Beach Boys, “God Only Knows” [Aeroplane Remix]
This synthed-out reworking of the Brian Wilson classic shows up about 25 years too late — this would have been perfect for some ’80s movie wherein the dork with the oversized glasses and the ridiculous laugh builds some kind of magic robot to save some kind of endangered chess club, thereby winning the love of the chess club president who, as it turns out, is a really looker when she lets her hair down.

Stephen Malkmus & the Million Dollar Bashers, “Maggies Farm” [Bob Dylan Cover]
One good surrealist deserves another: Malkmus’s surprisingly faithful take on Dylan’s anti-capitalist masterpiece retains all of the original’s snap and attitude — though we could have done with at least one tossed-off anachronism, preferably one involving shellfish or the equator.

Princess Chelsea, “Your Woman” [White Town Cover]
New Zealand electro chanteuse turns in a positively chilly take on this unjustly overlooked mid-’90s White Town classic. The best moment comes about midway through, when what sounds like a music box picks up the melody for about a measure and a half. Absolutely sublime.

Woodhands, “Electric Avenue” [Eddy Grant Cover]
Here’s the thing about Eddy Grant: he’s actually kind of a legendary reggae vocalist. He actually wrote the Clash-covered classic “Police on My Back.” Woodhands’ cover of his kitschy ’80s one-off injects a bit of violence into the mix, scattering shards of synths across Grant’s tale of political and economic flameout.

Ruby Isle, “White Winter Hymnal” [Fleet Foxes Cover]
So, OK, we confess, we really only included this to see how furious Fleet Foxes fans will get when they hear the group’s sublime Appalachia transformed into jabbering electro. Enraged fans, please note the presence of a comment section just below this entry. Thank you for your time.