Aug 282026
 
Best Cover Songs of August 2026
Joy Oladokun — The Thrill Is Gone (B.B. King cover)

Tied to America’s 250th birthday, Salt Lick Sessions’ “Songs of U.S.” series features musicians covering “songs that have shaped the country’s cultural identity while exploring what belongs in the American songbook today.” Nashville singer-songwriter Joy Oladokun selected Roy Hawkins and Rick Darnell’s “The Thrill Is Gone,” best known for the B.B. King version. She says the song “feels really powerful without being so poetic that people could be left behind.” Unlike many of the King-inspired blues-rock covers that feature copious guitar solos, she strips it back to a beautiful folky ballad. She also covered “Ain’t No Sunshine.” Continue reading »

Aug 192026
 
Kathleen Hanna and Ad-Rock

Kathleen Hanna and her husband Ad-Rock have teamed up for a Justin Bieber cover to raise money for Contra-ICE, a group dedicated to fighting the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. The album is titled Contra-ICE, Vol. 1:ICE Out and features contributions from folks like Jello Biafra, Fred Armisen and Fishbone.

Hanna and Ad-Rock’s contribution is a cover of Justin Bieber and DJ Snake‘s 2016 collaboration, “Let Me Love You.” The song was produced by Beasties Boys collaborator Mario Caldato Jr., and features Money Mark, Fredo Ortiz and Frank Figueroa. (Hannah is best known for her work with the bands Bikini Kill and Le Tigre, while Ad-Rock was a member of The Beastie Boys.)

For Hanna, it was a special opportunity she was not going to let pass by. In a statement, she said, “It’s not often you get to play music with your favorite people while working with a grassroots organization like Contra-ICE. They are passionately fighting against fascism and white supremacy, which is something none of us can afford to ignore. Thank you so much to Contra-ICE for making this happen and allowing me to represent what we collectively stand for.”

Contra-ICE, Vol. 1:ICE Out will be available in all formats on October 2nd.

Jun 282011
 

Take one part punk, mix in one part glam, one part heavy metal and a whole lot of teenage sass and you get the perfect rock’n’roll band: The Runaways. Remarkably young – the oldest members of the band were 17 upon the release of their eponymous first record – the band dissolved amongst a haze of drug abuse and musical differences after four studio albums. Joan Jett continued to hold the punk torch post-breakup, building a successful career backed by the Blackhearts. Now indie rock’n’punk connoisseurs Main Man Records have compiled an extensive two-disc tribute celebrating the music of the Runaways.

The release is not without controversy. Jett and singer Cherie Currie have sued to block the release complaining that the label has used their names to promote the album without permission. Somewhat fitting given that in their time the stories that swirled around the band often overshadowed the music they made. Continue reading »