the 1975

Top 40 Cover Songs of 2013 (20-1)

And here’s part two, the Best 20 Cover Songs of 2013:

NB: To reiterate, I’ve included the original artist(s) in parentheses.

 

20. Jimmy Eat World – We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (Taylor Swift)

Classic JEW twist on the seminal T. Swift tune.

 

19. Alt-j – A Real Hero (College)

This acapella cover is downright striking.

 

18. Scout Niblett – No Scrubs (TLC)

This sounds like it would’ve been a low-fi grunge hit in the 90’s.

 

17. Chvrches – I Would Die 4 V (Prince)

One of the first songs I heard from Chvrches, and to date, a staple of their live set. One of Prince’s best songs made over perfectly.

 

16. Russian Police Choir – Get Lucky (Daft Punk)

This makes me endlessly happy. #RussianSwag

 

15. Of Monsters And Men – Skeletons (Yeah Yeah Yeahs)

Of Monsters And Men were already super charming before they did this cover. After? Not quite sure. I don’t want to be blinded by such light.

 

14. The 1975 – What Makes You Beautiful (One Direction)

I think “What Makes You Beautiful” is a world-conquering pop song. It was when I first heard it, and it still is a couple years later. What The 1975 have done to it is hidden its in-your-faceness. In its stead is an emotionally vulnerable song that sounds nothing like the original. Well done lads.

 

13. Ms Mr – Dance Yrself Clean (LCD Soundsystem)

This is a tonne of fun. Ms Mr had a huge year. I will never tire of hearing the line, “talking like a jerk, except you are an actual jerk, and living proof, that sometimes friends are mean.”

 

12. Say Lou Lou – Feels Like We Only Go Backwards (Tame Impala)

Complete revamp of the original. Say Lou Lou have painted the song with sensual electronic tones to brilliant effect.

 

For me, the following 11 covers stand above the rest. Tread lightly, there are potent concoctions ahead…

 

11. Cold War Kids – Opium Tea (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds)

I had to look up the original, as this cover sounds unmistakably like a Cold War Kids original. (A formidable, frolicking CWK song at that.)

 

10. Arctic Monkeys – Hold On, We’re Going Home (Drake)

Alex Turner may be the only person on the planet able to accomplish what’s been done here. He takes Drake’s subtlety and throws it out the window, infusing his own brand of ever-developing, world-conquering, slick-backed, Turner magnetism.

 

9. Twin Shadow – W/O/W/U (With Or Without You) (U2)

Simply in love with this.

 

8. Tears For Fears – Boy From School (Hot Chip)

Smart move by Tears For Fears to do a trio of covers to get people talking about them again. Arcade Fire’s “Ready To Start” seems to have garnered most of the praise, but I think Tears For Fears’ take on Animal Collective’s “My Girls” and, in particular, Hot Chip’s “Boy From School” are much better. This is an incredible cover.

 

7. Kings Of Leon – Dancing On My Own (Robyn)

The more I heard this, the more I fell for it. Kings of Leon slow down the tempo, and Caleb Followill delivers an impassioned vocal, making this an undeniable hit. I can’t forget Robyn’s original — it was a massive statement — but I kind of feel like Kings of Leon wrote this song. It’s now a tormented, bluesy rock track, and it’s outstanding.

 

6. 2 Cellos – Every Breath You Take (The Police)

In case you haven’t heard 2 Cellos before, the collective consists of, you guessed it, two cellos. What those two cellos are able to do to songs, particularly this seminal  80’s hit, is nothing short of magic. The emotional resonance factor here is through the roof. This is an extremely powerful piece of music. It’s mere background info that it happens to be a cover.

 

5. Purity Ring – Grammy (Soulja Boy)

When I first heard this track, I thought it was a Purity Ring original, and one of their best. I found out weeks later it was a Soulja Boy cover (I know right?). Don’t let that fool you, this is electrifying electro-pop. It’s waaaay better, more full, more fun than the original.

 

4. Haim – Strong Enough (Sheryl Crow)

I’m partial to the original. It’s probably my favourite Sheryl Crow song. To hear it updated with such tact and care gave me the warm and fuzzies all over. In particular, the simple synth chords and the electric guitar make this a supremely special cover.

