K.C. and the Sunshine Band's "Get Down Tonight,"
performed by Stereo Total

In Stereo Total's hands, "Get Down Tonight" goes from sounding like a dated relic with a penchant for cropping up on an occasional, Boomer-oriented album hawked on TV to once again resembling a scorching, hip-shakin' party anthem.

How does the band pull it off? Well, the German group starts by replacing that cheesy '60s instrumentation with a fast-paced guitar that's part surf rock, part jangle and a smooth wakka wakka rhythm guitar. Add to that Francoise Cactus' sexy Continental accent and, well, it's better than the original.

Oddly, this sublime cover is tough to pick out from an album that also features covers of Salt 'N Pepa's "Push It," Serge Gainsbourg's "Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vals" and Harpo's "Moviestar." ST's rendition of the latter cropped up in the background of the indie sleeper film The Tao of Steve, for those keeping score at home.

Despite the wildly divergent source material, Stereo Total's debut glides smoothly between these covers and the band's own songs. Clearly this is an outfit whose members know how to kick back and have a good time.

— Eric Wittmershaus (ericw at flakmag dot com)