Mark Ronson's Version: Not As Shitty As It Sounds

Mark Ronson's Myspace page

So, if you're at all like me, you never thought a Coldplay cover could ever be described as "hot like fire." Yet that is exactly what I found myself exclaiming this morning as I streamed the Dap Kings' version of "God Put A Smile On Your Face," from Mark Ronson's Version, the producer's album of pop covers done in the faux-Motown style he wrapped Amy Winehouse's last album in. So needless to say, it's one of the coolest, funkiest, most fun albums I've heard in a while. We get ODB on a cover of Britney's "Toxic," and in the cover of the Smiths' "Stop Me" there's a delicious reference to "You Keep Me Hangin' On" from the Supremes. And I'm just working off of the Myspace stream. It does look like the whole album is on there. This dude is gonna ride the Dap Kings to alternative/hip hop-ish producer of the year. I can't wait.

Feist: Good Songs, Great Videos

Jon Pareles's "Just Feist. Just Wait." profile in last Sunday's New York Times made me pretty excited for The Reminder, her upcoming follow-up to Let It Die. Let It Die was pretty good, but I found it pretty hit-or-miss. Some of it really bored me, but some if it was "Mushaboom," one of the best indie-folk songs since that genre came into being. But where Let It Die was apparently mostly collaborations and covers, every track on the new album was written by Leslie herself. Should be good, or at least settle once and for all whether she's an artist I love or just one who has a great song here or there. After reading the profile I can't imagine it would ever be the latter, but profiles in the Times (or anywhere) have a way of doing that to me.

But the real reason for this post was that the profile partly takes place at the shoot for Feist's new video, "1 2 3 4." It's a big song-and-dance number which Parales likens to a Busby Berkley film. That's exactly right. It's one of the coolest videos I've seen in a while (of course I've been without any real video channel for close to a year now). Take a look for yourself:



It's strange these days to see a video, or any filmed media, in a one-shot format. It's also strange to see Feist dancing around with such exuberance, not to mention any dance video having such a clean, almost family-friendly vibe to it. All the surprises are completely welcome. Feist's got some serious charisma. (Was there a Mushaboom video? Note to self: YouTube that shit.) Oh, and the song sounds as good to me as anything on Let It Die.

So I was pretty ready to award that clip "Video of the Year So Far," until this morning I saw the clip for another single from The Reminder, this one titled "My Moon My Man" and featuring the same awesome choreography and one-shot filming. But this time instead of Busby Berkley we get an airport's moving walkway! Check it:



Awesome, right? And again, that song is pretty great. She seems to be melding the jazzy-rocky thing a lot better on these tracks. Here's hoping the album is as tight as these two previews. I don't know which of these two I like better. Good thing I don't really have to choose.