 

3. Basia Bulat – Glory Days (Bruce Springsteen)

It’s pretty simple. I root for Basia Bulat. She’s a Canadian musician who seems like she’s giving everything of her artistic soul to her music. She’s uber-talented. She chose to cover a classic song from The Boss. And that hammered harp (pianoette). My God, that hammered harp. What a marvelous instrument. What a remarkable artist. What a wondrous cover.

 

2. WOTE & KRNFX – I Knew You Were Trouble (Taylor Swift)

The coolest cover of the year. The most bad-ass. Walk Off The Earth are absolutely brimming with creative ideas. KRNFX kills it here. Go Canada.

 

1. Capital Children’s Choir – Untrust Us (Crystal Castles)

My favourite and what I think is the best cover of 2013. That I didn’t see it on any other list purporting to speak of the best cover songs of the year is a monumental crime. This version of “Untrust Us” is pure, peaceful, and full of some extremely weird alchemy. I’d love to meet the person who decided this choir should cover this song and shake his/her hand. This is what musicians hope to achieve when they cover a song, yet it’s nearly impossible for it to result in something so special, as it miraculously has here.

Bonus:

Capitol Children’s Choir – Shake It Out (Florence and The Machine)

Had I known of this cover last year, it would’ve placed in my top 3. An unbelievably beautiful, serene take on an already gorgeous song.

Top 40 Remixes of 2013 (20-1)

Truism.

Truism.

And here is part 2, my Top 20 Remixes of 2013:

Imagine Dragons – It’s Time (Kat Krazy remix)

Released in the summer of 2012, these two remixes of “It’s Time” are not close enough to 2013 to merit a place on this list, but they’re worth noting because they’re both quite good.

Imagine Dragons – It’s Time (Cherry Cherry Boom Boom Remix)

20. The Vaccines – Do You Want A Man? (John Hill & Rich Costey Remix)

Interesting, trumpet-fueled take on a tune from a triumphant EP.

19. Monarchy – Video Games x The Phoenix Alive

I’m not categorizing this as a mashup since the vocal isn’t Lana Del Rey’s, so here it’ll rest. The “Video Games” vocal works really with with the music of Monarchy’s “The Phoenix Alive”.

18. Haerts – All The Days (Joywave Remix)

The come in at 1:56 is magical.

17. The 1975 – Sex (Liar Remix)

Liar’s remix leaves The 1975’s “Sex” almost unrecognisable, vocally and musically. The sadness of the original is punched in the gut and left for almost-dead.

16. Bridgit Mendler – Hurricane (Bit Error Radio Mix)

Dance-pop wizardry.

15. White Lies – There Goes Our Love Again (Torn Remix)

Slows down the pace but keeps the hooks.

14. The Wanted – Walks Like Rihanna (7th Heaven Club Mix)

Bewitching dance-pop, with a shot straight to the medulla oblongata.

13. Boys Noize – Ich R U (Justice Remix)

The robot likes to get funky.

12. Two Door Cinema Club – Next Year (RAC Remix)

RAC are reliable when it comes to remixes. This is one of their best. Possibly even catchier than the original.

11. Natalia Kills – Saturday Night (Lovelife Remix)

Lovelife kill this remix. Natalia’s Gaga drawl is put through the ringer and comes out unbearably fresh.

10. Chvrches – The Mother We Share (Blood Diamonds Remix)

As mentioned in the first list, Mike Tucker has been on fire the past couple years. From his Blood Diamonds’ music (“Grins”, “Ritual”, and “Phone Sex”) to his remixes, he’s putting his signature on a whole bunch of really cool dance music. This might be his best remix to date.

The following 9 remixes are on another level from all else in 2013…

9. Nirvana – All Apologies (Sound Remedy Remix)

A tip of the cap to CB for this one (check out her page here: https://soundcloud.com/careblundell). Sound Remedy have a way with remixes that’s utterly unique. Trying to remix Nirvana would spell trouble for almost anyone — not Sound Remedy though. They let the indelible riff of “All Apologies” do the heavy lifting here, augmenting it with a grace that’s rarely heard in the remix game.

8. Lana Del Rey – Summertime Sadness (Cedric Gervais Remix)

Probably the most popular remix of 2013. Not much to say other than it’s a massive banger.

