Mustard Plug / Bomb The Music Industry - Under the Influence Split Vol. 3 (2008)

Covers can be tricky. You have to strike a balance between staying true to the original source material and infusing it with your own unique sound. Thankfully Mustard Plug's version of "Waiting Room" by Fugazi walks that fine line and does not disappoint.

On this two band, two track EP, Mustard Plug offers passionate vocals, pounding base and ripping guitar riffs that mimic the Fugazi classic strikingly well. The added a layer of punctuating and angsty horns bring a lot and manage to sound right at home. After one or two listens to the MP version, the original almost feels a little empty with out the blaring horns. I think that the real draw here is "Waiting Room", but Burn the Music Industry does a good job with the stylistically different cover of Pavement's alterna-pop "Gold Soundz."

It really is refreshing to see an established band like Mustard Plug to reach out and cut an EP with up-and-comers like BTMI. Industry commentary aside, the unique juxtoposition of underground post-hardcore and alterna-pop covers makes for an interesting 5-minute listen for fans of the original material and ska-freaks alike.

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