Here’s What Michael Stipe Sounds Like on Digital Antidepressants
January 22, 2013 | Andy Cush
By some unknown digital wizardry (Melodyne? An Echo Nest API?) a relatively anonymous digital artisthas changed R.E.M.’s colossal “Losing My Religion” from dark and impressionistic to sunny and Smiths-y. The secret? Taking every minor note in the song and raising it by a half step (putting the song in its parallel major key, for those nerds who are keeping score). This would have still been great had a band simply taken it upon themselves to recreate the song, but hearing Michael Stipe’s reedy voice singing the chiming melody only heightens the awesomely disorienting effect.
This one is almost too meta: the poet laureate of nighthawks and renegades everywhere teams up with Captain Jack Sparrow's father to record a cover of a 150-year old sea shanty. But it's real! And it's awesome. Frequent collaborators Tom Waits and Keith Richards recently recorded a stirring version of "Shenandoah,"…
“Listen In” is a weekly feature in which we ask musicians to curate a mixtape-length YouTube playlist of songs they’re currently digging. Today's "Listen In" comes from Philly post-punk band Psychic Teens, who assembled a fitting soundtrack for what's forecast to be a cloudy memorial day weekend, featuring downcast, fitful…
Please enjoy this video of the Russian Army Choir's performance on a morning television show in which they sing the "Skyfall" song from James Bond 007 BETTER THAN ADELE. That lead tenor though. OH MY GOD. And the choir "[pum pum pum] I kno / I never be wizout security." THIS IS…
