It’s been a busy year for Pentatonix, the futuristic a cappella troupe from Arlington, TX. Having won the third season of NBC’s The Sing-Off, touring behind their Sony records debut PTX Vol. 1 – featuring covers of songs by Nicki Minaj, Gotye and fun. alongside two originals – they’ve now found the time to offer their interpretation on PSY‘s K-POP smash “Gangnam Style.”

Kudos to lead vocalist Scott Hoying for holding his own against PSY’s rhymes in Korean; not to mention the rest of the group’s deft ability to keep the thumping electronica thrill ride alive for the full three and a half minutes on vocal cord steam alone. Epic head-bobbing dance moves and a centrally placed punk-rock Teletubby also provide some visual interest, even if the latter does appear a little odd.

Given the fever-pitch popularity of “Gangnam Style,” which doesn’t appear to be waning any time soon, the smart money says the subversive Korean commentary will be part of Pentatonix’s live set as they head out on the road this fall:

• Oct 21 – The Parish, Austin, TX
• Oct 23 – Administration Auditorium, Searcy, AR
• Nov 11 – The Old Rock House, St Louis, MO
• Nov 27 – Revolution Live, Fort Lauderdale, FL
• Nov 28 – House of Blues Orlando, Orlando, FL
• Nov 29 – Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA
• Dec 02 – Jefferson Theater, Charlottesville, VA
• Dec 04 – Baltimore Soundstage, Baltimore, MD
• Dec 05 – Howard Theatre, Washington, DC
• Dec 08 – Westcott Theater, Syracuse, NY
• Dec 09 – Virgin Mobile Mod Club, Toronto, Canada
• Dec 15 – Hard Rock Cafe on the Strip, Las Vegas, NV
• Dec 18 – Aladdin Theater, Portland, OR
• Dec 19 – Showbox at the Market, Seattle, WA

–Tim Mudd, Energy 103.7