Soundscape #27: Old Skool vs The New

From Tapedeck [do you remember these!?]

Something old, something new. Anything old can be something new and cool again. What would explain our fixation with all things vintage? I think there is this connection in our minds between vintage and unique. I guess, since unique means one, and that vintage probably also means there aren't many around anyways, we might as well make that equation, right?

I've been guilty of it of cos, ooh-ing and ahh-ing over retro phones and radios and tvs etc. But am I really nostalgic? I doubt it. I remember the phones where you have to stick your finger into each of (was it 7?) numbers and pull it all the way round. That was a pain in the ass now, wasn't it? I remember the radio with the big fat knob where you have to manually tune in to a station (let's not even talk about sound quality; you'd be lucky if you can make out anything at all). I remember my uncle adjusting the antenna on our tv set to get TV3, just for variety. The 1001 things we put up with previously will just be inconveniences now. Can you imagine calling the police on that antique phone of yours? No way, you'd probably be dead by the time you get connected via a switchboard. Or not watching Heroes on Starworld!!??

I didn't think so.

I thought for this week's episode it might be interesting to line up some old songs and their respective covers. Which original and which cover do you prefer?



Playlist: (Old Skool)
1. (0:00) Danger Doom - Old Skool (featuring Talib Kweli)(Buy The Mouse And The Mask)
2. (2:38) Modest Mouse - Float On (Good News For People Who Hates Good News)
3. (6:07) The Postal Service - We Will Be Silhouettes (Buy Give Up)
4. (11:05) OMD - If You Leave (Buy The Best Of)
5. (15:33) Phil Collins - Against All Odds
6. (18:57) Beatles - Two Of Us (Buy Let It Be)
7. (22:21) Roxy Music - More Than This (Buy Avalon)



(Covers)
1. (0:00) Centro-Matic - For New Starts (Buy Fort Recovery)
2. (4:45) Ben Lee - Float On
3. (8:49) The Shins - We Will Be Silhouettes
4. (11:50) Nada Surf - If You Leave
5. (16:45) The Postal Service - Against All Odds
6. (21:02) Aimee Mann & Michael Penn - Two Of Us
7. (24:33) Norah Jones - More Than This

*most of the covers are not in albums. Except for Aimee Mann & Michael Penn's Two Of Us which is from the I Am Sam OST.