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Remixes That Are Better Than The Original

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The challenge of the remix, as opposed to the cover, is that you can't just do the same thing as the original except use your own voice and a different guitar. The remix culture demands reimaginings, not renditions, and that is at once freeing and challenging. It’s freeing because, source material be damned, if you want to make “Dust in the Wind” a thumping electro dance track, then you're going to do it, by golly. It’s challenging because you’re still going to have to utilize elements from the original – and maybe that soothing acoustic picking doesn’t have enough beats per minute to dance to. On rare occasion, these reimaginings and alternate takes make creative decisions that outdo even the original material. It's rare, but sometimes third parties seem to get the heart of a song better than their actual creators. Join me as we look at the subtle successes in the art of the remix. Little Boots - “New In Town (Fred Falke Remix)” The untouched Little Boots version is a decent song. It's got an appealing hook and some cool synth noise, but it wasn’t blowing up the request line. Fred Falke, who is some kind of king at these things, takes the song and turns it into a veritable club banger that makes the original seem limp. Even though he stretches out the song to a long 7 minutes, it’s sped up where it counts: the verses and chorus are adrenaline jacked, creating a feeling of carefree urgency that sounds like it should actually be playing at your local nightlife spot. It's one of those small changes that makes you think, “Why doesn't she always sing it like this?” This song should be fast, it should explode, and it should play with the tension between low-key moments and the amped-up payoff. It took Fred Falke to give it the qualities that it deserved. Adele - “Rolling in the Deep (Jamie xx Remix)” The whole time this song was dominating 2011, I kept thinking, “This is cool and all but they should just pretend the Jamie xx version is the original one.” Indie rock favorite Jamie xx surprised everyone by turning out to be some kind of production genius with his remixes, including one of the quintessential Adele hits, which features crisp drum hits and warped vocals juxtaposed with the beauty we expect from her voice. It's a song that takes a pop giant and puts it firmly on the cutting edge, and turning it into one of the freshest things I heard last year. Also, hand claps. How can you not love hand claps? Chairlift – Bruises (Passion Pit Remix) Best known as one of those cute iPod commercial songs, “Bruises” by Chairlift is a perfectly innocent and sweet song all on its own. But with the folks at Passion Pit at the helm, they apply their maximalist approach and, suddenly, this tiny little ditty turns into a booming song about a great love. A cute song is fine, but it has a ceiling for how powerful it can be. Through vocal distortion, a fuzzy aesthetic, and a constantly morphing soundscape, this song feels like it's now about much more than playground affections. Bright Eyes - Easy/Lucky/Free (Hot Chip Remix) Despite being Bright Eyes' “electronic album,” Digital Ash in a Digital Urn is not a very easy thing to dance to. So it was surprising that the people in Omaha selected Hot Chip, a band that leans towards dance music, to remix one of the songs for a supporting EP. The original “Easy/Lucky Free” is a contemplative piece full of Nick Zinner's signature guitar work that blurs the line between guitar and synth. Hot Chip succeeds by going for the rare and deceptively simple un-mix – shedding all those layers and making it a sparse piece. It's uncharacteristic for them, but given the fact the song is about making peace with human mortality, it works. Alexis Taylor and Joe Goddard step in for some choir-like background vocals and add gravity to a song that was shiny and cool, but not nearly as heavy. Related: Vitamin String Quartet Performs Adele, The String Quartet Tribute to Bright Eyes: Beautiful In The Morning

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The Best In Feel-Bad Breakups

