Listen to Karen O’s Extracurricular Activities, including “The Moon Song” with Ezra Koenig, “I Shot the Sheriff” with N.A.S.A., and “Sing to Me” with Walker Martin
As we’ve written repeatedly, Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) can do virtually no wrong in our book. And her extra-curricular activities outside of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are particularly compelling. She’s been especially busy recently, combining with N.A.S.A. on a cool cover of Marley’s I Shot The Sheriff (which you can listen to below), and collaborating with Walter Martin (Walkmen) on a sweet love song entitled Sing to Me (which you can listen to at bottom) from Martin’s highly-anticipated new kids’-songs-for-grownups album We’re All Young Together (also featuring The National’s Matt Berninger).
First up below, however, is Ms. O’s well-crafted The Moon Song (from Spike Jonze’s movie Her). The song was written as a duet between the film’s characters played by Scarlett Johansson and Joaquin Phoenix, but listen below to a significantly improved recording with Ezra Koenig (Vampire Weekend). Listen as Karen and Ezra acquit themselves beautifully.
Following is the I Shot the Sheriff cover, which gradually overcomes the stigma encountered by anyone attempting to cover Marley and ultimately grips with its loping electronica and Karen O’s shimmering vocals.
The pick of the litter, however, might be her collaboration with Walter Martin on Sing to Me. It’s a sweet song sung well by both, with Martin reminding us vocally of the great Eef Barzelay. We look forward to hearing the entire We’re All Young Together album.