We are total Gleeks. And while we love hearing top ten hits in four-part harmony every week, our favorite episodes are those that pay tribute to particular pop artists. After the wildly popular Madonna episode (and confirmation of a followup), and in anticipation of tonight’s Lady Gaga spectacular, we started thinking about which indie artists we’d most like to see covered by the McKinley High School Glee Club. Is it so crazy to hope that Puck sports an ironic mustache or Rachel Berry trades in her patterned sweaters for thick-rimmed glasses? We don’t think so.
1. Vampire Weekend- “A-Punk” It’s easy to imagine the squeaky clean Ohio kids morphing into preppy Ivy League co-eds in matching sweaters and boat shoes, and we’re willing to bet that Kurt’s high falsetto can match Ezra Koenig’s squeaky lead vocals.
2. The Dirty Projectors- “Stillness Is The Move” The Brooklyn troubadours’ girl group harmonies would come in handy for ladies of Glee if ever faced with another battle of the sexes sing-off.
3. Band of Horses- “No One’s Gonna Love You” It’s not quite a Lionel Richie ballad, but Band of Horses’ winding harmonies are tailor-made for a romantic serenade by Mr. Shu. Who cares if he’s lacking the biblical beard to complete the picture…
4. The Postal Service- “Such Great Heights” Let’s face it: Puck might be cute, but his limited vocal range makes a speak-sing song like this one a smart choice.
5. M.I.A.- “Boyz” The glee clubbers have tried their hand at rapping before with mixed results (see: “Ice Ice Baby”). We’d like the girls to M.C. this one, and with all the rotating relationships on the show they have a lot to lament for when it comes to “how many boys are crazy.”
6. Feist- “My Moon My Man” We can picture Quinn’s take on the Canadian songstress’ solo turn, singing in her breathy, girlish voice and backed by former cheermates Santana and Brittany — but who would she be serenading?
7. New Pornographers – “Your Daddy Don’t Know” This rock song from the Canadian supergroup is ripe with musical fodder for rebellious teens, and Neko Cases’s strong female lead is perfect for Glee‘s resident diva, Mercedes.
8. She & Him- “Why Do You Let Me Stay Here” Rachel Berry’s bow-laden style is a perfect match for She & Him’s cute-as-a-button crooner Zooey Deschanel — although we’re curious what her version would actually sound like. You know. Since she can sing.
9. Neutral Milk Hotel- “In An Aeroplane Over The Sea” Glee has covered classic rock greats from the Rolling Stones to Van Halen, so it’s about time they tackle some heavy-hitting indie rockers like Neutral Milk Hotel. We’d be excited to see Artie take on the reedy, high-pitched vocals of frontman Jeff Magnum.
10. Iron & Wine – “Naked As We Came” If Puck and Quinn are looking for a hip lullaby to sing their soon-to-be-born baby, we recommend this soothing folk ballad.
Bonus clip: Dianna Agron (who plays Quinn) recently directed the music video for “Body” by Thao with the Get Down Stay Down.