Nostalgia 77 (w/Alice Russell)
Seven Nation Army
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Tender Forever
My Love
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B.Cause (w/The Whitefield Brothers & The Dazz Band)
Let It Whip
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I’m gonna switch things up on Musical Cousins. Usually, I do a modernish song that contains a sample from a slightly less modern song. Not this time. The tracks offered up in this post are all cover versions that sound as if they were released before the original. Allow me to demonstrate.

The first selection is a cover of The White Stripes’s “Seven Nation Army.” When I heard the original way back in 2003, I remember thinking that it could have been released decades earlier; an instant 5-star classic. A few years later, I heard this cover version by UK producer Benedic Lamdin (who records under the moniker Nostalgia 77) and I actually believed that The White Stripes covered an obscure 70s soul song. With fiery vocals by fellow Brit Alice Russell (who sounds like Irma Thomas but looks kinda like a young Courtney Love) and a slowed-down bluesy groove, this is one remake that is on par with the original.

Exhibit B is a novelty interpretation of the Justin Timberlake track “My Love,” recorded by the lo-fi French (by way of Portland, OR) act Tender Forever. Singer/ukulele player Melanie Valera changes my perception of this song with her childlike sweetness. Timbaland’s bold production on the original feels like it comes from the future, but this cover version hearkens back to 60s folk.

The final selection is not exactly a cover, but a radical remix of The Dazz Band’s 80s classic “Let It Whip” by San Francisco producer B.Cause. Clearly, B.Cause is a skilled technician, slowing down a track form German funkmeisters The Whitefield Brothers and blending it with what I believe to be the a cappella version of the original single; it’s an absolutely perfect fit.

By the way, check out this retro clip from Soul Train featuring the original version by The Dazz Band: