Jul 312023
 
best cover songs
Bob Dylan — Bad Actor (Merle Haggard cover)

Bob Dylan has been on a covers roll this year. On tour, he has primarily covered a number of Dead (“Truckin’,” “Stella Blue,” “Brokedown Palace”) or Dead-associated (“Not Fade Away,” “Only a River”) songs. But he’s dipped into other classic catalogs occasionally too. He did Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic” for the first time and then, not long after, maybe the deepest cut yet: Merle Haggard’s 2016 track “Bad Actor.” The tape took a while to surface. It was worth the wait. Continue reading »

Jul 122023
 
Jem Cassar-Daley

Jem Cassar-Daley is an indie-pop artist who recently recording an alluring and calming version of Gwen Stefani’s 2006 solo hit “Sweet Escape” for the Triple J radio show Like a Version. Her cover began with a surprise: a whisper-sung phrase “Sweet escape, sweet escape.” Whereas the original was boppy and pointed, this version is rounded, tranquil, and at moments, almost mournful.  Continue reading »