Sonically there’s not much in common between idiosyncratic new wavers Sparks and punk troupe Redd Kross, but their stories aren’t entirely dissimilar: both acts came up in LA as their not-too-distant cousin genres were developing in the ’70s and ’80s, and both bands made a name for themselves by forging their own paths in their quickly oversaturated markets. Additionally, both groups suddenly re-emerged this century, the former with a one-off Franz Ferdinand collaboration, the latter with a high profile reunion.
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Today their paths finally cross (kross?) with the release of Redd’s latest single from their forthcoming LP Beyond the Door: a cover of Sparks’ 1994 single “When Do I Get to Sing ‘My Way.’” Transforming the campy disco of the original into a riff-heavy alt-rock anthem, the recording meets the approval of Sparks’ Ron Mael himself: “Redd Kross has always been one of my favorite bands and that opinion was cemented when I heard their amazing version of our ‘When Do I Get To Sing ‘My Way,’” the vocalist (and birthday boy!) said. “To do a version of that song with a completely different musical approach from the original while keeping every ounce of the original sentiment was an amazing feat. I love it!”
Beyond the Door is out August 23 via Merge. Stream the new single below, and catch them on tour with Melvins at the dates listed on their site.
