MOG

swingin' and ultra swanky..having worked for a record label that specialized in "tributing" the hits, I can appreciate these quality reworkings.

pretty cool. shawn lee is a prolific artist. i still havent had the time to listen well to "strings & things" and here comes a new album.

Cody I would definitely say these are quality. Yes some things, technically called tributes, do miss the mark quite often.

Prolific indeed soulrocket. I wasn't even expecting a new one and I just happened on it. I'm usually bad on following up with artists. Glad I caught this one. Such a great album.

I'm delighted you posted this because it looks intriguing, but I'm going to play Devil's Advocate on your point:

_...but he’s somehow reworked them to where they’re digestable._

I don't think the tunes were so weak that they needed Shawn Lee to come along and fix 'em up sharp. I feel the complete opposite. These songs are so incredibly strong that they withstand any type of reworking. Afterall, they were written by some of the best popular song writers on the planet.

As good as Shawn Lee is (and he's certainly got impeccable taste, that's for sure), in the grand scheme of things nobody can reasonably argue that he's > or = artists of the calibre of Damon Albarn, Dr Dre, Timbaland, Amy Winehouse, Outkast or the production teams who wrote Rock Your Body, Can't Get You Out Of My Head, or (the pretty sensational) One Thing.

I like the two covers you've posted here so I'll certainly track this album down for a listen, as I'm a huge fan of quality pop music, such a rare thing these days. In particular, I can't wait to hear Get UR Freak On and Let Me Blow Your Mind, two of mine and my girlfriend's favorite songs.

I hear you dude but straight up pop music isn't really up my alley. In fact it makes me vomitous. Call me a snob. I like Shawn's work, though. Actually I would argue as far as his musical talent is concerned that he has just as much if not more musical ability than some of these artists. Half of these pop stars are just singing heads. Now some of them have real talent but they just don't play for me. I don't hate all of these songs. I did like Get UR Freak On, Once Around the Block, Hey Ya, and Clint Eastwood. Not so much the rest. I also have to point out that the Gorillaz, Badly Drawn Boy, and maybe a couple of others weren't exactly major pop hits in the states. I think these inclusions may have been influenced by his being from the UK. I hear what your saying Flux. My wife likes some pop music and she drives me up the wall. I'm probably just stubborn. :)

"Vomitous", haha! There must be some cleaning-up to do 'round your house after the wife puts on her records! Without wanting to sound like a cliched ponce, for me there's only good music and bad music, couldn't give a toss if it's chart pop or Mongolian reggae. But, I suppose, in the UK and Ireland many serious music fans (despite themselves) have grown up keeping a keen eye on the charts -- every band, no matter how hip, wanted to appear on BBC chart prog Top Of The Pops. It's a habit I've certainly kept up, but thankfully we now have some great blogs that wade through all the bad stuff, so we don't have to. And in the same way, Shawn's defo picked the cream from the charts in recent years. And I didn't even see Once Around The Block, there! Love that song. Christ, I wish BDB was still producing to that level, but that's a whole other story...

Yeah, nice post. Might have to pick this one up. Definitely a lot of skill involved in wading through the mass of "pop" and reworking it like this into something one's own.

I love Shawn Lee. At first I was drawn to him 'cause of his delicious geodesic cover on the Voices and Choices album, but then I heard his homages to Gainsbourg and David Axelrod and I was hooked. I also had no idea about this new album. I can't stand reworkings of pop songs by quiet-voiced singer-songwriters, so i'm glad Lee has stepped into the ring with different interpretations.

Hey Kate. Glad to see you. His covers are very attractive and style wise really fit his music. I think this one might be the most goobery but I see what he's going for. Wow this guy has worked with a diverse amount of people. I just got this off the Ubiquity site.

"Shawn Lee who will be known to breaks n'beats collectors as the man behind "The Ape Breaks" and "Planet of the Breaks" series which were sampled by everyone from Guru to The Gorillaz. As a multi-instrumentalist and singer he has played and recorded with a diverse range of artists including Coldcut, Leeann Rhimes, Martina Mcbride, UNKLE, Tony Joe White, Chateau flight, The Dust Brothers, St. Etienne, Jeff Buckley, Bomb the Bass, The Spice Girls, and Natasha Atlas not to mention solo records for Talkin Loud and Wall of Sound imprint We Love You."

I beg to differ w/you about Gorillaz Sam. When their first self titled cd came out their "Clint Eastwood" song was EVERYWHERE here in CA. MTV played the vid endlessly & I heard it on the radio alot(back when I listened to radio). Gorillaz have been much more popular than Blur over here(but I love anything Damon does) mainly because of the infusion of hip hop beats in their sound. Maybe in your neck of the woods they weren't popular but I think that's far from representative of the rest of the US(especially since I recall you saying that where you live is behind the trends by a few years).

Maybe it's because I live in middle America. I had a friend that lived in Burbank and he couldn't stop talking about the Gorillaz first album. I never actually heard them until they put the songs on commercials. I don't really remember videos on MTV at all but I can't really remember the last time they played videos. I'm sure major metropolitian radio was all up on them since radio tends to suck less in bigger cities but round these parts it didn't get any play. Except on the college station. Now the next album was a different story. iTunes shot that album through the roof. Blur wasn't really popular at all in my zone until that "woo hoo" song came out. Which still gets played all the time. That was way after the fact of them having put out some great albums.

