Pinhead Gunpowder is an Easy Bay punk rock supergroup of sorts. Most notably, the band sports Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day on guitar and vocals, but also features Aaron Cometbus (founder of the essential Cometbus fanzine/ex-member of Crimpshrine) and Bill Schneider from Monsula. The most refreshing thing about Pinhead Gunpowder is that it’s members got together for no reason other than to have fun, get drunk and play great, messy pop punk. The band has made a bunch of records for Lookout!, and more recently for Armstrong’s Adeline label. They also have a knack for putting great cover tunes on their records, some of which are highlighted below.

Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” translates perfectly to an uptempo punky number, and the song’s lyrics, which lament the state of our environment, lose none of their immediacy in the three decades since they were originally penned.
Pinhead Gunpowder – “Big Yellow Taxi”

Perhaps the most obvious of their cover choices, their version of the ‘Mats “Achin’ To Be” is as sloppy and glorious as the original.

Pinhead Gunpowder – “Achin’ To Be”

The Diana Ross-sung version of this tune was nominated for an Oscar, and the song appeared on the soundtrack to the film of the same name, which also starred the Supreme.

Pinhead Gunpowder – “Mahagony”

“Song of My Returning” is a sentimental ballad by Phil Ochs that proves the chord structures and vocal melodies of punk rock aren’t that different from folk rock.

Pinhead Gunpowder – “Song of My Returning”

And as a bonus, this is technically a Green Day song, but since it’s title alludes to Armstrong’s pseudonym in PG, it seemed apropos to include it here.
Green Day – “Ballad of Wilhelm Fink”

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