ALBUM REVIEW | DEAD FORMATS: VOL. 3 by Craig Harston

Not enough record labels put out compilations these days. With how easy it is to access so much content, it’s not surprising. Back in the day, compilations from labels such as Epitaph (Punk-O-Rama), Fat Wreck (Fat Music) and Hopeless (Hopelessly Devoted To You Put) were one of the best ways to discover new music. Many of the comps featured new songs from established bands but mostly gave a platform to up and coming bands to get their songs out there. These days you’re more likely to have something recommended to you on Spotify – which is no bad thing, but that sense of discovering something new for yourself is lost.

Thankfully, Pure Noise Records, alongside lager company Pabst Blue Ribbon, are flying the compilation flag for modern ears, with the aptly titled ‘Dead Formats’ series. Beginning in 2022, the third compilation is due to drop this week, but each release has come with a twist – the songs are all covers! This adds another level to checking out the comp, as you might not only discover a new band or give some time to an older band where you haven’t previously, you may even take steps to check out the band that’s being covered!

The songs on offer on each Dead Formats compilation are an eclectic bunch – while many of the bands cover much older songs, many of them recognise their peers through some of their covers, with Vol. 3 being no exception. The best kind of cover song finds a band or artist taking something they love and adapting it to their own sound, in the process justifying it’s existence while possibly encouraging people to seek out the original. Thankfully, there is plenty of this on Dead Formats: Vol. 3.

Opening the album are Four Year Strong, who successfully adapt Stone Temple Pilots ‘Vasoline’ to their brand of easycore – the guitar riff alone sounds like pure FYS. Later on, Knuckle Puck’s take on Noah Kahan’s ‘Stick Season’ would have you believing it’s an original from the pop punk band. One of the easy highlights here is recent touring buddies Saves The Day and Senses Fail covering one of each others songs – the former with a lo-fi acoustic version of ‘Lady In A Blue Dress’ and the latter with ‘Shoulder To The Wheel’, which weirdly sounds less like Senses Fail and more like Saves The Day doing a modern take on their own song!

Elsewhere, Lavalove deliver a very late 90s take on Pavement B-side ‘Harness Your Hopes’, Bearings update Sum 41’s classic ‘Motivation’ to a modern pop punk sound, Grumpster adapt Lit’s classic summer anthem ‘My Own Worst Enemy’ to a nerdy college rock version, Bloom turn Lizzy McAlpines ‘Ceilings’ into an emo/screamo effort and Cloud Nothings serve up a new version of the Misfits ‘Halloween I & II’, just in time for, erm, Halloween!

As with all compilations, they can’t all be winners, and Dead Formats: Vol.3 does include a couple of clunkers. Spanish Love Songs take on INXS’ ‘Don’t Change’ is so similar to the original it makes you wonder why they bothered and ‘68s cover of ‘Intergalactic’ by the Beastie Boys is just dreadful. Of course, it’s all about perspective, and if just one person discovers something new, it’s absolutely mission accomplished!

Dead Formats: Vol. 3 releases on 18th October via Pure Noise Records, with physical versions available to buy here.