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According to data gathered from Facebook, there are two peak times for break ups: Just after Valentine's day, and right about now. The anti-cupid has already struck Zooey Deschanel & Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard and, even worse, the iconic relationship of Thurstoon Moore & Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth. Just in case you're at risk, here's a Vitamin String Quartet-friendly playlist that will help you through your tough times. Separation is obviously a well-tread topic in pop music and the source of infinite songs, so no list will ever feel definitive. But it doesn't hurt to have one on hand, does it? Incubus – "Oil & Water" The summary of all your problems is right there in the title! This is an easy way to rock out to you and your partner's irreconcilable differences. The lyrics are full of common metaphors – heavy with anchors, shelter from the weather – but that just aids in its universal appeal. Let Brandon Boyd's big voice lead you up the dramatic arc. Def Leppard – "Bringin' On The Heartbreak" For those of you that require a little bit of edge in your breakup. This is strictly a song on the receiving end of emotional pain, and it has the added bonus of being ideal for singing along to in the sealed privacy of your car. Turn it up on the freeway and be a fearless, heart heavy rock star. Weezer – "No Other One" Maybe it's not strictly a song about splitting, but the song's portrayal of a codependent, desperate relationship may be all you need to snap out of your funk. Get uncomfortable with lines like, “My girl's a liar but I'll stand beside her” and realize that perhaps your attachment was unhealthy. Bright Eyes – "Take It Easy (Love Nothing)" Of course, it would be remiss to pretend break ups were all about rejection. Sometimes it's about guilt, or the scary apathy you have about being the ruiner of hearts. “She'll probably feel cheap/ But I'll just feel free/ And a little bit empty.” Were it not for those delightful drum machines and Wurlitzers, this would be a much darker affair. Fiona Apple – "Slow Like Honey" You might be thinking “Fast As You Can” from the Fiona Apple camp, but that's always sounded more like a preventative song rather than an end. This one, though? This is one sultry stab to the heart, reminding us that splitting up is just the beginning. Even if you're bitterly rejected, “Slow Like Honey” offers comfort in knowing that your memory will be a vengeful ghost. Related: VSQ Tribute to Incubus Vol. 3(2011), VSQ Performs Power Ballads (2011), VSQ Performs Weezer's Pinkerton (2010), The String Quartet Tribute to Bright Eyes: Beautiful in the Morning (2005), Strung Out On Fiona Apple: The String Quartet Tribue (2006)

Be sure to check out:

VSQ Tribute to Incubus Vol. 3 Available now at iTunes and Amazon

VSQ Performs Power Ballads Available now at iTunes and Amazon

VSQ Performs Weezer's Pinkerton Available now at iTunes and Amazon

The String Quartet Tribute to Bright Eyes: Beatiful in the Morning Available now at iTunes and Amazon

String Out On Fiona Apple: The String Quartet Tribute Available now at Amazon

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VSQ Employee Mixtape: Digital Department

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Vitamin String Quartet Mixtape

Jim C works in the digital department at CMH. Since he turns real music into 1's and 0's all day, his opinion doesn't really matter. Just kidding! Somehow he convinced the Vitamin String Quartet to cover No Age, so he hopes you enjoy it! 1. Nirvana - Smells like Teen Spirit from The String Quartet Tribute to Nirvana's Nevermind The String Quartet Tribute to Nirvana's Nevermind 2. Death Cab - Transatlanticism from Ghost: The String Quartet Tribute to Death Cab for Cutie Ghost: The String Quartet Tribute to Death Cab for Cutie 3. Foo Fighters – Everlong from Strung Out On Foo Fighters (EP) Strung Out On Foo Fighters (EP) 4. Radiohead – 15 Step from Vitamin String Quartet performs Radiohead's In Rainbows Vitamin String Quartet performs Radiohead's In Rainbows 5. Elliott Smith – Angels from String Quartet Tribute to Elliott Smith String Quartet Tribute to Elliott Smith 6. Kanye West – Heard Em Say from The String Quartet Tribute to Kanye West The String Quartet Tribute to Kanye West 7. Third Eye Blind – Motorcycle Drive By from The String Quartet Tribute to Third Eye Blind The String Quartet Tribute to Third Eye Blind 8. No Age – Eraser from Vitamin String Quartet: Per_Versions Vitamin String Quartet Per Versions 9. Bright Eyes – The City Has Sex from String Quartet Tribute to Bright Eyes: Beautiful In The Morning String Quartet Tribute to Bright Eyes: Beautiful In The Morning 10. Neil Young – Heart of Gold from Rusted Moon: The String Quartet Tribute to Neil Young Rusted Moon: The String Quartet Tribute to Neil Young 11. Bush – Glycerine from Alternative Hits of the 80's and 90's Volume 2 Alternative Hits of the 80's and 90's Volume 2

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The Killers Working On A Covers Album?

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According to NME, The Killers’ vocalist Brandon Flowers has mentioned an album in the works for The Killers, only this time it will consist of cover songs. When we saw this headline, we could hardly believe our eyes! We love it when our favorite artists appreciate cover songs as much as we do. Though they released a Bright Eyes cover earlier this year, they are still deciding on a tracklist for the album.
“It’s difficult for each of us to pick songs that represent us as individuals. I mean, I have a lot of personalities myself! I’ve gone through everything from Neil Diamond to The Cars.”
Brandon Flowers
Ronnie Vannucci, drummer for The Killers, has mentioned possible covers of Genesis, Cyndi Lauper and even Tom Waits (can we suggest our version of Hold On as inspiration?). Being on tour for their most recent album Day And Age won't stop the band from getting started - they've brought along their recording gear and will be working on tracks while they’re out on the road.

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