Line #12 Music/PostmodernJukebox


1	[[quoteright:325:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/postmodernjukebox.png]]
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3	->''"The music collective and Website/YouTube channel that dares to ask: What if Music/RichardCheese but you could actually listen to it more than once?"''
4	--> - '''WebVideo/ToddInTheShadows'''
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6	Postmodern Jukebox is a cover band with songs arranged by Scott Bradlee. A majority of their song covers are modern pop hits being arranged to sound like they were written in previous decades (1920’s jazz, swing, and old-fashioned R & B are featured often) The band has few permanent members, instead having a variety of different vocalists appear on each song (many recur). Some of the more regular vocalists include Robyn Adele Anderson, Cristina Gatti, Ariana Savalas (Creator/{{Telly\|Savalas}}'s daughter) and a wide array of ''Series/AmericanIdol'' alumni such as Blake Lewis, Haley Reinhart, and Joey Cook.
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8	Their music can be found [[https://www.youtube.com/user/ScottBradleeLovesYa here]] and can be bought [[https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/scott-bradlee-postmodern-jukebox/id636865970 here]].
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10	----
11	!!''Postmodern Jukebox'' provides examples of:
12	* TheAce: Swedish jazz musician Gunhild Carling, who featured in the group’s videos on a number of occasions, is an ''insanely'' talented multi-instrumentalist. PMJ brought her out into the limelight but she was known for decades prior in the European jazz world as part of the musical Carling Family.
13	* AscendedFan: Von Smith did a cover of Postmodern Jukebox's version of “Thrift Shop”, and during her season of ''American Idol'', Joey Cook had a breakthrough performance with her cover of PMJ's version of "Fancy". Both were eventually invited to do several covers with them.
14	** Invoked when the group released an album of their karaoke tracks and asked fans to upload their versions of the group's songs, with the intent of choosing a winner to record with the group.
15	* BaitAndSwitch: The music video for "Don't Stop Believing" begins with a shot framing a vocalist and band in a set-up similar to many other PMJ videos, but just as the vocalist is about to start singing, the ''real'' vocalist walks past in front of them, and the camera turns to follow her, leaving the band and decoy vocalist behind.
16	* TheBigGuy: Music/PuddlesPityParty stands an impressive 6'8".
17	* BlindShoulderToss: Joey Cook casually throws her ukulele out of the shot in "Hey There, Delilah." Not literally over the shoulder, because ... well, there's a backup band there, but with the required lack of concern and attention nonetheless.
18	* BlondeBrunetteRedhead: The singers in the [[Music/TheAndrewsSisters Andrews Sisters-style]] cover of "Wannabe".
19	* {{Bowdlerize}}: This is done to a majority of the songs they cover that contain profanity (fortunately it's usually done in a way that works with the song's meter and it's not too distracting) - when they don't pick the clean version right away, such as Cee-Lo's "Forget You". However, sexually suggestive references usually remain in the songs. Robyn Adele Anderson averts this in her solo covers, with [[Music/{{Gorillaz}} "Clint Eastwood"]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVwqSlTFQq0 retaining the]] PrecisionFStrike.
20	* TheCameo:
21	** "WesternAnimation/PinkyAndTheBrain Theme" features the original voice actors for Pinky and the Brain, Creator/RobPaulsen and Creator/MauriceLaMarche working as bartenders in "human outfits".
22	** The video for the ''Series/{{Friends}}'' theme -- "I'll Be There For You", originally by the Rembrandts -- takes a Through the Decades approach, with a rotating roster of singers performing successive sections of the song in the style of TheRoaring20s through to The90s... with The90s represented by the Rembrandts themselves performing the song in its original style.
23	* ChristmasSongs: They have a few under their belts. Notably [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3Hrn2_LxDs "Last Christmas"]] by Music/{{Wham}} in the style of the Andrews Sisters.
24	** It's to the point they have a full [[ChristmasEpisode holiday]] [[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJZH8sevmMq4K-JEyfTCKBJskAzi3wTjm album]], with their takes on most of the classic staples.
25	* TheCoverChangesTheGender: Zig-Zagged. Some covers ("Jealous," "Take Me to Church") ''do'' swap the gender, but others ("Poison," "Timber", "Welcome To The Black Parade", "Uptown Girl") don't.
26	** Their cover of "Don't You Worry Child" zigzags this in the song itself, even! The pronouns for the narrator's love interest are swapped to make it from a woman, about a man. However, the line "I was the king, I had a gold throne" is left intact.
27	* TheCoverChangesTheMeaning:
28	** The lyrics are the same, but through their usual anachronistic arrangement and some very swanky set dressing, they make Music/{{Coolio}}'s "Gangsta's Paradise" -- a song lamenting the life of a hoodlum "gangsta" of The90s -- [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rve03u7oEvI&ab_channel=PostmodernJukebox into a song]] lamenting the life of a glitzy "gangster" of TheRoaring20s.
29	** Their [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUCRA3k7w2Q&pp=ygUacG9zdG1vZGVybiBqdWtlYm94IGhhcHBpZXI%3D '60s teen musical-styled cover]] of Music/OliviaRodrigo's song "Happier" puts an irreverent spin on the originally sad lyrics -- instead of lamenting a breakup, the singer is over him and mocking his new relationship.
