Every few years a musical trend comes along that taps in to the public’s appetite for the sounds of the past, but with a difference. Punks reinvented rockabilly, house music resurrected disco, and rappers put new bounce into the beats they sampled from old jazz and funk 45s. Into this time-traveling arena steps Postmodern Jukebox, or PMJ as they are more commonly known, a rotating cast of singers and musicians helmed by pianist/arranger Scott Bradlee.
Beginning in 2011, PMJ began posting videos on YouTube that rework contemporary hits in different vintage musical genres. In just a few short years, and operating out of Bradlee’s living room studio, PMJ has earned astonishing success, with more than 500 million views and more than 2 million subscribers to their YouTube channel. By covering the hits of Katy Perry, Robin Thicke, Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, Meghan Trainor, and many, many other stars of today, PMJ has given these new songs a second life while at the same time developing a passionate fan base for old time musical styles and the artists who perform them. Star singers from the PMJ roster include Robyn Adele Anderson, Kate Davis, Shoshana Bean, Morgan James, Sara Niemietz, and Von Smith.
In addition to keeping their YouTube channel up to date with weekly premieres, PMJ has hit the road with a concert tour that’s modeled on old-fashioned variety revues, complete with a big band, an MC, backup singers, and dancers. That’s what’s coming to the Arlington on Valentine’s Day thanks to UCSB’s Arts and Lectures, and anticipation among the PMJ faithful is running high for that night. I spoke with PMJ founder Scott Bradlee last week, and he had lots to say about how he got started creating and performing these witty arrangements.