7. London Grammar – Wasting My Young Years (Kids of the Apocalypse Remix)

“Wasting My Young Years” is a gorgeous, heartbreaking song. Musically, it’s relatively sparse since Hannah Reid’s building-levelling vocal is the smasher, so the opportunity to give it a face lift was open for the taking. Kids of the Apocalypse took said opportunity, and did what could end up being their best work. This remix is a heart-pounding, bone-rattling Jaeger of a tune.

6. Vampire Weekend – Ya Hey (Ian Carey Liberated Version)

Ian Carey does something magical to “Ya Hey”, but I can’t quite pin down what it is. It’s not better, louder, or catchier. What is it then? Perhaps the name Carey gave to his remix says it best. Perhaps “Ya Hey” has been “liberated.” What a marvellous accomplishment.

5. Haerts – Wings (Shlohmo Remix)

The more I listen to this remix, the more I fall in love with it. The original is one of the best song’s of the year, and this remix, though much different, is right there with it. The original, with its gorgeous face; the remix, with its scar-marked face. The original, soaring to triumph; the remix, slithering to asylum. The original, a bright open space; the remix, a dark hidden place.

4. Mikky Ekko – Kids (Monsieur Adi Remix)

The poppiest of my favourite remixes of 2013. What Monsieur Adi has done here is make a really good pop song even better. Rarely can that be said of a remix. Wonderful effort on an absurdly catchy track.

3. Sky Ferreira – Everything Is Embarrassing (Krystal Klear Remix)

The original is one of the most ethereal pop songs of the past 10 years. Somehow, this remix retains the delicacy of its source, but pushes the shy wallflower onto the dancefloor, where all of its fears and insecurities melt away. This is a proper, mid-tempo house hammer.

And then there were two… Far and away, these two tracks were the remixes that affected me most in 2013:

2. London Grammar – Wasting My Young Years (Sound Remedy Remix)

Yep, two remixes of the same song appear in my top 7. And while I revere the Kids of the Apocalypse Remix, I’ve something more than adoration for this Sound Remedy Remix. At once, I adore it, I’m saddened by it, I’m completely moved by it. There’s a euphoria in the desperation here, and despite the disparate nature of those two feelings, there is a singularity at play that reigns supreme. It’s unfathomably difficult to conceive of such a thing, let alone achieve it, yet Sound Remedy have done it. Already, “Wasting My Young Years (Sound Remedy Remix)” is one of my favourite remixes of all-time. It’s also one of the best tracks, remix or otherwise, of 2013. Magnificent.

1. Alt-j – Matilda (Johnson Somerset Remix)

If you want to get lost for 7 minutes and 20 seconds, play this track. Hell, you’ll likely be gone for more than that, as the re-orientation process will take some (probably a lot of) time. Beyond the 7:20, there’s the time off work that you’ll need, as this track will force you into a solitary frame of mind in order to evaluate everything from love to space to time. And on top of that, there’s the time spent in the hospital, as on your slow stroll of self-reflection, the outside world became a moot point, though unfortunately, the car that hit you as you vacantly jay-walked across a busy intersection, did not. So yeah, I’m probably underselling it by saying it’s a 7 minute and 20 second commitment. The good news is, whatever trials follow after first hearing this remix, this remix will serve as the solace and the soundtrack.

I’d say this remix is soaring, but it’s more than that. Sometimes it soars, other times, it’s still. Whether soaring, or in a state of stasis, the song sees serenity and sustains it. Whether it’s at one of the several beat drops, or when Joe Newman’s haunting, unforgettable vocal comes in at 2:37, the serenity never ceases. There’s a remarkable peace here that is so elusive to the artistic experience, let alone music, let alone a remix. There’s a gorgeous, glowing sadness to the original “Matilda”, and somehow, by some manner of magic, that sadness is not dismissed, but accepted, resulting in blissful transcendence. This transcendence is what I seek in music; it’s what the best art delivers, and I’ve found it here.

Johnson Somerset, you sir, are a saint. I’ve taken the liberty of beginning the canonization process for you, hope you don’t mind. What you’ve done here, for remixes, for music, for me, I’ll never forget. Transformation, complete. (Until the next one.)