Blog Assignment 5

 Pumped Up Kicks- Foster the People

 Original: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDTZ7iX4vTQ&ob=av3e

Cover: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXjUNd_eV3Y

Both of these songs are very similar, but there are a few defining factors that really make the original stick out against the cover.  First of all, the lyrics themselves are the same.  The cover version does not take any liberties with the words, and I agree with this decision.  The words are what give the songs their meaning and they can be tricky to change.  The voices, however, are very different.  The female voices in the cover are in stark contrast to the male voice of the original.  They have completely different tones.  

The melodies are similar, but do have some differences.  A big difference is the loop station that is used in the original.  The sounds from that, especially at the beginning, are so definable and what makes this song unique.  The cover does not duplicate them so it does change to melody a little bit.

Rhythmically the two are identical.  The same drum pace is used, and the guitar in the cover keeps the same pace as the bass in the original.  The original has a bit more intensity that the cover, but the female voices in the cover make it have a higher pitch than the original.  The timbre in the original is much more complex than the cover.  This is mainly because of the greater amount of instruments used in the original.