Jan 282011
 

Paying tribute to Neil Young is hardly a new idea, but it seems to be more popular than ever. Last February Wilco, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Elton John performed a tribute concert to him. This year Patti Smith, the Roots, and Bettye LeVette will do the same. Last year, Fleet Foxes’ J. Tillman dropped an out-of-nowhere tribute album covering Tonight’s the Night. This year, Delaware folkie Kyle Swartzwelder dropped an out-of-nowhere tribute album covering his favorite classic cuts. Why the sudden Neil-mania? The next step can only be a Kennedy Center Honor. Hey, they gave it to a Brit

Anyway, back to Kyle Swartzwelder. Backed by a four-piece band (that includes a dobro player), Swartzwelder sways through “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere,” “Out on the Weekend,” “Powderfinger,” and “Cortez the Killer.” Hard to argue with any of those selections, and Swartzwelder does them justice. The pièce de résistance here is the seven-minute “Cortez the Killer.” Despite its length, the swaying country song avoids the aimless guitar theatrics that suffocate so many covers of this song. Our friends at Slowcoustic turned us on to this one and we couldn’t be more grateful. Download it below.

MP3: Kyle Swartzwelder – Cortez the Killer (Neil Young cover)
[audio: News0111/28CorteztheKiller.mp3|artists=Kyle Swartzwelder|titles=Cortez the Killer]


Pick up the full
Songs of Neil Young EP at Swartzwelder’s website.

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  2 Responses to “The Neil Young Cover Lovin’ Continues with Kyle Swartzwelder’s Country Tribute”

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  1. Thanks for the write up! Most appreciated!

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