VARIOUS ARTISTS / “Freedom of Choice”: Caroline

*** Subtitled “Yesterday’s New Wave Hits as Performed by Today’s Stars,” this album could be sub-subtitled “There’s No Accounting for Taste,” what with such “stars” as Finger, Polvo and Hypnolovewheel honoring such not-exactly-deathless hits as, respectively, “Tainted Love,” “Mexican Radio” and “Antmusic.” Yet this collection, a benefit for Planned Parenthood, is a legitimate hoot, with a few true alternative headliners (Sonic Youth and Mudhoney among them) and a few masterful tributes and/or revelatory reworkings of songs that were, apparently, unlikely inspirations.

Perhaps the best pairing of band and song is Redd Kross’ version of the Go-Go’s “How Much More,” an affectionate gender-switch on a great number, a gift from one L.A. band to another. The most successful recasting is Finger’s version of the Gloria Jones via Soft Cell “Tainted Love,” which this North Carolina group transforms into a post-grunge grinder. Fontana’s White Flag is nearly as successful remaking Kate Bush’s lush “Wuthering Heights” into garage-y power-pop.

Among the other highlights: Sonic Youth applying its wall o’ sound to Plastic Bertrand’s punk spoof “Ca Plane Pour Moi,” Mudhoney giving the Seattle treatment to Elvis Costello’s “Pump It Up” and Chia Pet’s deadpan drama of Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me.” Even Erectus Monotone (another N.C. outfit) makes Missing Person’s “Destination Unknown”almost tolerable. But nothing can help “Antmusic.”

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