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December 17, 2008

Peter Gabriel & Hot Chip Cover Vampire Weekend

thubmnail icon: Peter Gabriel & Hot Chip Cover Vampire Weekend

Naturally we all got pretty excited this summer when Peter Gabriel announced plans to cover Vampire Weekend's signature song "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa." In part because PG hasn't released much pop music in recent years (save for likely Oscar nom "Down To Earth") and because VW had one of the most buzzed about albums this year, but mostly because Peter Gabriel's name is in the damn song. Meta! On this cover, "Kwassa Kwassa"'s squiggly riff and Congo beats are replaced with soft keys and electronic flourishes courtesy of the guys in Hot Chip. Peter's got the yelp down, though. "It feels so unnatural. Peter Gabriel, too. And it feels so unnatural to sing your own name..."

Actually, it feels so natural Hot Chip have invited Peter to sing on their next album.

Posted at 11:07 AM by Scott
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19 Comments

DudeAsInCool

Not bad - like it.

Posted by: DudeAsInCool profile link at 12/17/08 11:53 AM | Reply
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Pretty cool. But I don't understand why they replaced the falsetto parts with baby seal noises.

Posted by: shitballs at 12/17/08 11:54 AM | Reply
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I like the original better. Has Peter Gabriel run out of his own material?

Posted by: dawg at 12/17/08 12:25 PM | Reply
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Myk

Petey Gabe don't hate me. But I hate this, it sounds like a bad amateur cover you'd find on youtube with some guy sitting recording this into his iMac

Posted by: Myk profile link at 12/17/08 12:35 PM | Reply
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If he doesn't hate you for not liking his song, he surely will for calling him "Petey Gabe"!

Posted by: Gabe Pete at 12/17/08 1:16 PM | Reply
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The Peter Gabriel the song evokes is better than the Peter Gabriel singing the song. Not that it can't be done again Peter... St Paul's "You're the One" had me boppin' around for a few weeks this past summer... It didn't do much for me when it first came out. Wasn't really paying attention.

Posted by: Wicked Wanda at 12/17/08 1:32 PM | Reply
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Oh no, Hot Chip tax:
http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2008/12/governor_paters.html

Posted by: Levon at 12/17/08 1:45 PM | Reply
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...yeah ...really bad production. Hard for me to get through the whole track. Like Vapmire Weekend for the 40+ crowd.

...and the baby seals.

I wanted to like this before I pressed play

Posted by: jfu at 12/17/08 2:08 PM | Reply
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Vampire Weekend already is for the 40+, just neither of them realize it yet.

Posted by: oh. in reply to jfu's comment at 12/17/08 3:44 PM | Reply
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this song rules. i'm only 34. maybe you should listen to kanye instead

Posted by: chris in reply to jfu's comment at 01/16/09 7:06 PM | Reply
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Esau Mwamwaya & Radioclit's version squashes this one like a grape.

Posted by: Brad at 12/17/08 2:08 PM | Reply
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I wish there was more of this kind of thing. It doesn't sound too serious or anything, so I like it.

It's like Bowie playing with Arcade Fire - at least half of the fun is knowing David Bowie took the time to learn the lyrics of a band you like.

Posted by: Matt Morrell at 12/17/08 2:46 PM | Reply
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Comehomenow

I love the "sing your own name" line, but the music on this is terrible. Sounds like a demo on a cheap Casio.

Posted by: Comehomenow profile link at 12/17/08 4:04 PM | Reply
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HypeSociety

hahaha, wow. I agree entirely with Matt Morrell

Posted by: HypeSociety profile link at 12/17/08 5:59 PM | Reply
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This really makes me wonder what the Genesis version would sound like. Or maybe even Collins solo.

Posted by: Travis Lee Wiggins at 12/18/08 9:20 AM | Reply
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Oh, pull yourselves together. It's a beautiful thing, made with joy and a sense of fun. And 'Collins solo' wouldn't quite ring as a drop in line.

Posted by: Deasy at 12/25/08 8:07 PM | Reply
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So where does one go to get this track? I've checked both iTunes and Amazon with no luck.

Posted by: Jonah Weiland at 01/14/09 12:26 PM | Reply
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I heard this on SiriusXMU this weekend and have been looking for it ever since. For some reason it just hooked me, and I think it is just what Deasy said.

Posted by: Bill Hertz at 01/26/09 6:10 PM | Reply
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Cool stuff.. There's a lot going on with that "casio-like" sound, more than some might think. THe production is actually quite interesting. I dig Peter Gabriel and know he has probably had a lot to say about the programming that went into this. Cool stuff, and Peter Gabriel singing his own tune is silly in a good way!.. Great to hear his voice...

Posted by: Tony at 01/29/09 9:59 PM | Reply
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