Thomas Bartlett has been a trusty sideman to many major New York artists, including David Byrne, Antony and the Johnsons, Yoko Ono and the National. He's earned acclaim for solo work released under the moniker Doveman. So why on earth would a 26-year-old rising star spend weeks overhauling the cheesy film soundtrack from 1984's "Footloose"? Bartlett joins us to explain the true meaning of friendship.
Comments [13]
These songs are just great. I don't see them as being ironic at all. I think that by being played slow like this, you can really focus on the lyrics which aren't as bad as you'd expect.
It's like when Ben Gibbard covers a Britney Spears song. You can feel the emotion behind the lyrics instead of it being a generic dance song.
This is brilliant.
To my ear, doveman takes life out of those old songs. Like the popular forties songs my mother grew up with, they were meant to be peppy, shallow mindless adoring and youthful. But full of life. He dispenses with all those qualities. What's the point? I grew up loathing these songs, but now can hear what was appealing.
As someone pushing 60, I was pretty horrified by everything about the 80s as a 35 year-old. Doveman is a breath of fresh air on this material.
I think it is cool what he's done with the soundtrack, although I was he had more of a sense of humor...
Sounds like chord progressions....
Ultimate Hipster Project
UHP!~
Oh my goodness...this music is so pretentious and joyless. I guess Doveman means well, but if I were his friend I'd be very disappointed.
Yikes! This is music? And I'm not talking about the original. . .
I think that this so-called re-casting of what the artist identifies as overly slick pop is borderline offensive.
This is so bad he makes the originals sound good.
My brother and I used to love the song "Let's hear it for the boy". We actually had an entire choreographed dance, involving jumping into a pool with a cannonball splash and yelling our names. LOL. Those were the days!
Yikes, he can play piano... but the vocals are yikes... I can't describe. Nice idea but pathetic shot at irony.
Doveman,
Footloose: I didn't think it was funny - I think it sounded awesome.
Dee
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