COVER: Re-work, twist, alternative — to record or perform a new version of a song originally performed by an artist.
Now, covers aren’t necessarily a bad thing, in fact a great deal of artists are showing their love of their peer’s work by covering some of their favourite tracks. This post is dedicated to creativity and out-of-the-box musical thinking — to artists that have created something impressive and memorable. It’s hard not to love a good cover song, especially when it’s done in an exceptional way — there is nothing like the familiarity of an original lyric combined with the creative power and freshness of another artist to take a song to the next level. Each one of these Vanscene picked “Fresh To Death: Covers” are exactly that “fresh”, creative and ooze originality and have that special je ne sais quoi.
I was wandering in the rain
Mask of life, feelin’ insane
Swift and sudden fall from grace
Sunny days seem far away
We simply cannot talk about covers without mentioning one of the most covered songs this year. We’ve heard a number of remixes and covers by Kanye West, Diplo and Future of Beyonce’s steamy hit “Drunk in Love“, however; no one has laid it down quite like The Weeknd and English dubstep, R&B-Funk songstress Katy B (see below). Both artists put their own little twist on the song — The Weeknd alters the track with his signature chilling sex-driven vocals and dark introspection and Katy B funks it up with that silky smooth voice of hers, giving the song a new air of sex-driven innocence.
Other standout covers include, Vancouver Sleep Clinic and Sir Sly’s mellow rendition of Drake’s “Hold On We’re Going Home” and “Marvin’s Room“, as well as an oldie but a goodie by Oakland five-piece Waterstrider and their chilling rendition of Little Dragon’s beloved track “Twice“. Staying true to the subtleness of the original, Waterstrider hits home with their progressive instrumentation and soothing soundscapes.
If I let you know
You can’t tell nobody
I’m talking bout nobody
Are you responsible?
As we wind down the list, we shift gears a bit and dive into the psychedelic and soulful with psych-rock group Tame Impala and their mind-bending cover of the late King of Pop’s “Stranger In Moscow” and an octave-killer cover of Mariah Carey’s “Emotions” by Ariana Grande. Now, anyone who is a fan of/watched the oldschool flick “Brown Sugar” can appreciate Natasha Kmeto’s delicate and inspiring ode to Erykah Badu’s hip hop-soul song “Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)“. Lastly, one of my favourites and a clear standout on this list is Shadows On Stars total re-work of Aaliyah’s “Are You That Somebody“, who start things off slow and finish with a bang, giving us bass for days.
KATY B // VULNERABLE // DRUNK IN LOVE
I’ve been drinking, I’ve been drinking
I get filthy when that liquor get into me
I’ve been thinking, I’ve been thinking
Why can’t I keep my fingers off it, baby?
London vocalist Katy B takes two gems: Tinashe’s fiery hit “Vulnerable” and Queen B’s seductive smash “Drunk In Love” and mashes them together to create pure sex. This lady has got soul for days and her vocals go down silky smooth like milk and honey.
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