What if you could introduce fans of pop music to genres of music they might not otherwise listen to, simply by creating a cover of a popular song? You might get something like this vintage “grandpa style” version of Thrift Shop by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. This version has more than 1.5 million views and the group, Postmodern Jukebox, just released a 1940’s swing version of Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj’s Beauty And A Beat. What do you think? Love it? Hate it? (I think it’s a kick.)
I just discovered Postmodern Jukebox last week (fwiw, I think that’s the name of the album, not the band!) and as I’m both a lindy hopper/jazz enthusiast and I have a significant soft spot for genre-bending, I’ve been loving it. I like the un-remixed version of “Thrift Shop” a lot better, though ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Cnm0tdkJEU&list=UUORIeT1hk6tYBuntEXsguLg&index=6 ) — it’s a little fast, but totally danceable for a Charleston or Shag. Go check out the rest of the album/Scott Bradlee’s channel — I particularly like the Motown tributes to Avril Lavigne & Nickelback, the oh-so-sultry cover of Rihanna’s “Only Girl,” and the write-up (and cool piano view!) on “Celebrating the Artistry of Shaggy.” Fun stuff. =)