The most un-coverable song on the list of 25 options for A.V. Club's Undercover has just been taken off the board by the venerable Clientele, who tackle M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes" with great panache. The original is built on a Clash sample, so it's technically a cover by a British band of a Sri Lankan rapper's song built on a sample from a British band. Globalization, y'all. Alasdair MacLean really makes the "hit me on my burner, pre-paid wireless" line seem pretty regal.
The Clientele's Bonfires on the Heath is out now.
Yeah, it is pretty a pretty un-coverable song. This version just sucks the fun out of the original.