Amateur artists often flood the Internet with mediocre renditions of their favorite songs, causing something like a treasure hunt for those who want to dig up the remixes, covers and acoustic versions worth listening to. Therefore this week’s Tunesday revolves around musicians and producers who have picked up the songs of others and have actually done them justice. After the home videos and uncomfortable introductions have been weeded out, there remain these gems.
James Vincent McMorrow— “West Coast”
Irish singer-songwriter James Vincent McMorrow has a voice that can carry him through practically any song. He combines passion with a sense of despair as he floats from one end of the vocal scale to the other. Days after playing the Sydney Opera House last week, McMorrow brought his talent to Australian radio station Triple J for their weekly segment, “Like A Version”. The show features international artists playing acoustic covers of other musicians. He chose to play Lana Del Rey’s“West Coast” and“Gold”, a track off his latest album Post Tropical. James seems to improve every song he covers; for his first major track“Higher Love”, McMorrow coveredSteve Winwood’s 1980s version.
Alt-J—“Taro (Panda Remix)”
https://soundcloud.com/itspandauk/altjrmx
Panda from the UK recently released their new record label, Bambusa Records, and have produced solid pieces since. They turned Alt-J’s“Taro” into a dance-inducing beat while keeping the instrumentals that make Taro stand apart in the indie scene. Speaking of great remixes of Alt-J pieces: Hipe, a producer from Munich, created a noteworthyversion of “Interlude I.” He overlays synths on the a cappellaoriginal to create a track that does the Alt-J version justice. The voices of Joe Newman and Gwil Sainsbury remain intact regardless of the added instrumentals.
The GTW, “Cravings”
If you overplayed the Flight Facilitiesoriginal a little too much over the last few years, here is a version by The GTW that revives the track a bit. He combines R&B, house, rap and a dab of dialogue. Aside from the abrupt ending, The GTW nails this rendition of “Cravings”.
Ella Eyre – “Waiting All Night (Acoustic)”
Rudimental featured Ella Eyre on their single“Waiting All Night”, and it peaked at Number One on the UK Singles Chart. Although her acoustic version of the track failed to gain the same attention, her voice here deserves recognition. Bastille also featured Ella on“No Angels”, a combination of TLC and The XX. However, she has yet to release a full-length album of her own.
Parov Stelar – “The Sun feat. Graham Candy (LCAW Remix)”
https://soundcloud.com/l-c-a-w/the-sun-remix
German producer LCAW, who has covered artists such as Cashmere Cat, Passenger and Daughter, released another mix this week. Though he did not drastically alterParov Stelar’s track, he made the beat catchier and replaced the piano with more synths and drums. Let’s also note that LCAW is only 19 years old, an age when most of us were doing, well, not as much as he is.
William Fitzsimmons – “So This Is Goodbye (Ben-E´s Clean Remix)”
https://soundcloud.com/benefalki/william-fitzsimmons-so-this
Ben-E tookWilliam Fitzsimmon’s piece and removed the vocals and guitar. It’s basically an entirely different song except for the looping rhythm. Austrian Ben-E describes his music as melodic techno, while Fitzsimmons is a folk singer from Indiana. This stark contrast in genres could have led to something awkward, but here it works. However, the remix strips the original of its defining elements.
MØ “Say You’ll Be There“
Who doesn’t remember The Spice Girls? They stood aside the packs of musical heroes from the 90s, which included The Backstreet Boys, ‘N Sync and Britney Spears. However, even in light of their “comebacks” in this decade, none of these bands have regained the status they once held. MØ has stepped in to bring thisSpice Girls track back to life. Although MØ lacks their leather bodysuits and the volume of Scary or Baby Spice’s hair, she makes up for it with her vocals.
Spazzkid – “Marquez (Ozoh Remix)”
https://soundcloud.com/redapricorn/spazzkid-marquez-remix
Ozoh released this track on Soundcloud about a week ago, and it has already attracted hoards of attention, especially when you consider that his song views are usually kept in the hundreds range. This may be his big break as he continues to squat on the site’s popular page.
Klangkarussell—“Sonnentanz (Kellerkind Remix)”
https://soundcloud.com/kellerkind/klangkarussell-sonnentanz
Klangkarussell managed to successfully fuse jazz and house—a feat that caused “Sonnentanz” to reach Top 10 charts in six European countries. Kellerkind from Switzerland then came in, removed the horns and upped the synths. Kellerkind notes that his style formed with the influence of Chicago house music.
Daughter– “Medicine (Sound Remedy Remix)”
https://soundcloud.com/soundremedy/daughter-medicine-sound-remedyyy
Followers recognize Sound Remedy for his remixes of indie and pop artists ranging from Lana del Rey and Noosa to Crystal Castles and Moby. Though his profiles preach “Can’t Stop. Won’t Stop. EVER”, this remix of Daughter’s “Medicine” redeems him for that wretched statement. This work brings the best of both worlds: Elena Tonra’s ethereal vocals aside a heavily beat and distortions.
