Artist: Girl In A Coma
Title: “Adventures In Coverland” Vol. 1
Label: Blackheart Records
Release Date: 4/13/2010
Genre: Rock
Rating: 3.75/5
Setup with the premise of friends attempting to catch every Girl In A Coma gig before they reach their hometown; the release of the three volume vinyl “Adventures In Coverland” finds the girls dishing out some very interesting versions of tunes that many people know and some that are still a mystery. Let’s examine each of them individually for maximum appreciation.
If you have not yet heard about Girl In A Coma yet, please know that the band is made up of sisters Nina (vocals/guitar) and Phanie Diaz (drums) who are joined by Jenn Alva (bass), they have been active since about 2007. “Volume 1” of this three mini-album effort finds the ladies delivering a Punkish version of Selena’s “Si Una Vez” and while I can honestly say that I never listened to the deceased Tejano music icon, it does seem like the girls did justice to her track. It’s sung in Spanish like the original was and has a rocking drive that shows how well the girls are able to take something from out of their immediate style and make it their own. Given the girls own Mexican-American heritage it is very likely that they were very exposed to Quintanilla’s music while growing up. Side two of the mini-album is their take on The Beatles “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and as usual with anything related to the Fab Four I approach it with caution. All reservations aside the ladies did well with this one and finds them starting out slow and rather mellow before picking up the pace and intensity of the overall groove. I had to say that I enjoyed this tune a lot more than the Side One contribution but that’s based on my Beatles preference more than anything else. Clearly the Girls In A Coma were off to a good start with this little project of theirs. Nice work.
I felt that releasing these “Adventures” on vinyl was a pretty cool thing for those who are still indulging in the medium but it is no longer as common as it used to be and no one will argue that fact. With this being the case one has to hope that all three editions of these releases will be lumped together on a single CD for mass market consumption. Each record comes in a highly decorative sleeve, and when you remove them from the packaging and place them together you will see that they form a board game that follows the adventures of the friends whom we referenced early in the review. The tunes are also available via I-tunes as downloads if that is your method of purchasing.
Track Listing:
1. Si Una Vez (Selena)
2. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (The Beatles)
Official Website: http://www.girlinacoma.com