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More than 20 years after "grunge" became more than a synonym for dirt, learning a Nirvana cover remains rite of passage for young rock bands. Yet even elders of Seattle's most famous band have taken a stab at, most frequently, "Smells Like Teen Spirit."
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In honor of the 20th anniversary of Nirvana's crowning jewel, "Nevermind," we present a stellar cover of each track off the album, released Sept. 24, 1991. Patti Smith, Weezer, Animal Collective, Muse and Seether take a stab, among others.
"Smells Like Teen Spirit," Patti Smith
Tori Amos was one of the first, presenting a 1992 cover that Kurt Cobain called "a great breakfast cereal version." The Melvins and former teen idol Leif Garrett tackled the song, oddly enough, with a ferocity matched only by the original. Weird Al took a stab, along with hundreds of other acts, including Miley Cyrus and certain "American Idol" contestants. But which cover of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is the greatest? We must tip our hats to Ms. Patti Smith, a rock'n'roll poet with as complicated emotions toward fame as Cobain himself. In 2007, Smith gave "Teen Spirit" a banjo and fiddle treatment for a jangly little tribute on her cover album, "Twelve." She even added a bit of her own poetry into the classic track. Fitting.
While it's tough to trump Patti Smith's cover, if anyone was going to do it, underground L.A. hip-hop duo J*DaVeY might be the fiercest contenders. Featuring the sweet crooning of Miss Jack Davey, this "Teen Spirit" cover blows us away, despite its low profile. Watch below.
"In Bloom," Deer Tick
If there were Nirvana cover band awards, Deervana -- the tragically short-lived party project of alt-country act Deer Tick -- would win the award for truest to form. The group, who performed full-blown sets at SXSW 2011 and at NYC's Northside Festival in June, spared no ounce of effort as they destroyed guitars, drumheads and the like promptly following the set that spawned this "In Bloom" cover.
"Come As You Are," Yuna
One has to appreciate a musician who can take a song originally driven by raging electric guitar and turn it into something delicately beautiful. Malaysian singer-songwriter Yuna does just that with her recent electro-pop cover of "Come As You Are," complete with a stunning accompanying clip.
NEXT: Weezer, Polyphonic Spree, Amanda Palmer
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