Uncovering Tomorrow Never Knows

The seventh annual Tomorrow Never Knows music festival is a bright spot in the middle of the harsh Chicago winter. For five days, Schubas, Lincoln Hall, and the Metro will host a bevy of local and national acts that may all very well be the next big things in pop music. Yet, one act’s shadow looms over the bands in the festival: The Beatles.

While many consider The Beatles to be the pinnacle of pop music, the group’s mark on the Tomorrow Never Knows festival is perhaps bigger in name than influence. That’s because the festival shares its name with the dreamy, psychedelic tune off of The Beatles’ beloved 1966 album, Revolver. With that in mind, The A.V. Club decided to ask many of the musicians slated to play this year’s TNK festival one question: If you were asked to cover a Beatles’ tune, what song would it be?

Dylan Baldi, Cloud Nothings:
I would do “Drive My Car,” since the woman who scored my driver’s license test—she looked like Large Marge from Pee-wee’s Big Adventure—hummed it the whole time I was driving. Except at stop signs, where she would turn to look at me, gently caress my cheek, and whisper “come to a full stop,” while licking the tip of her pen.

Jesse Cohen, Tanlines:
I don’t think we’d do a Beatles cover, but we’d maybe cover Julian Lennon’s “Too Late for Goodbyes.” I think it’s a really good song, and may be underrated. Also, Julian Lennon’s story seems to be a good combination of light and dark, which is always the Tanlines aesthetic.

Joe Plummer, Mister Heavenly:
“Two Of Us” would be a great song for Mister Heavenly to cover. It has those back-and-forth vocals, just the kind of duet-ish thing Nick [Thorburn] and Ryan [Kattner] like to do. You know, reference the old days when they were just kids writing songs in Clinton Hill, way back in the spring of 2010. Of course, we’d stick the piano in there, which would work for Paul’s bouncy rhythm. I think I’d have a blast doing Ringo’s minimal kick drum part. Coincidentally, the little weird guy who loved slapback and produced some of Let It Be may have a creepy presence on the forthcoming MH record.

Dexter Tortoriello, Houses:
If I was going to cover a Beatles song, it would definitely be “Revolution 9.” It’s one of the first examples of a sound collage I ever heard, and it always stuck with me as something beautiful and chaotic. I didn’t hear anything else like it until I heard the sound collages that the Olivia Tremor Control did early on. They really opened me up to a lot of noise music, and even a lot of the ambient artists I grew into.

It’s an amazing song; it feels like someone is carrying a microphone around in a giant ballroom full of insanity and magic. If I ever covered it, it would definitely be more of an “inspired by” thing, not a verbatim cover.

Jarrett Dougherty, Screaming Females:
If Screaming Females were going to play a Beatles song, I think it would have to be “Taxman.” There is always this back and forth between people over whether Paul or John was better. Paul or John?! Paul or John?! I say George.

Crusty Booger, The Boogers:
I would have to go with “Yellow Submarine,” because it’s about a great playground for kids where they can’t be found and everyone’s safe.

John Davis, Title Tracks:
I’ve always felt hesitant to cover a Beatles song and, to date, I don’t think I ever have. A few things against it were that covering the Beatles seems like a bit of an obvious move. Also, are you really ever going to top the original? There are legions of wack Beatles covers, and I’m not sure I want to add to the pile. From Aerosmith to Fiona Apple to George Burns, there’s a pretty gnarly legacy there.  

On the other hand, it’s a bit of a tradition amongst musicians of the past 50-ish years to cover Beatles songs. The idea of being part of that shared thing has its merits. Also, as there are legions of bad covers, there are plenty of great ones, too. Ramsey Lewis’ “Mother Nature’s Son,” Billy Preston’s “Eight Days A Week,” Flamin’ Groovies’ “Misery,” the Os Sambeatles record, etc.

So—okay fine, there are some good Beatles covers out there. Actually, you know what I really like are the bands that wrote entire albums just trying to sound like the Beatles, without actually playing their songs. The Spongetones’ Beat Music, Utopia’s Deface The Music, The Badbeats, The Rutles, Liverpool Echo. So, yeah, that’s what I’d do. I’d just go for doing an entire set centered around songs that sound like the Beatles, without actually covering them.

Dan Boeckner, Handsome Furs:
“Helter Skelter,” the U2 version; the version without all the guitar noise at the end, from the Rattle And Hum film; the one Bono “steals back” from Charles Manson. Thanks, Bono, you made it all better.  

Erik Hall, In Tall Buildings:
I would love to play the song “[I Want You] She’s So Heavy,” just [be]cause of how much fun it would be to play. It’s an absolutely rocking song; I think it would just get inside me.

It’s grand, raw, danceable, and infectiously emotional rock ’n’ roll. I don’t tend to write music like this, and it makes me wish I did.

Sean Carey, S. Carey:
There are so many good songs. I would definitely consider “Oh! Darling,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” “Julia,” and “Eleanor Rigby,” but I think I would have to go with “I Will.”

Yawn:
Either “Your Mother Should Know” or “Fixing A Hole,” but it would be tough to rework any Beatles song, since they are so darn good already. The melodies of those two songs seem strong enough to be arranged differently though. They are also two good songs of theirs that haven’t been overplayed.

Austin Dutmer, Jaill:
Well we used to do a cover of “Your Mother Should Know,” off Magical Mystery Tour. That was a fun one. I like that song because it’s Paul McCartney singing about your mother, and it’s a catchy little, weird song. But we could never do that one now, [be]cause we don’t have a keyboardist anymore, and we don’t remember it at all.

Yukimi Nagano, Little Dragon:
They have done so many songs, I’m sure there would be a lot that would be fun to cover. Not really familiar with all their music, just the obvious songs. So, I guess maybe something like, “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds,” maybe, perhaps?

Cale Parks, Brahms:
I’d want to cover “I’ve Just Seen A Face.” That’s a good one to sing along to.

Ian Brewer, Seapony:
“And Your Bird Can Sing” is the only Beatles song for Seapony!