Clash of the Cover Songs: Dirty Projectors vs. Solange

The Rules for Battle: Each week, we pit versions of the same song by two different artists in a head-to-head death match for musical supremacy. (Sometimes it will be the original recording vs. a cover version; other times it will be two different covers.) Then it's up to you to decide: Listen to and vote on which version you think should emerge victorious and which should be sent packing. May the best band win!



The Song: 'Stillness Is the Move' (original version by Dirty Projectors)

The Contestants: Dirty Projectors vs. Solange

In This Corner -- Dirty Projectors: With the first single from their most recent full-length release, this year's 'Bitte Orca,' the Brooklyn art-rockers came forth with an accessible R&B-inspired gem. The track is both charming and sultry, namely due to a jerky drumbeat, complex layers and the entrancing high notes that vocalist Amber Coffman hits. And with its catchy yet sentimental chorus, it's a tune that is sure to stay with you for a while.

Dirty Projectors, 'Stillness Is the Move'


In This Corner -- Solange: While Beyonce is ruling the pop world, kid sister Solange has been busy bringing some indie cred to the Knowles family with her own music -- she's even responsible for introducing Beyonce to Grizzly Bear. And now, the singer has taken to Dirty Projectors so much that she's put her own spin on their single. Solange adds a smooth groove and some soul to the original beat, and incorporates a sample of Sou Mann and the Brothers' 'Bumpy's Lament' (which has been sampled by Dr. Dre and Erykah Badu in the past). It comes as no surprise that even Grizzly Bear's Ed Droste called it "insanely rad" on Twitter.

Solange, 'Stillness Is the Move'