Thinking Back

I stopped listening to NPR long enough to notice that the folks over at Stereogum had convinced some of their favorite bands to help them put together a complete cover album of Radiohead’s OK Computer in honor of the album’s tenth anniversary. Radiohead covers are nothing new. We’ve all heard them, be they dub or piano jazz, true to the original song or a complete reinterpretation. But Stereogum managed to get some of the best up-and-comers in on the project and the different takes are really good (for the most part). Mobius Band’s indie rock out of “Subterranean Homesick Alien” is probably the album’s highlight. John Vanderslice's and the Cold War Kids’ take on “Karma Police” and “Electioneering,” respectively, are also highpoints. But Vampire Weekend’s 80s synth rock take on “Exit Music (For A Film)” makes me ill. Can’t win them all. You can download the entire record here.What really sort of freaks me out about this project, though, is the fact that OK Computer is ten years old. Ten years!Here’s a question for you, faithful readers: where were you when you first heard OK Computer? Think back, it was 1997, y’all.