Songs: Bulletproof

This is my new favorite karaoke song!  It's so easy to sing and everyone sounds good singing it.   I first came across it in Pitch Perfect, and have subsequently has it stuck in my head a lot.   A LOT.   It's great.   Really simple, but effective.

  

Film Reviews: Pitch Perfect

As previously mentioned, I have a serious Pitch Perfect problem.   I must have watched the DVD about 15 times since I bought it.   It's the best film I've seen in ages.   It's about an angsty girl called Becca who goes to college and joins an a capella group, against her better judgement.   The group is set in its ways and afraid of change.   Obviously Becca saves the day and leads them to victory in the national championship.   How original.   Part of the appeal is obviously the brilliant soundtrack.   I really do love the a capella stuff.  It's gorgeous, and hilarious in parts.   But the songs in the film that aren't sung by the cast and are just part of the score were really well chosen too.   Favorites include Punching in a Dream by The Naked and the Famous, Keep you, by Wild Belle and Open Season, by High Highs.   As well as the musical appeal, it's also hilarious.   Most of the comedy comes from Rebel Wilson, who plays Fat Amy, one of Becca's bandmates.   Since seeing the film I have developed a great admiration for Rebel Wilson.   Most of her lines in the film were improvised, and I have wasted a huge amount of time watching interviews with her on youtube.   She's a funny lady!   Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins also deserve special mention for their brilliantly funny lines as the competition commentators.   All the main characters are really well written too.   Great script.   I will admit it is very girly though.   Probably not one for the gentlemen.   But girly in a strong, feminist type way.   Oh, and it does have a very over-the-top unnecessary vomitting scene, but apart from that, couldn't fault it. 

Music: Favorite Covers, Part 2

Continuing on from this post, I thought I'd carry on telling you all about a few more of my favorite covers of songs.   First, the Shins version of We Will Become Silhouettes.   It was originally by the Postal Service.   The Shins have slowed it down, used lots of guitar instead of synthetic stuff and made the lyrics more distinct and understandable.   Great job!

Next, The Scissor Sisters version of Comfortably Numb.   It was of course, a Pink Floyd song.   Their version is almost unrecognisable!   It's much faster, more synthetic and sung in their usual falsetto tones.   The only way I could tell it was the same song was the lyrics!   But the way they've done it really suits the psychedelic aspects of the song.   Great stuff!

  




Next Tom Traubert's Blues by Tom Waits.   I suppose it isn't strictly speaking a cover.   More of a re-imagining of a song.   It's sort of very loosely based on Waltzing Matilda, but very different.   The tune is a bit different, the lyrics are different and it's much slower and grittier.   It's wonderful.

Another great one is the My Chemical Romance version of Bob Dylan's Desolation Row.   It was on the Watchmen soundtrack.   It's much faster, rockier and considerably shorter than the original Dylan one.   It works really well, even though they have totally changed the tone of the song.

And, well, because I am slightly obsessed with Pitch Perfect (no really, I have a serious problem!) I'm going to finish off with not one, not two, but three songs from the film.   Kelly Clarkson's Since U Been Gone, Miley Cyrus's Party in the USA, and Bruno Mars's Just the Way You Are.   All three are great!   Obviously the biggest changes are the complete lack of instruments.   A capella awesomeness!   And they've added some totally gorgeous harmonies!   Party in the USA actually sounds like not-a-rubbish song the way they've done it!   Quite a feat!