Florence + The Machine Covering Beyonce Gives +5 to The Indie R & B Theory

Last week, there was sister-of-Beyoncé, Solange Knowles, covering the Dirty Projectors' "Stillness is the Move," which is already a song with an entirely R&B-built foundation, on a record with entirely R&B considered notions. And now we've got an indie act -- Florence + The Machine -- covering a Beyoncé song. And it's not that bullshit Twee nonsense either. This is The Real McCoy.

Listen to how she kills it at the end here. Like pretty much everything else Florence + The Machine do, this is utterly fantastic:

Okay, so, let’s recap:

1. The Dirty Projectors record an album that’s a throwback to early 90s R&B vocal layering. It’s one of the best albums of the year.
2. The xx record an album that’s a throwback to early 90s R&B vocal layering. It’s one of the best albums of the year. They also record two of the best covers of the year, from late 80s/early 90s R&B, Womack and Womack’s “Teardrops” and Aaliyah’s “Hot Like Fire.”
3. Earlier this year, one of the guys from Vampire Weekend and one of the guys from Ra Ra Riot do a side project called Discovery. It’s got R&B bump in it. It’s not one of the best albums of the year, but it’s pretty goddamn great regardless.
4. Beyoncé and Jay-Z are seen hanging out in Williamsburg at the Grizzly Bear show.
5. As previously mentioned, Beyoncé’s sister is covering the Dirty Projectors.

Add it up, people. Sasha Frere-Jones may still be an asshole, and he was definitely wrong, but he was also definitely on to something: R&B and indie rock are beginning to meet in the middle. Sigh. Trend piece, here I come ...