Chloe, the older sister in Chloe x Halle (on the left here), has the “better” voice in a traditional R&B sense. She’s the little Beyoncé, after all.
But Halle’s voice has a lot of character, and a jazzy element that I actually prefer. She also seems to be the guitar player of the duo.
A Bruce Springsteen cover of Lorde’s ‘Royals’ sound like something you’d see on Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show.
Who can forget the duet of ‘Whip My Hair Back and Forth’ between “Neil Young” and Springsteen on Fallon’s Late Night, after all?
(Not that I’m comparing ‘Royals,’ an excellent song, to ‘Whip My Hair Back and Forth,’ but a version by Springsteen seems just as likely.
Best Songs of 2013 – #2
New Zealand teen Lorde came out of nowhere to dominate the pop conversation in the latter third of 2013. Her debut album, Pure Heroine, was an unlikely smash, driven by minimalist beats, secret journal lyrics and smoky vocals.
First single ‘Royals’ was a deserving mega-hit — it’s perfectly crafted and executed — but it isn’t the best song on the album.
Speaking of ‘Royals’…
Last week a cover version of the blockbuster Lorde tune was released by a musical project called Postmodern Jukebox.
The brain child of mega-talented musician Scott Bradlee, Postmodern Jukebox reimagines modern tunes in older styles — a doo-wop version of a Ke$ha song, say, or a lounge band version of Kanye West. Bradlee usually plays piano on these tracks and brings in an assortment of guest vocalists.
With only two months left in the year, I’m starting to compile my list of 2013’s best songs, which I’ll kick off in the middle of December.
I’ve never been completely satisfied with my criteria for the year-end list, but it works well enough. I limit myself to one song per album (though not per artist, if a particular artist has released multiple records) and I choose the songs that had the greatest impact on me personally, not necessarily the culture.
Meet Me In Montauk 