Oh how I love it when Wednesday sneaks up on you like a cheeky little imp and surprises you with the sure and certain knowledge that you are half way through the week. And what a half week it has been. Britain has more (Olympic) gold than it knows what to do with, and my decision to celebrate each gold medal with a Wispa Gold is starting to take it's toll on my waist line. That's what you get for being an athletic supporter. Anyhoo, i am waffling, as I so often do. Here are some marvelous groups with proper bonza interpretations of current pop hits. Tally ho!
Capital Cities ~ Nothing Compares 2U (Sinead O'Connor):
I really do love a bit of Capital Cities I do. Their gorgeous debut single, Safe and Sound, continues to resonate with me and their sublime version of Madge's Holiday has been getting me in a tizzy for my own vacation at the end of this month. And there's the genius of the Capital Cities boys - they know they shouldn't compete with the originals. They look at songs they love, immerse themselves in the melody and lyrics, deconstruct the creation and rebuild it in a way that pays reverence to the artist who made the song popular but also gives it their own inimitable spin on things. For example, Sinead's version of NC2U is so iconic that to replicate it would be pointless. Instead, they set it over a synth drenched, percolicious beat which provides an interesting contrast to the heartfelt & downbeat lyrics. Abba excelled at this type of musical marriage and Capital Cities give the song a teardrops-on-the-discofloor type vibe that is hard to ignore. Why they are not world famous (yet) continues to confuse me :)
FutureKicks ~ Wings (Little Mix):
I first came across FutureKicks when the foxy one was on Come Dine With Me and was literally the only sane person on the show that week. They've provided me (and the world) with some quite charming music and now they are getting their chops around Little Mix's debut single proper, Wings. Not exactly the type of group to just go ahead with a straightforward cover, they have amped up the rock factor in it and given the already bouncy tune some real exuberance and energy. The boys are straight in there with a layered vocal effort - together their voices give the track a little roughness, taking the polish off the LM version and giving it a down and dirty frisson of danger. The fuzzy edged electrifying guitars (little) mixed with their organic live sound elevates the tune and makes the listener feel part of the experience, a real convivial atmosphere. Add to this their cocky yet likeable posturing and swagger in the performance clip above & the song shrugs off Little Mix to take on the personalities of each member of FutureKicks. If you're not on board with this band right now, then you are seriously missing out...
Jukeboxx ~ Living For The Weekend (Hard-Fi):
I've been a little bit smitten with Jukeboxx for a while and no more so than when they put their devastatingly brilliant version of Stooshe's Black Heart online. That led me to check out some of their other youtube covers whilst impatiently waiting for the forthcoming Jukeboxx MixTape. Their cover of Hard-Fi's Living For The Weekend just shows how everything they touch they just seem to make effortlessly cool. The live accompaniment brings a touch of the original's indie street cred, but the vocals are a delicious juxtaposition as the boys provide a masterclass in harmonious, passion fuelled performance. The joyous convergence of their voices in the chorus provides a literal manifestation of the song's carefree message & is just irresistable. It's rare to find such a celebration of vocal purity in pop these days and those lovely Jukeboxx lads just remind that while pop should be future thinking, it should always retain those classic elements that got it to where it is today. Genuinely wonderful...
Tilly ~ Invincible (Lemar):
I like Tilly I do. In a way they are like a modern day Transvision Vamp although they are far too young to remember them! Tilly are in fact an enticing three piece pop proposition from Derbyshire who have put together a cover of the new Lemar single, Invincible. And proper lovely it is too. The female lead singer, Tilly, provides an instantly engaging and suitably enigmatic vocal that seduces & teases it's way around the lyrical content. The boys provide accomplished instrumentation that complements rather than overpowers Tilly's voice & as the music begins to crescendo they add some of their own sumptuous harmonies to the mix. Combined, there's an ease & flow with the group's interaction that shows how intuitive they are of each other - this makes the song sparkle and will no doubt be evident in their own music also. And if you are in any doubt of how cohesive they are & how talented they are, check out this live version of Katy Perry's The One That Got Away. Just lovely. More please, Tilly and the boys, much much more...
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