30	* CoverVersion: Their basic oeuvre of the band is that they talk popular rock and pop songs and create older music-genre renditions of them.
31	* {{Dieselpunk}}: Filtering modern hits through the styles of the diesel era.
32	* DooWop: They frequently make covers in this style, such as their videos of "Timber," "Steal My Girl" and "Rude."
33	* EverythingIsAnInstrument: Thanks to Sarah Reich, tap dancing is frequently used as percussion.
34	* TheFlapper: Many of their female vocalists have dressed like this when the group does covers in the style of '20s Jazz.
35	* FunnyBackgroundEvent: Along with the band members frequently [[{{Corpsing}} holding their laughter]] in most videos (especially if the Tambourine Guy is involved), "Love Yourself" even points one in its video description ("Yeah, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1QNhIAlP8M?t=2m15s 2:15]] happened").
36	** Their [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuQQOInbF88 cover]] of "What is Love" features a new tambourine guy (actually WWE wrestler Austin Creed), who steals a trombone from the band.
37	* GlamorousWartimeSinger: Occasionally invoked in some of their videos.
38	* GorgeousPeriodDress: Their vocalists are always dressed up according to the time period the song is styled after. Sometimes it borders on CostumePorn.
39	* GratuitousForeignLanguage: GratuitousSpanish is used in the band's Latin style cover of “Summer” by Music/CalvinHarris and their Mariachi cover of Music/{{Avicii}}'s "Wake Me Up." GratuitousFrench shows up in the "Sweater Weather" cover.
40	* HarshVocals: Casey Abrams is capable of some Music/LouisArmstrong-style gravel when he cuts loose.
41	* InCaseYouForgotWhoWroteIt: At times it's billed Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox.
42	* InTheStyleOf: Along with genres, at times the covers draw from specific artists - "Teenage Dirtbag" sung by Music/JanisJoplin, [[Music/{{Queen}} "Don't Stop Me Now"]] by Music/TinaTurner, [[Music/BritneySpears "Oops! ...I Did It Again"]] done by Creator/MarilynMonroe, [[Music/TaylorSwift "Bad Blood"]] by Music/EllaFitzgerald, [[Music/{{Rihanna}} "Umbrella"]] a la ''Film/SingingInTheRain'', and others.
43	** This [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuQQOInbF88 one]] features "What Is Love" in the style of Music/TheIsleyBrothers (think [[Film/AnimalHouse "Shout"]]).
44	** "High Hopes", the Music/PanicAtTheDisco song, performed in the style of "High Hopes", the Music/FrankSinatra song.
45	* {{Keet}}: [[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5nqAXDRWRy9-FvMVAQo-2eWhWj1qfXic Tim Kubart]], aka Tambourine Guy (following his scene-stealing appearance in "Roar", he's credited as that) who never keeps still and causes a lot of {{Corpsing}} within the band.
46	* LargeHam: Casey Abrams ''can'' play smooth and quiet - note his opening to "All About the Bass" - but has a lot more fun just letting himself go as he builds up to a big, gravelly climax. Examples include "Stacy's Mom," "Africa" and "Umbrella."
47	* LetsDuet: "Style" and "Mad World."
48	* LyricalDissonance: Shows up sometimes when the band peps up a sad song while leaving the lyrics intact. Most egregious in "My Heart Will Go On."
49	* MotorMouth: When the group covers songs with rap verses, the rap is usually sung in this manner.
50	* TheOner: The music video for their of Music/{{Journey\|Band}}'s "Don't Stop Believin'" is shot in one take, with the camera following the singers through multiple rooms and musicians and dancers moving in and out of shot.
51	* {{Pirate}}: Their cover of Music/SystemOfADown's "Music/{{Toxicity}}" has them perform on a pirate ship, with PirateGirl Robyn as a lead singer.
52	* PrefersGoingBarefoot: A frequent CharacterTic of female singers is to appear shoeless. Notably, Joey Cook is shoeless in every video she's done.
53	* RadioFriendliness: Even though PMJ doesn't broadcast on radio, many of the group's covers remove profanity from the original songs, as such they could be called Radio Edits.
54	* {{Retraux}}: Natch.
55	** Sometimes taken a step further than just rearranging the music in period styles. Occasionally, references to years get changed in the lyrics - "Beauty and a Beat," for instance uses 'We're gonna party like it's 1942' rather than the original's 'Like it's 3012 tonight,' and "Fancy" makes a similar substitution.
56	** Their [[Music/{{Blondie\|Band}} "Heart of Glass"]] version even warranted a DeliberatelyMonochrome [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTMoipsvGNc video reminiscent of]] FilmNoir.
57	* RevolvingDoorBand: Enforced. The band is a musical revue as much as a group, so the exact arrangement of vocalists who sing with them is constantly changing.
58	* SadClown: Music/PuddlesPityParty.
59	* SharpDressedMan: The male members of the band tend to sport suits/tuxedos/other fancy wear.
60	** Example: Ashley Stroud singing "Fancy" by Music/IggyAzalea.
61	* TheVamp: Ariana Savalas plays this in most of the videos featuring her. Also something of a MsFanservice.
62	* VisualPun: Two different versions of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLnZ1NQm2uk "All About]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyTTX6Wlf1Y That Bass"]] by Music/MeghanTrainor both feature upright bass solos. All about that bass indeed!

Context Music / PostmodernJukebox