The Brixton Riot - "Pretty In Pink"
New Jersey’s The Brixton Riot are pure power pop wizards. Their two records, Palace Amusements and Close Counts, are jam-packed with delicious, sunny hooks and ear wormy melodies, allowing them to capture a sound that draws strong influence from Garden State legends like The Smithereens. Quite simply, you’ll find much to enjoy amongst The Brixton Riot’s catalog if you enjoy excellent pop songwriting and good old-fashioned rock and roll. So, if you’re unfamiliar, now’s a great time to get to know them.
Today, we’re excited to premiere the quartet’s take on the Psychedelic Furs classic, “Pretty In Pink,” which will appear on the forthcoming Mint 400 Records compilation, At The Movies II. The Brixton Riot is clearly equipped to nail this cover, as they inject just the right amount of their own flavor while still staying true to the original. And isn’t that exactly what makes a cover version great? You don’t want to hear a carbon copy of the original, but it’s still necessary to incorporate the elements that made it a great tune in the first place. The Brixton Riot perfectly strikes this balance with their rendition of “Pretty In Pink,” as they add a dynamite intro and maintain the anthemic feel of the choruses.
Frontman Jerry Lardieri shared the following on the thought process behind their interpretation and working with Jawbox’s J. Robbins:
"'Pretty In Pink' was an obvious choice; we're all fans of the film, we love the song and we're all big Psychedelic Furs fans. We used the 1981 version of the song as the starting point for our cover and added the intro to put our own spin on it. It was also great getting to work with James Robbins again. He was able to take a song recorded in living rooms and basements and turn it into something special."
Stream the track below!
At The Movies II will be hitting streaming services on November 12th via Mint 400 Records. Check out the rest of the Brixton Riot’s discography via Bandcamp or Spotify. Keep up with The Brixton Riot by liking them on Facebook and following them on Instagram.
