Salem Wolves Cover Screamin' Jay Hawkins

If you're going to call your band Salem Wolves, you're contractually obligated to release some form of Halloween song. One of the more obvious songs to cover around this time of year is the eternal Screamin' Jay Hawkins classic "I Put a Spell On You." Considering Salem Wolves play a version of dark rock n' roll that's more than a little tinged with punk, rockabilly, and surf rock, you'd expect a fairly straightforward cover, but Salem Wolves truly make this song their own. The first half is far more stripped down and bare bones than I would ever expect, but by the second half they break the song open into a noisy power ballad with singer Gray Bouchard sounding like a gospel singer over pure bluesy chaos.

You can listen to Salem Wolves' cover of "I Put a Spell On You" below. You can also get a copy of your very own for free over at their Bandcamp page. If you're in the Boston area, be sure to check them out tonight at ONCE Ballroom in Somerville and December 10 at Great Scott in Allston.