Imagine hearing ”Toxic” by Britney Spears get reintroduced by sounding like an old ragtime juke joint, or having a Taylor Swift song sound like a soundtrack straight out of the movie "Grease." Well, this is the kind of approach musician Scott Bradlee had in mind when he created his Youtube channel: Postmodern Jukebox.
What sets him apart from other cover artists on Youtube is that he takes popular songs and basically transforms them into what they would sound like in the '60’s, '50’s, '40’s or even the '20’s. Not to mention, he makes sure that he pulls out all of the stops; he scouts for timeless, soulful, and sultry voices to match his composition.
If you watch his videos, you can see that he has made no mistake thus far in choosing his lead singers and backups. From the singers, we go on to the band – or rather, how many musicians he can fit in his small New York apartment. Depending on the arrangement, you will see anything from drums, trombone, and horns, to a harp or ukulele. You will most likely always see Mr. Bradlee in the background playing ridiculous chords on the piano.
Next, we go to the wardrobe. Depending on the era the pop song is supposed to be in, the whole entourage will dress accordingly. The band mostly dresses in suits, and the female singers either dress in long, silk gowns or flapper dresses. Recently, the artists have begun to incorporate tap dancers. He keeps adding so many layers and depth to these performances that you would start to believe that these songs could have been considered classics back in your grandparent’s days.
I also find that it reintroduces the pop song, because many are predisposed to becoming old quickly since they have been played so often. Mr. Bradlee is allowing the listener to re-enjoy the work again, but with a different interpretation.
A couple of weeks ago, Postmodern Jukebox did a cover of Coldplay’ song “Viva La Vida” with the artist named Puddles, who performs the song with a mellower tone than in the original song. The music builds up and breaks down throughout the song. When you go back to the original, you can see the viewpoint or the main themes the artists wanted to bring forward.
Postmodern Jukebox has been so well received all over the world that they have concerts, albums, and merchandise to spread the brand globally. One very integral part of the success of this idea is that it can appeal to a lot of generations. Because of its careful execution, creativity, and unique sound, it does not fall into the trap of sounding exactly like the original. Instead, it is like a beautiful amalgamation of old and new that no one has really done well until Postmodern Jukebox.
There is also a close-knit community; if you have created content online in regards to the brand, you can communicate with the people who enjoy the videos and even have discussions on what cover they would like to hear. With this formula Mr. Bradlee has created, it sets a totally new standard for what covers can do.
