Thursday, February 13, 2014

Hot! Live! Music! (w/Postmodern Jukebox)

Scott Bradlee & The Postmodern Jukebox have a simple gimmick.  They take the pop songs you're sick to ever-loving death of hearing on top-40 radio and perform them (and, btw, greatly improve them) using old-timey arrangements, ranging everywhere from 1920's swing to 40's jazz to 60's Motown.  The effect is damned awesome.  Observe...

"We Can't Stop," which helps support my theory that this is actually a decent song ruined by some of the worst lyrics in recent memory


"Thrift Shop," or the version that had Macklemore wishes he'd actually come up with, so he wouldn't have had to send apologetic texts after winning the Grammys


"Sk8er Boi," and wow, I think my IQ lowered 30 points just writing out the title like that


"Timber," and I sadly must admit that the actual version is a guilty pleasure of mine.  I'm a sucker for a good harmonica lick.


"Sweet Child O'Mine," which breaks the pattern a bit since it isn't a top-40 song (at least not from recent years).  This is also a case where the original is probably better, though I've never been a fan of how the first half of SCOM is, like, the best song ever written, and then it just degenerates into guitar licks and Axl yelling in the second half.  The song doesn't really end, it just gets swallowed by its bridge.  The New Orleans jazz version does a much better job of keeping the song on track throughout

No comments: