Listen: Alabama Shakes Cover Led Zeppelin

Updated:

February 7, 2012 4:35 pm

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Back when The Alabama Shakes were still finishing high school in Alabama, the band worked up a list of cover songs — including hits by Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, and James Brown — to play at shows. Now, two months before the release of their debut album, the hard-rockin’ coeds are paying tribute to their past with “How Many More Times,” a cover of the eight-minute Led Zeppelin epic.

The Alabama Shakes stick close to the original, with Brittany Howard’s voice striking an eerie, androgynous similarity to Robert Plant’s howl. There’s a little organ in the mix, too, proof that the Shakes aren’t afraid to put their own stamp on a classic. For those looking to hear the song live, the band will kick off an American tour in March, including a performance at the Sasquatch! Music Festival on May 27.

“How Many More Times” won’t make an appearance on Boys & Girls, the much-anticipated debut album that hits stores on April 10th, but fans can stream the track on Soundcloud. The recording was taken from a live performance at World Cafe, and radio DJ David Dye can be heard at the very end, laughing approvingly at the sheer awesomeness of it all.