Pitchfork

Yes, "Young Folks" is even big in Japan. The German version by "99 Luftballoons" singer Nena has been making the rounds for a while, and Kanye West's love for (hearing his own voice over) Peter Bjorn & John's Pitchfork No. 5 track of 2006 is already well documented. There are probably too many versions of this song for its own good in this age of rapid Internet over-exposure. But it's still worth noting that a cover by Pitchfork-admired indie-popper Shugo Tokumaru has hit the top 10 in his native Japan.

Tokumaru plays "Young Folks" fairly straight, changing out the original instrumentation for one of his own whimsical arrangements. The breathy female vocals are more babyish than Victoria Bergsman's (Taken by Trees, ex-Concretes) on the song's Writer's Block original, and they don't quite suit a Western palate. The metallic pings Tokumaru places on top of the familiar hand percussion are an interesting touch, though. And he might be a better whistler than PB&J.

[Original track from Writer's Block; out now on Wichita]