Gospel Ululations

A Tribeautiful Mind

The Kiss Army is coming to town, but if you're expecting ol' snake-tongue Simmons and crew, you'd better stay home and watch VH1 Classics. This Kiss Army is part of a different squad — the infantry division known as the tribute band.

Alvaro Diaz-Rubio

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More About

• Soweto Gospel Choir
• Cambria
• KISS (Musical Group)
• Ska
• Gospel Music

Go ahead, roll your eyes. It's an understandable reaction, not because tribute bands are a bad idea per se, but who can top the sick shtick of Mini Kiss, the band of little people doing Kiss songs? Yes, they're dwarves who look, sound, and act like the real deal. Really. And let's not forget the Misfats, a group of heifers that turns Misfits screamers into cream-filled gags. To further blur the line between tribute and parody, we at Outtakes have a few ideas of our own.

Hanz and Franz Ferdinand — Remember those Saturday Night Live muscleheads Hanz and Franz? This band does, and it's here to give all you rock 'n' roll girly men a workout. Huh! Just like the album says, You Could Have It So Much Bigger. Listen to them now and hear them later: You can't pump up the volume until you pump up your pecs.

Cochise and Cambria — While the prog-fueled emo boys in Coheed and Cambria are the reigning champions of modern sci-fi rock, Cochise and Cambria is all about Indie-an rock. Named after the 19th-century Chiricahua Apache leader, these guys could be the house band at the Seminole Hard Rock.

Passing Stones — You're probably not old enough to remember it, but there was a time when the Rolling Stones were virile young men — roughly the same age as the groupies they shagged. Nowadays, the only action Sir Mick and company are getting is from the cold hands of a urologist.

Skamones — We all know how eager ska bands are to engage in a little word play (the Skalers, Skalcoholiks, Skalett Letter, Skabba the Hut, Skalapeños, ad infinitum). So why the Skamones isn't a band already remains a mystery. Come on, guys; this one's a no-brainer! "Blitzkrieg Skank," "Rudie Is a Punk" — what are you waiting for?

Doors of the 21st Century — Imagine if the Doors re-formed and found a new singer — it'd be the best thing since David Lee Roth teamed up with Sammy Hagar! Oh, wait... someone already tried that. — Jason Budjinski