenage Bottlerocket's drummer and twin brother to guitarist/vocalist Ray Rocket.
‘Stealing the Covers’ by Teenage Bottlerocket was released by Fat Wreck Chords on July 14, 2017 on CD, LP and digital formats.
