I have come to the conclusion that lesser known bands only cover over-played pop songs to gain some sort of instant boost of MySpace fame, and it's getting more and more obvious by the AbsolutePunk news post. Admittedly, a few of them are not so bad (*cough* ADTR), but the rest are just ridiculous. I mean come on, you can't honestly think that all of these bands actually like covering cheesy pop songs-- but anything for a few more plays must be worth the agony. As one of our writers, Dan, speculated in the comments, "It's just one of many sad modern marketing tactics in the MySpace age. It's why Fearless doesn't bother to ensure their Punk Goes albums are worth listening to before pressing them -- they know people will eat them up just for the novelty of hearing Alesana reenact what Justin Timberlake would sound like going through a wood chipper." Well put, my friend. Well put.

Yearling has just posted a cover of Katy Perry's Hot 'N Cold, and I think their version is worse than the original... BUT since everyone already knows the song from the radio/Myspace/everywhere, it is instantly accepted as being awesome and Yearling's play count will probably skyrocket from this day foward-- which is fine if people like their music, but it's a rather cheap way to boost their popularity.

Remember back when A Day to Remember covered Since U Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson? Or when the metal band Sea of Treachery covered Paramore's Misery Business (which is too awkward and ironic to speak about)? When it becomes the number one played song by a long shot, I think it's time to evaluate where the listeners are coming from. I am definitely guilty of listening to said covers, but I usually escape from the page once I am done and try not to give into the silly marketing gimmick that these bands [successfully] execute.

What are some other cover songs that I am missing? I know The Scene Aesthetic did a Taylor Swift cover, but that wasn't too unbelievable given their style to begin with. I will post more as they come to me, but here is a quick list for your guilty pleasure convenience:

A Day to Remember - Since U Been Gone
Yearling - Hot 'N Cold
The Scene Aesthetic - Love Story
Sea of Treachery - Misery Business
I Set My Friends On Fire - Crank That (Thanks, Dan)
Four Year Strong - AN ENTIRE FREAKIN ALBUM. Songs include Semi-Charmed Life and Story of a Girl... Seriously?