Rachel McFarland

Rachel has lived in various places around the US including Boston, New York, and the Midwest, but now calls sunny Santa Monica, CA home. When she's not posting beach pictures on Instagram to her east coast friends during their winter snowstorms, she enjoys listening to music, going to shows, attempting to play piano and guitar (but really just making her neighbors wish they weren't her neighbors), and writing for music blogs. You can find her blog at www.imnotsleeping.net and on twitter at @imnotsleeping

May 222014
 

Bruce Springsteen’s “Drive All Night” is a heart wrenching tune – a slow, meandering, soulful eight minutes and twenty seven seconds of gritty Bruce to tug at your heartstrings. Recently, Glen Hansard covered this song, using his trademark impassioned vocals to try and work up to Bruce’s level of intensity. It’s a fantastic cover (with an Eddie Vedder appearance to boot), and on its heels comes yet another emotionally driven cover of the tune. Continue reading »

Feb 182014
 

Valentine’s Day is a contentious holiday for many, but the Starbucks “Sweetheart 2014” compilation has made it more palpable with some fantastic covers. Sitting amongst this chocolate box of covers (which also includes morsels like Vampire Weekend covering Andrea Bocelli’s “Con Te Partiro”) is a cover of Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into You” done exquisitely by Ben Harper. Giving the wistful tune a simple stripped down treatment, Ben’s airy, slow vocals and piano accompaniment are perfect for Valentine’s Day lovers AND haters. Check it out below. Continue reading »