Various Artists

Music From The O.C. Mix 6: Covering Our Tracks

[3/5] The concept for this sixth disc from the struggling teen-soap The O.C. is an intriguing one: Get hipster bands to cover hipster bands, and throw it all together to see what sticks. It’s worked for the show in the past (Matt Pond PA’s cover of Oasis’ “Wonderwall” was a stroke of genius) and it sometimes works here. Goldspot’s twee arrangement of Modest Mouse’s “Float On” takes Isaac Brock’s whine and replaces it with swoon, and Rock Kills Kid turn Spoon’s “I Turn My Camera On” into a marching-band driver. But the record misfires as much as it hits: Lady Sovereign has no right to mess with the Sex Pistols’ “Pretty Vacant,” and Mates Of State’s version of “California” takes all the fun out of the show’s theme. Still, it’s worth doing the iTunes thing and picking your favorites. Ours? That’d be Tally Hall’s lilting, confessional re-working of the Killers’ “Smile Like You Mean It.” Wonder if that’s Seth and Summer’s breakup song this season? (WARNER BROS.) Jeff Miller