Today, a new compilation salutes the one-hit wonders of the world. On One-Derful, a benefit comp from the Boston indie label Something Merry, artists from the DIY world cover songs made famous by artists who had brief and sometimes glorious moments in the spotlight.
One-Derful opens with Rat Tally, the hugely promising project led by singer-songwriter Addy Harris, giving an emotional fuzz-pop take on “Teenage Dirtbag,” the 2000 pop-punk anthem that was the only hit for the band Wheatus. It’s also got Future Teens, the countryish Boston emo band, testing the boundaries of the “one-hit wonder” concept and covering “That Thing You Do,” the title song from the 1996 movie. In real life, that song was written by the late Fountains Of Wayne co-leader Adam Schlesinger, who was certainly not a one-hit wonder. But in the film’s reality, the song comes from the Oneders, a band that was only destined for a brief pop-chart run. So I guess it counts!
The One-Derful compilation also features things like VIAL covering 4 Non Blondes and Mint Green doing Natalie Imbruglia. It raises money for the Chris Atwood Foundation, a nonprofit that gives free harm reduction and recovery support services for people dealing with substance use. You can stream the comp below.
The One-Derful compilation is out now on Something Merry, and you can get it at Bandcamp.
