Sunday, April 25th, 2010
"Time To Pretend"
Jonsi and Little Boots cover MGMT (not together)
Lilja & Inga BirgisdottirThe first of these covers made the blog rounds not too long ago, but the timing is such that I can’t resist making it this week’s selection and the second, well, that would have been just as perfect if only…
Anyways. First, you’ve got the inexplicably (to me, anyways) popular MGMT, who released their second album Congratulations a couple of weeks ago. Despite a high chart showing, it’s gotten a pretty polarizing response for apparently not sounding much like their debut Oracular Spectacular, which by extension means that none of the songs is as immediate as “Time To Pretend” and might not inspire covers such as these ones by Jonsi or Little Boots. The Jonsi cover, recorded for BBC Radio 1, is the more transformative of the two what with being performed on sombre piano, shed of the fun-time synths of the original. Little Boots recorded hers cover for her YouTube channel and despite being armed with just her Tenori-On, does a pretty faithful rendering (the audio isn’t great as it’s ripped from said YouTube vid).
The big moment of synchronicity amongst these three versions is that MGMT are playing a tiny (for them) club show at the Mod Club this Thursday night – presumably something bigger is coming later this Summer – while Sigur Ros frontman Jonsi is playing the Sound Academy for two nights this Friday and Saturday night in support of his solo debut Go and Little Boots was supposed to play the Phoenix on Friday night but that, along with most of her North American tour dates, was canceled a couple months ago for no given reason. But still, if that hadn’t happened you could have seen all three in three nights. Whoo.
The Chicago Tribune has a feature on Jonsi while Clash talks to MGMT.
MP3: Jonsi – “Time To Pretend”
MP3: Little Boots – “Time To Pretend”
Video: Little Boots – “Time To Pretend”
Video: MGMT – “Time To Pretend”
Tags: Jonsi, Little Boots, MGMT
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4/25/10 10:14 am
Just watched MGMT on SNL tonight. As a live act (saw them play at the Echo in LA back when…) they always had us wavering, but truth be told, they are the real article, mainstream radioplay be damned. This cover by Jonsi is awesome. Thanks for bringing it to our attention. Added.
4/25/10 11:53 am
frank you dont have ‘is this it’?
4/25/10 4:17 pm
re: Is This It
had the CD back in 2001
got bored of the CD
sold the CD
have been reconsidering my opinion of the Strokes lately
found the LP for ~ $10
bought the LP
now have Is This It again. Sounds better than I recall.