Friend Club Records and Wiretap Records have teamed up to present the forthcoming Undercover On The Streets compilation, a tribute to the bands and catalog of Vagrant Records. It will be available everywhere on May 20.

The 30+ track compilation features covers from the various eras of the iconic indie label’s roster. In recognition of Vagrant’s 25th anniversary last year, an assortment of artists from the Wiretap and Friend Club rosters took to the studio to record their renditions of songs originally performed by The Get Up Kids, Alkaline Trio, The Anniversary, Saves The Day, Face To Face, Dashboard Confessional, Senses Fail, Thrice, Paul Westerberg, No Motiv, Alexisonfire, Balance And Composure, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The 1975, Pete Yorn and many more.

The compilation features songs recorded by Burnt Tapes, Common Sage, Lovebreakers, Parting, Catholic Guilt, Bristol To Memory, Least, Mercy Music, Love Again, Floorbird, Talk Show Host, Taken Days, Movin In Stereo, Wolves&Wolves&Wolves&Wolves, American Television, Lost In Society, Rundown Kreeps, Avenues, Odd Robot, Tiny Stills, Tweedmouth, Elijah Newman, The Bell And The Hammer, All Hallowed, Harker, Spaceships, No Better, NTVTY, Ray Gun Solace, Paper Disguise, and Dirt Money.

Wiretap owner Rob Castellon comments, “If bands have influences, then indie labels do too. There’s no question, that Vagrant Records indirectly influenced the sound and aesthetic of what Wiretap Records has become. Blending punk, emo, pop-punk, and more into a roster of bands that on paper shouldn’t have made sense….but absolutely did. I had the honor to intern at Vagrant Records from 2000-2001 for school, and while I spent most of my internship folding shirts, and drilling holes in promo CD’s, I was exposed to the exciting salad days of Vagrant. We’re talking a label’s roster that included Rocket From the Crypt, Alkaline Trio, Dashboard Confessional, Paul Westerberg, and Koufax. Those bands shouldn’t have anything in common…but they somehow worked! I’m also privileged to have had the chance to work with Vagrant alumni Matt Pryor and Jim Suptic from The Get Up Kids and Josh Berwanger of The Anniversary, for their Radar State record that came out in 2019. Things have a tendency of always coming full circle.”

Friend Club Record’s Rob Froese comments, “I’ve always been one to trust a ‘label’ as a guide to my musical experience. Vagrant (and Heroes & Villains) was one of the first labels I came to love and adore. Whether it was the infectious pop of Koufax or the rustic rock of Paul Westerburg, many a CD in my collection that I loved came with the Vagrant label. When the idea of this compilation came to me it only made sense to partner with another similar label that I trusted in Wiretap. We’re pleased to present a great tribute to a great label with Undercover on the Streets.”

For the comp, Catholic Guilt delivers a soaring, arena-worthy treatment of Saves The Day’s “At Your Funeral.” You’ll love the big-rock guitar flourishes here as Catholic Guilt breathes new life into the classic.

City and Colour’s “Hello, I’m In Delaware” is tackled by Florida’s Least, a quartet fronted by Taylin Wills. The track retains the source material’s original swing, while the powerful group pushes the dynamics to lofty heights.

Undercover On The Streets, A Vagrant Records Tribute, arrives on all digital streaming platforms on Friday, May 20.

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Cover by Rhys Meatyard