Karmin Goes From Covers On YouTube To Originals On Saturday Night Live
I've previously written about both Karmin and Walk Off The Earth using unique covers of popular songs to attract attention. Karmin has taken things to the next level with an appearance on Saturday Night Live featuring their original music and an album on the way.
Plus, Walk Off the Earth recieved over 50 million views for its music video cover of Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know."
I don't know what to think about Karmin's Saturday Night Live performance. They have an odd act. But some people didn't like it and it may have escaped extreme attack due to The Grammys. They introduced new songs "Brokenhearted" and "I Told You So."
Karmin Cover of Foster The People's "Pumped Up Kicks"
Steven Horowitz describes Karmin's next steps after YouTube cover fame:
"Last summer, that online success led to a deal with Epic Records — the first act signed to the label by new chairman/CEO Antonio 'L.A.' Reid. Karmin's major-label debut album, 'Hello,' is due in April and expected to feature contributions from such marquee hitmakers as Christopher 'Tricky' Stewart, Dr. Luke and Claude Kelly. All songs will be originals."
"On Feb. 11, Karmin will perform on 'Saturday Night Live,' becoming only the second act — behind Lana Del Rey, who appeared on the Jan. 14 episode — to perform on the show before the release of its debut since Natalie Imbruglia in 1998."
Whatever the SNL appearance does for Karmin's brand, their biggest problem may be that their covers of hits are much stronger than the hoped for hits they're beginning to release.
Bonus:
Walk Off the Earth's music video cover of Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know" has gotten over 50 million YouTube views. Samantha Murphy has a related gallery of singers who made it via YouTube.
More:
Karmin & 2CELLOS: Using Cover Songs To Find Fame And Fortune
Walk Off The Earth Finds Success With Unique Cover Song Videos
Hypebot Features Writer Clyde Smith maintains his freelance writing hub at Flux Research and music industry resources at Music Biz Blogs. To suggest topics for Hypebot, contact: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.
Talented- certainly. Soul- none. If people weren’t into it,it was because of two things:
1) Not enough insanity for the Nicki Minaj fans (are there still any after that performance/song at the grammys?)
2) Not believable enough like Adele, like I said, no soul. Britney sings with more feeling than that.
They got signed because they already have tons of fans, cutting out most of the work for Epic. Let’s see if the originals stick. When you sing good songs by good bands, and you’re a hot chick…it’s easy to ride on someone else’s success.
http://gawker.com/5883775/the-haters-guide-to-karmin
“What’s wrong with her face?”
Ow!
Will Karmin be the first prominent cover band? If so that opens the door to thousands of hopeful bar-gig players haha.
The more I think about Karmin the more I think that they’re stuck between a music theater approach and an indie pop perspective.
The things that they’re best at seem to involve building on other people’s work as one would in music theater or any performance style where the performers don’t do their own material.
Their approach to staging their originals, songs which probably have numerous other creative people involved in writing and producing them at this stage, all seem like they’re part of a stripped down musical theater production. I keep thinking of Meatloaf!
For me, every time somebody breaks through the noise with a really strong cover presented in a manner that makes it also worth hearing, the next phase inevitably disappoints. Greyson Chance also comes to mind.
I’m just wondering if Amy Heidemann will take a Lady Gaga/Nicki Minaj route over the edge. Scary vision!