New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Rochester, NY power trio Handsome Young Ladies continues to offer up tracks and music videos off 'WE GOT IT COVERED,' their upcoming album of covers which bring new life to your favorite multi-genre hits of the last 40 years.
The latest is their spirited take on the
Elton John classic "Bennie and the Jets" which premiered yesterday via Alternative Press.
Check out the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTox9xIqZYA
Stream the single here: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/handsomeyoungladies/bennie-and-the-jets-2
Of the video for "Bennie and the Jets," frontman Sam Swanson says: "Considering that
Elton John never shot a music video for this song, we had to do our own homework on really finding the meaning of this obscurely written piece. Bernie Taupin's slightly esoteric nature of lyricism left our imaginations running wild on this one… It is said that the song is a satire on the future of the state of music in the 1970s. An almost robotic band fronted by this "Bennie" character with electric boots, etc. Given all of Taupin's intriguing imagery in this piece, coupled together with the fact that "Bennie and the Jets" was released in 1973, a mere two years after President Nixon took the United States off of the Gold Standard, we thought it interesting to portray "Benjamin Franklin" as "Bennie" in our own more sci-fi tale with an almost Orwellian/Huxleyian dystopian tone, intertwined with a more modern Wachowski quality. It most definitely came out pretty odd, but again (director) Shimon Galiley really put an extra effort into the cinematic presentation which makes it hard to take your eyes off of."
In discussing their decision to cover the track, Swanson adds: "So many of Elton's songs have been covered over the years but I had yet to hear a guitar-driven studio version of "Bennie and the Jets." There is something hypnotic and special about the way those major 7th chords hit on the beat. Something about this song has always caught my ear and that something I believe is those chords coupled together with the falsettos. Again, re-working and re-arranging this song was a very enjoyable experience which allowed me to add some different layers sporadically in the studio. Every time we play this one out live the crowd nods to the chord hits in abrupt start/stop motion. I think we definitely gave it our own spin that shines a new light on it."
Consisting of
Chicago import Swanson (of Midwest Blue, Dormlife, and Boomjuice) on both guitar and vocals, bassist Anthony Carvalho (of Red Letter Statement and Praxia) and studio producer
Jesse Sprinkle (of Poor Old Lu, Demon Hunter, Dead Poetic, and Bluebrick Recordings) on drums and back up vocals, H.Y.L. has decades of experience in both the regional and national music scenes, as well as the recording industry.
The band specializes in clubs, bars, and private events including weddings, birthdays, and corporate parties, but make no mistake, they come to rock as if they're playing arenas. Imagine the rhythm section of
Nirvana fronted by
Elvis Costello playing cover songs and you're on the right track.
With a large dose of alt-rock energy and loads of rock n roll swagger, Handsome Young Ladies' upcoming album 'WE GOT IT COVERED' features spirited renditions and entirely new takes on classics from the likes of Queen, Sade, Earth Wind & Fire, Madonna, Sade and many more.
'WE GOT IT COVERED' was recorded/engineered by
Jesse and mixed/mastered by his brother
Aaron Sprinkle (New Found Glory, Anberlin, Story of the Year). The album will be available everywhere on May 17th via the band's own label Alarm Clock Revolution. Pre-save 'WE GOT IT COVERED' here: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/handsomeyoungladies/gq49
Physical pre-orders: https://handsomeyoungladies.bigcartel.com
