As a benefit for Calling All Crows, a non-profit organization dedicated to humanitarianism and service projects around the world, Dispatch/State Radio frontman Chad “Chadwick Stokes” Urmston organized a weekend of Boston-area concerts in 2009 featuring himself playing an acoustic set along with appearances from former Dispatch bandmate Pete Heimbold, (then) RX Bandits frontman Matt Embree, Stephen Kellogg, vocal heavyweight and his childhood friend Darren Buck, and folk journeyman Jake Smith, better known as The White Buffalo. Those evenings produced many fantastic covers, including group efforts on two classic songs written by The Band, a showstopping “Bring It On Home To Me” from Matt Embree and this amazing version of Bob Dylan‘s “Girl From North Country” by Stokes and The White Buffalo. Two years later, a set of recordings from the show is set for release, including these covers and solo acoustic versions of some State Radio classics like Keepsake and Gang of Thieves. Continue reading »
“The Man in Me” was originally recorded and released by Bob Dylan on his 1970 album New Mornin. The track has earned a place in our cultural lexicon as the theme from the 1998 comedy The Big Lebowski. The star of the cult classic, Jeff Bridges has recently been performing the song as part of his post-Crazy Heart music career. Continue reading »
As is the case with many Bob Dylan songs, there is no shortage on covers of “Knockin on Heaven’s Door.” Written and performed by Dylan for the soundtrack of the 1973 film Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid, the list of heavyweights who have tackled it is impressive. Eric Clapton, The Grateful Dead, Guns N’ Roses, The Alarm, Warren Zevon, Avril Lavigne, and U2 are only a handful of the many to cover it. Continue reading »
Last year, Boston singer-songwriter Marisa Nadler released Covers Volume I. We named it one of the best cover albums of the year, so needless to say, we’re excited to report she’s recorded a follow-up. Once again, it will be for sale exclusively through crafting online marketplace Etsy, but you can download three tracks now (and her cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Winter Lady” here). Continue reading »
A couple of weeks ago, KEXP radio set up a studio at the KEX Hostel in Reykjavik during Iceland Airwaves ’11 to broadcast some live performances. One of those was Icelandic indie singer/songwriter and musician Ólöf Arnalds, who was joined by her younger sister Karla on a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man,” and you can watch it below. Continue reading »
It was early 1986 when Pegi Young told her husband Neil Young that they would need to build a school to suit the special needs of their son, Ben. She then suggested that in order to pay for it, that Neil call his friend Bruce Springsteen and put together a concert to fund it. 25 years later, the Bridge School Benefit concert has become an annual tradition where superstars from all genres of music come to share the gift of music to support this amazing school. The Bridge shows are all acoustic and offer a unique setting where artists can experiment with their material and get the chance to sit in and play with friends and heroes alike. Continue reading »
Five Good Covers presents five cross-genre reinterpretations of an oft-covered song.
The closing track of Bob Dylan‘s (greatest?) album Blood on the Tracks, “Buckets of Rain” has little of the invective that colored other songs on the album; it’s a long way from the “idiot babe” in “Idiot Wind” to the “honey baby” found here. Dylan’s saddened, but he’s also very tender to the one he’s addressing. They’ve swept up the ashes of their relationship, and now they’re looking at each other with rueful smiles, permitting themselves to feel both the love they still have and the pain it still brings. It’s no fun, but they do what they must do, and they do it well. Continue reading »
Remember that Amnesty International Dylan tribute album we told you about a few months back? Well we now have have more information on it. It’s called Chimes of Freedom: Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International. In addition to Bad Religion and Rise Against, it also features covers by My Morning Jacket, Sting, Patti Smith, Dave Matthews Band, Adele, Lucinda Williams, Jack’s Mannequin, and…Ke$ha. Continue reading »
