I first came across Postmodern Jukebox when I saw this YouTube clip appear my Facebook feed late last year…
And I loved it…I actually thought it was a song from the 40s and had no idea it was a current hit from the top 40!
Guess I really am getting old…
So I did a bit of investigation, and discovered that this was a group that takes pop music back in time…and makes it so much better!
The mastermind behind Postmodern Jukebox is Scott Bradlee, a successful performer from the New York jazz scene.
In 2013, he put together rotating group of musicians producing covers of pop songs in the styles of jazz, ragtime, and swing.
Postmodern Jukebox first got peoples attention with Miley Cirus’s We Can’t Stop done in a do-wop style!
He quickly moved on to cover many popular songs but one that really clicked with mainstream audiences was a cover of the hit “Royals” by Lorde…performed by a seven foot clown called Puddles…it now has over 10 million views…
Bradlee has an amazing talent for not only selecting the right era in which to “transport” a modern song, but also in the musicians he selects to perform the song.
Check out this one…Katy Perry’s Roar done in Motown style…this has reached over 2 million views…
Most of the YouTube clips were filmed in Bradlee’s apartment…which made him not particularly popular with the neighbours!
Now the group has been on tour in the USA, and they are heading over to Europe in February!
If you want to check out more of Postmodern Jukebox, there is a YouTube channel with over 65 clips…
If you are liking what you are hearing, you can download the album, cleverly called Historical Misappropriation from iTunes….I have, and I love it!
AND there is a new album coming out next week…keep an eye out for “Selfies on Kodachrome”!
I have one thing to ask Scott Bradlee and his amazing Postmodern Jukebox musicians…please come and tour Australia…soon!
Click here to visit the Postmodern Jukebox website!
Or click here to visit the Postmodern Jukebox Facebook page!
All clips and images are sourced from Postmodern Jukebox
So cool!!
They’re fantastic, aren’t they?! 🙂 I wish they’d come to Aus too. They’ve recently been doing some covers with a chick called Morgan James, she is really good and does a great rendition of “Maps” with them. My favourite is “Careless Whisper” though, with what seems to be their regular vocalist. Have you watched the Ted talk they did?
I saw them live in San Francisco before Christmas! Even better live.
That’s my kind of top 40!
Yay! these guys are amazing