Horsegirl pleased the indie world with the release of their debut album, Versions Of Modern Performance, earlier this year. Since then, they’ve been promoting the LP with shows, including an opening slot for Pavement in New York. Today they’re back with a cover of the Minutemen’s “History Lesson Part 2.”
It’s hard to take on a song by the Minutemen — they’re already so idiosyncratic and distinct on their own. But Horsegirl nails the vivacious riffs and deadpan vocals that are made all the more compelling with amusing harmonies. “‘History Lesson Part 2’ has always been a punk manifesto for us,” the band shared in a statement. “It was an unusual pick to cover considering the lyrics are so specific to Minutemen, but we thought there was something appealing too about recording a ‘History Lesson’ that doesn’t actually give you any history on us.”
In our interview with Horsegirl, they discussed what inspired them to form a band. “When we were young underclassmen in high school, the older kids would have their own DIY thing going,” Penelope Lowenstein recalled. “If we didn’t grow up in a place where we would see kids booking their own shows, hosting their own events, and starting their own bands, it never would have seemed like a possible thing to do when we were younger.”
Listen to their Minutemen cover above.