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Description
Boise Cover Band's *Unoriginal Artists* arrives in 2003 as an affectionate, if slightly bewildered, nod to the city's rock lineage. Though not to be confused with Built to Spill's more cerebral, jangly compositions, the Boise Cover Band channels the spirit of that region's output - that specific brand of DIY earnestness and earnestly earnestness that defines Idaho indie.
The record finds the band playing their own brand of cover songs in the vein of bands like Built to Spill, Sonic Youth, and other indie heroes of the late 90s and early 2000s. The album stands as a loving tribute to a musical legacy that never quite reached its zenith, but instead offers a kind of fan-boy homage that is as earnest as it is earnestly earnest. Recorded at The Manhouse - a live, sweaty, and wonderfully authentic venue for the local scene - the record captures the raw energy of a band that clearly loved music more than it ever could've cared about selling it.
*Unoriginal Artists* is less a commercial endeavor and more a love letter to the genre of cover bands themselves - those underground, often unsung figures who play other people's songs with a certain reverence and respect. It's a reminder that sometimes, in music, the best way to honor a legacy is to play the songs that came before you, even if you're not the one who originally wrote them.
The album may have been released under a different timeline in later years - some sources suggest a 2006 CD release - but its soul remains firmly rooted in the early 2000s Idaho scene. It's a modest, unpretentious record that speaks volumes about the power of local music culture and the enduring allure of the cover band genre. A must-listen for fans of Built to Spill, Sonic Youth, and the entire indie rock canon.
For more on the band and their work, you might explore [Discogs](https://www.discogs.com/release/3506409-Boise-Cover-Band-Unoriginal-Artists) or check out their [Bandcamp](https://built-to-spill.bandcamp.com/album/unoriginal-artists) page.
[Radio Boise: The History of Boise Rock](https://radioboise.org/2017/07/show-spotlight-the-history-of-boise-rock/)
[Wikipedia: Built to Spill](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Built_to_Spill)
[Music History Blog: The Early Boise Years](http://amusichistory.blogspot.com/2011/08/music-history-part-5-early-boise-years.html)
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