[Tracks] Covers and Remixes

Due to the nature of my work, I've been afforded the opportunity to work from home over the last month or so. I've still be going to the office a lot anyways, but today I was at home. After a hyper-productive morning, I scanned my RSS reader over lunch and came across two fantastic new covers/remixes/versions of two of Brooklyn's most popular bands - Yeasayer and Dirty Projectors.

Yeasayer's "Ambling Alp" was released last week to substantial fanfare. The track, in my mind, represents a turning point for the band. (I haven't yet heard the rest of the upcoming Odd Blood, so I'm guessing here.) All Hour Cymbals was rightly praised upon its release two years ago, but I was more excited to see what the band would do next on the heels of success. If "Ambling Alp" is any indication, we're in for a treat with Odd Blood. The song is raucous with David Byrne-esque lead vocals and a falsetto bridge. I've only had two weeks with it, but this is already among the pantheon of "walking the city/pound the pavement/beat the streets" headphone anthems (others: M83's "We Own the Sky"; Biggie's "Juicy"). It's a great sounding track with immaculate production on all the different elements, particularly the simple but effective backbeat.

I was thrilled this morning when I logged in and saw that Memory Tapes had put together a new remix of "Ambling Alp." His take is drastically different, with a horn section up at the front of certain parts of the track and sampled pieces of the lead vocals scattered throughout. It's an enjoyable, if slightly distracted track. The last minute is where the whole thing comes together. I continue to be impressed with Davey Hawke's output. He's been putting out solid content several times per month, in addition to recording his album, for quite some time now.

Yeasayer - Ambling Alp
Yeasayer - Ambling Alp (Memory Tapes Remix)


The other find (not that I dug it up or anything...was posted on P4k) this morning was Solange Knowles' cover of Dirty Projectors' mega-jam "Stillness is the Move." Solange has had an interesting career. She's still only 23, and has undergone several transformations as an artist. As Beyonce's little sister, she started out with a major deal at 15 and production deals with Jermaine Dupri, Timbaland and The Neptunes. Since the release of Solo Star in 2003, she has only release one other album - 2008's Sol-Angel and the Hadley Street Dreams - and has worked with a broader range of producers, including Cee-Lo, A-Trak and Mark Ronson.

Now she has covered "Stillness is the Move" with a sample from Soul Mann and the Brothers' "Bumpy's Lament" and/or Erykah Badu's "Bag Lady." Her rendition is sparing in it's production, much more so than Dirty Projector's original version, but she stays true to the tempo and the harmonies of the source work. It's a really enjoyable jam. She covered "Stillness is the Move" simply because she enjoyed the song and wanted to show her appreciation...certainly a sign of the times and the changing mindset of artists, no?

Solange Knowles - Stillness is the Move (Dirty Projectors Cover)
Dirty Projectors - Stillness is the Move