Well Gorillaz 1st cd came out in '01 & MTV was still playing vids at that point. I don't live in a major city but I do live an hour from SF so can still get the stations. I got into Blur from the very beginning when "There's No Other Way" came out on their "Leisure" cd. I didn't actually buy their first cd till later on but I did buy their 2nd one "Modern Life Is Rubbish" & every one since. I lived in Portland, OR at the time & they played "There's No Other Way" on the radio, on MTV & the clubs. It was a huge hit. I recall dancing to it at my fav clubs. But Blur didn't get really popular until "Song 2", the woohoo song, came out in '97 in the US, although they had a few hits like 'Boys & Girls' & 'Chemical World' before.

Maybe it was a West Coast thing. I'm so mixed up today. I was living in Denver, CO at that time. I don't remember it being on the radio. Maybe I listened to the wrong stations. That and I didn't have cable then so that would explain why I didn't see it on MTV. I had a few friends that were Britpop fans that turned me onto Blur early on. I probably wouldn't have heard about them until "Song 2" came out. Or maybe the Trainspotting soundtrack. Hey August your avatar just got really scary. Spooky avatar (said in Dracula voice).

Hehe, yea aren't I just so scary? I changed it because Bloodtea & I were having a convo over on my Cure post about who was more evil him or me! Since I became a vampire in the great mog wars(I was bitten by a vampire bat fer chrissakes that emerged from the cd mix that was sent to me!) I won hands down so I had to show my vampirlicious self off, heh!

Since I was really into British music w/The Smiths, Siouxsie, New Order, The Cure, Depeche Mode, etc. back in the '80s I was already keen on keeping an eye out for the latest bands from there, so I was right on top of the early '90s Britpop scene.

I forgot about Mogwars. I was instantly killed and I never had a chance to post about it and was bummed and felt guilty about it. I became a zombie and am now doomed to walk the earth as the undead. Fortunately the government has supplied me with brain supplements and I've been able to rejoin the society. I'm currently employed at the workplace of the damned. :)

I actually had to be coaxed into a lot of the British music that you mentioned above. I was kind of an asshole about it but I saw the light and the error of my ways and have since converted. I've come around to a lot of artists in the last 15 years. I think it's all about acceptance, appreciation, and giving things a chance. Unfortunately I still can't say that about most pop music. My wife has discovered a love of Justin Timberlake, and I can't be a prick about it cause I love her, so I'm very begrudgingly trying to be open minded. Some things take time. Thanks for the chat. I think I'm in a weird mood lately.

Lol, you are a bad warrior my friend, heh! Like it's that big of a deal! At least you acknowledge your undead zombieness! Workplace of the damned, like that, heh!

Coaxed huh? Well since I'm considerably older than you(17 yrs. so) I took my time developing a more distinguished musical palate as well. I was in my 20s in the '80s & I was into stuff like Lionel Ritchie before that, lol!

It's hard to despise an artist that your loved one is into. I had to endure N'Sync & Backstreet Boys w/a previous flame, so I really did learn to appreciate them even though I wouldn't purchase a cd for my own listening.

Btw, enjoying those Nirvana tracks, cool stuff, thanks!

As the Beatles would say "I'm a loser". I'm down with some Lionel Ritchie. It is hard to despise my loved ones tastes. The pop dalliance is only a minor thing. She has impeccable taste otherwise. She got me into tons of cool music from alternative to jazz to various other things. Glad you liked the Nirvana tracks. It's moggers like you that give me hope for more discovery August. I've been feeling rather blah about music lately. Thanks.

(blushing)oh gawsh, well thanks Sam. But you blah about music? I hardly think so, with all the exuberance you exhibit in your posts & all the unusual, unique & fun music you share w/the Mog community I have to say that you are far from blah! And the admiration is mutual cause you also pass on that hope for more discovery as well.

Did the Beatles say "I'm a loser"? I thought that was Beck!

Nah I was going for the Beatles song. Thanks for the compliments August! Backatcha.

Which song did they say that in? I know I should know it damnit, heh! Yvw and backat yer backatcha, lol!

Why is song # 4 stuck in my head like a bad record on repeat Sam... any clue ;P

I am still peeing my jammies a little at Back Street Birds Alright...

Doesn't take much to make you pee in your jammies does it LGE, lol?!

Sam, I've never heard that Beatles song or that album, wtf?

erm... well - are you funny - or is there something funny about you that I might find were I to be in my jammies when around you... then no - not much ;P I am on a roll tonight... too bad - no hay ;)

August here's the info on that album.

Lizzie I think there are clues as to why #4 is stuck. You know my first inclination was to post: Everybirdy, yeah. Rock your birdy, yeah. Everybirdy, yeah. Rock your birdy right Backstreet's birds, alright. But I thought that was too wordy. Or is it too birdy?

Sam, thanks, I had no idea! Very fascinating & here I thought I knew of all The Beatles albums. I used to be into them too, long ago, in a galaxy far, far away. From what wiki is saying I guess that album is rather overlooked so I don't feel too bad now. It was wedged between two other of their better known albums, so no wonder.

Liz, when _AREN'T_ you on a roll?( & is that a dinner roll, kaiser or whole wheat, heh)

I am floored. Really loving that Ramsey Lewis Trio vibe...

Never heard of this band before. I am VERY intrigued...

Glad I could intreeg yoo Anna.

Mike I gotcha. I am a floorist. Comes with the territory.

Listening to this take on Hey Ya, I can't help but think that it would go great with this video:

Am intrigued; these are quite satisfying reworks. Love the 'funky lounge soul' vibe, and will definitely further explore Shawn Lee's discography - had heard of him, but never truly listened to what he was creating. Thanks!

Hey glad you liked it. It's smooth stuff. His other albums are pretty good too. More soundtrack sounding but awesome. I reviewed his last album _Voices and Choices_ here http://mog.com/fistula_spume/blog_post/78764

I'm a little late on this one, but wow... super love it. Thanks for this post...