The Melvins are quite familiar with doing things differently.  They’ve released all sorts of cover songs throughout their career, from their take on the “Love Theme from KISS” on 1989′s Ozma to digging up the Paul McCartney deep cut “Let Me Roll It” for their latest album, Freak Puke.  Through various split singles and bonus tracks, they’ve covered enough material to compile an album of cover songs, and there are plenty of other artists’ renditions that they’ve only played live.  While some of their takes are pretty true to the original, they usually tend to put their own spin on things.  Here are five of my favourite Melvins covers, counted down over the next five days.

5. “Sweet Young Thing Ain’t Sweet No More”

4. “My Generation”

3. “Interstellar Overdrive”

Remember when Man’s Ruin used to do those EPs where they’d get a pretty well-known band to throw together some odds ‘n sods, covers and such, and put it out on their label?  I’ve got the Entombed one (Black Juju), but I never managed to get my hands on Electroretard, the Melvins record they released not long before closing up shop in ’01.  Along with a few re-recorded tunes, Electroretard contained a trio of covers in the Wipers’ “Youth of America” (perhaps the first 10-minute punk song), “Missing” from AmRep noise rockers Cows and “Interstellar Overdrive,” a trippy 10-minute Pink Floyd instrumental from the Syd Barrett era.  Though this version isn’t any longer than the original, they take the Floyd’s psychedelic 60′s sounds and apply an eerie, post-millennial touch that sounds something like Hawkwind gliding through a Sergio Leone spaghetti western.  Even trippier than the Floyd, if you ask me!