Canadian rockers Suburban Bicycle Gang return on the scene with another fine piece of sonic artistry. This time, they’ve decided to record a rendition of Stompin’ Tom Connors’s track “Bud The Spud.” Besides doing justice to the original song, Suburban Bicycle Gang decided to spice things up a little bit by incorporating some of their signature sound and moves. Known for their irresistible blend of garage and punk rock, these folks included some of the finest sonic maneuvers you’ll hear in a while. Suburban Bicycle Gang thoroughly planned everything while working on this composition. They left that Americana, country, and folk rock core intact but supplied each segment with their improved arrangements and more rawness and subtle aggression that defines their signature sound. These experimentations resulted in a catchy, engaging, memorable, unquestionably improved rendition of a renowned country track that will appeal to even the pickiest fans of the genre.
With the initial notes and beats, it becomes apparent that the Suburban Bicycle Gang supplied “Bud The Spud” with some fresh, wild, unique energy. These are qualities that the original desperately needed, as Stompin’ Tom Connors’s version is a more straightforward track that could only appeal to country and folk rock fans. With these improved arrangements, energetic instrumentations, and more grittiness, “Bud The Spud” became more of a punk rock, garage rock, and folk punk number where all the instrumentations reign supreme. It goes beyond that country rock ambiance where the listeners might expect milder, calmer, nearly acoustic/semi-distorted ambiance, drenched in a retro, stripped-down production. Suburban Bicycle Gang thought about everything while covering “Bud The Spud,” so you’ll immediately notice how their version shines with modern production where every musical instrument has its place and purpose.
Perhaps Suburban Bicycle Gang excluded the slide guitar maneuvers that played a significant role in the original, but they decorated Suburban Bicycle Gang with multiple guitar layers, offering more rawness, aggression, and power. These generously distorted chord progressions and riffs shape a perfect backdrop for all the vocal maneuvers to shine upon while supplying an already intricate structure with that punk rock and garage rock attitude. It almost leans towards rockabilly waters, but somehow maintains that garage folk punk atmosphere from beginning to end, making it a unique piece that will appeal to even those remotely interested in all these music genres. Each strum over the strings, articulation, and maneuver are vividly hearable in the mix, providing a one-of-a-kind experience to the listeners. This attention to detail proves that the Suburban Bicycle Gang consists of highly skilled musicians who take their craft seriously.
Like Stompin’ Tom Connors’ version, Suburban Bicycle Gang also left out the bass guitar from this sonic equation, making their rendition even more authentic. The guitar works are so intricate and detailed that you won’t even notice there are no low ends included along the way. Still, this song wouldn’t be complete without an outstanding drumming performance. The experienced drummer keeps everything in line while dictating groove and tempo with tastefully arranged, flawlessly performed, well-accentuated, energetic beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics. If the guitars serve as a perfect backdrop for all the vocals to shine upon, then the drums act as a backbone, holding everything together. Of course, the raw, passionate, sincere, confident vocal performance makes “Bud The Spud” even more interesting by adding even more aggression and grittiness over already intricate orchestrations. These vocal harmonies glide over all segments, balancing low, mid, and high notes with such precision and finesse.
As you can see, Suburban Bicycle Gang thought about everything while covering “Bud The Spud.” They left no stone unturned while rearranging and recording everything, making this fine piece of country music history even more listenable and adorable. With this rendition of an all-time classic, Suburban Bicycle Gang proved they’re highly skilled, talented, and versatile musicians capable of transforming even the most demanding songs into garage rock and punk rock anthems. You should immediately put this cover song on your music radar. It’s available on all streaming platforms.
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