There’s a new slew of covers for the upcoming Metallica Black Album tribute. Recently, Diet Cig, H*Ash and Shor Police, Divine and Vishal Dadlani (the last three together) all released versions of “The Unforgiven,” the second single from that album. The new covers run a fairly wide stylistic gamut, showing the crossover appeal of both the song and Metallica itself. Of the three, Diet Cig’s stands out. Continue reading »
When it comes to covers, The Secret Sisters have quite a track record. The Americana duo, comprised of sisters Laura and Lydia Rogers, have featured the songs of their forebears prominently alongside their own from the start of their career. The pair’s self-titled debut record saw them covering the likes of George Jones and Nancy Sinatra. And though their last proper feature here at Cover Me — a raucous take on Johnny Cash’s “Big River,” produced by Jack White — appeared around the time of their initial record’s release way back in 2010, The Secret Sisters have offered up a cavalcade of increasingly progressive covers since: among them, Simon & Garfunkel, Brandi Carlile and even PJ Harvey. Continue reading »
Kurt Vile & The Violators have shared a new version on The Velvet Underground & Nico’s “Run Run Run.” The cover comes from the forthcoming tribute record, I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to the Velvet Underground & Nico, produced by the late, legendary Hal Wilner and set for release September 24. Continue reading »
Singer-songwriter Andrea von Kampen is a Nebraska native with a catalog of independent releases dating back to 2015. Her songs are inspired by the scenes and voices of her home state: the still, natural beauty of its landscapes; the incisive works of fellow Nebraskan writers like Willa Cather. Given von Kampen’s firmly rooted sense of place, its a welcome surprise to find her latest single journeying from the landlocked Midwest all the way to sunny Southern California — a West Coast Art-Pop trip of sorts. Continue reading »
Like many of Michael Jackson’s hits, it seems kind of impossible to imagine “Bad” without its memorable bass line. Well, Jonah Nilsson of Swedish jazz fusion outfit Dirty Loops is here to change your mind. He changes the bass line so much the song isn’t even recognizable as “Bad” until Nilsson starts singing something resembling the vocal melody about 15 seconds in. (His Jackson impersonation is pretty good.) Nilsson is basically a one man band here, singing lead and backing vocals, playing multiple keyboard parts and the drums. Continue reading »
When he’s not busy picking fights with next-gen rockers, David Crosby continues to make singular, beautiful music. The folk rock legend has had a prolific run of five solo album releases since 2014, many of them in collaboration with a cadre of younger, progressive, genre-roving musicians — among them, members of Snarky Puppy, Becca Stevens, Cory Henry and his own son, producer James Raymond. Crosby pushes forth with an open mind and spirit (and another cross-generational collaboration) on his latest release: a stirring cover of Joni Mitchell’s “For Free,” featuring singer-songwriter Sarah Jarosz on duet vocals. Continue reading »