It should come as no surprise by now that I am a big fan of the wonderful, weird, and wacky band that is CLASSLESS ACT. From the first single, “Give it to Me,” to the debut album, “Welcome to the Show,” I’ve been captivated by the band’s charm, charisma, and – quite frankly – class! Indeed, these young Americans are proving that there is still hope for the world with every release. Most recently, they’ve released a dual-single of David Bowie covers: “All the Young Dudes” and “Starman” respectively!
Check out our interview with CLASSLESS ACT from 2021 here and our interview from 2022 here.
So what do you get with these covers? First and foremost: flawless musicianship. I don’t know what they put in the water over there, but they’re makin’ ’em young again, holy hell. From the stylish rhythm guitars of Dane Pieper to the utterly insane solos of lead guitarist Griffin Tucker, to the sly basslines from Franco Gravante, and the lively drumming from Chuck McKissock, it seems as though these guys were born with instruments in their hands. With all that on your plate, the chaotic personality that is Derek Day is the cherry on top. Wild, dramatic, and totally over-the-top, but in that way that just gets you amped up whenever he’s around. I’m sure he could power a city with his positivity if you could somehow tap into that energy. It’s easy to believe that he can do anything while singing, so can we try bringing him to Finland to see if we can teach him to growl, perhaps? Oh, the things I’d love to see!
Now mash all this together and slather it with the classic tunes of David Bowie, and you’ve got cover-song magic. Everything these guys do, they add their own flavor and style to it, whether its a Christmas song or their namesake track. “All the Young Dudes” shows off the most personality, while “Starman” is a more direct homage, with the former showing what happens when these guys let loose and the latter showing the true respect they have for their predecessors and influences. Both are beautifully executed, with a heaping dose of panache on top. If you’re missing the good old Bowie days, this might be just the refresher you need!
