hearsay

Not that it’s a new thing at all, but I’ve been noticing a bunch of melody appropriations recently and felt like mentioning. I actually like picking up on these, whether or not they were conscious. It’s kind of like a hip-hop sampling thing… until Johnny Law sticks his nose where it doesn’t belong and gets all cease and dissist-ey about it. Not all the tracks are available online, but most are probably familiar…

spinto band - brown boxes (2005) vs. french kicks - wrong side (2002)
that the same organ at the beginning. the timing’s the same, too.

the decemberists - i was meant for the stage (2003) vs. sting - fields of gold (1993)
to me this sounds like a prety conscious appropriation. it has a nice sort of awkwardness in the way that the lyrics attempt to adhere to sting’s melody. reminds me of the flaming lips/cat stevens track.

the walkmen - wake up (2001) vs. french kicks - destro (2000)
the closeness of the intros for these two songs makes sense, since they are, like, totally best friends. both are good songs, but i prefer the stutter in the way the drums kick in for “wake up”, i guess.

yo la tengo - autumn sweater (1997) vs. new fast automatic daffodils - big (1990)
seeing as yo la tengo started as a covers band, i’m not surprised that they borrow from others’ songs in writing some of theirs. when i heard the daffodils song (off of ladytron’s softcore jukebox), i was a bit surprised, though, in how many of the themes were lifted for “autumn sweater.” you can hear the use of the baseline and drums that appear around 0:38 in “big” get used after the first chorus at 1:15. you can also find the original organ melody at 4:03 in “big.”

my morning jacket - off the record (2005) vs. the drifters - up on the roof (1962)
“off the record” sounds like a surf rock/beach boys cover of “up on the roof.” i find myself singing “up on the roof” in the lull after the “penny arcade”/ “might get hard” lines.

the doves - hit the ground running (2003) vs. warren zevon - werewolves of london (1978)
i think this is simply a sample looped throughout the song, but it very much has the feel of the warren zevon track, and even includes the howl.

bonus…
: my morning jacket - off the record (video) :