Aoife Covers Nebraska

If you've been to this blog before, you know that I think Aoife O'Donovan is one of the world's great singers. Currently on hiatus from her band Crooked Still, she is on tour solo as the opening act for bluegrass wunderkinds the Punch Brothers--see the dates here. On that tour, she has been performing a brilliant cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Atlantic City." In fact, last fall she played a one-off show where she covered the whole Nebraska album. From No Depression:

You recently did a month-long residency at Rockwood Music Hall in NYC. I specifically wanted to ask you how you chose to cover Bruce Spingsteen's Nebraska. Can you discuss what drew to that album, it's lasting power for you, and what inspired you to take it on?

Aoife: That week was the ONE week I didn’t have my band (Jake Silver on bass, Ryan Scott on guitar, and Robin MacMillan on drums), and I wanted to do something different. I love Nebraska. All of the songs tell a different story, but there is a common theme of loneliness and desperation that is timeless.  Learning all of those tunes on the guitar, and memorizing the words was a challenge, but I’m SO glad I did it. "Up All Night" was my favorite one to perform… I think it will all be on Youtube soon. 

Well, it hasn't shown up on You Tube yet, but here are a couple of Aoife's Nebraska covers for your delectation.

Nebraska - Aoife and the Boys (1-6-11, Front Hall)

Atlantic City - Aoife O'Donovan (2-23-12, Somerville Theatre)


If you have a chance to see her, don't miss it.

Emmylou and Lanois vs. Leonard and Dylan

I have been hunting for Daniel Lanois' arrangement of Leonard Cohen's "Stranger Song," sung by Emmylou Harris, for a long time. They did it at least twice, while promoting the Sling Blade soundtrack in 1997. The version below comes from an appearance on KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic" on April 9, 1997. Unfortunately, it is a capture from a relatively poor stream, so the quality is nothing to get excited about. The performance, on the other hand, is something to get excited about. The other performance came later that evening, at a performance at a local record store. If anyone has a better sounding copy of either version, drop me a line.

I've also attached an unreleased, alternate version of Emmylou's sublime version of Bob Dylan's "Every Grain of Sand," from the Lanois-produced Wrecking Ball sessions.

Two great songs, one great singer, one great producer.

Stranger Song - Emmylou Harris and Daniel Lanois

Every Grain of Sand - Emmylou Harris and Daniel Lanois

Suzanne Vega and Ron Sexsmith Cover Elvis Costello

When I was younger, so much younger than today, my musical pantheon consisted of the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Bruce Springsteen. The fourth artist to make it into that exclusive club was Elvis Costello, whose spitfire singing and melodic range and sneering Buddy Holly persona were like a rock star I would have created in a science laboratory if I had one. I was still at the peak of my Elvis Costello fanhood when the albums Imperial Bedroom and Punch the Clock came out, though the latter album probably marked the start of his decline from deity to talented artist.

Suzanne Vega and Ron Sexsmith are also very talented artists, and here they each cover a song from one of the aforementioned albums. Give 'em a listen.

 Beyond Belief - Suzanne Vega (London, 6-1-90)

Everyday I Write the Book - Ron Sexsmith (McCabe's, Santa Monica, 10-12-96)

Crooked Still Covers Dylan and Simon

As I've written here before, Crooked Still is the most exciting bluegrass band in the world today. This fall they're celebrating their tenth anniversary with the release of a new CD, Friends of Fall, and a west coast tour, followed by some dates in their native northeast. After that, they say, they'll be taking a hiatus in 2012 to work on individual projects. Singer Aoife O'Donovan, in particular, has a lot going on: she was on the Tonight Show last week with Yo-Yo Ma, and she sings two songs on his new Goat Rodeo CD, and she has previously recorded two CDs with the side project Sometymes Why. Is it wrong to hope that she won't become a huge star during her break from Crooked Still, and break up the band like Jenny Lewis did with Rilo Kiley? Listen to a couple of covers (Bob Dylan's "Oxford Town" and Paul Simon's "American Tune") recorded October 5 at Higher Ground in South Burlington, Vermont and decide for yourself. And if you get a chance to see them before they take their break, don't miss out.

Oxford Town

American Tune

Check their website for tour dates and to buy their new CD. Thanks to whynotus at etree for the recording. And don't forget to leave a comment below.

Shawn Colvin Covers Bob Dylan and Talking Heads

Shawn Colvin with Bob Dylan and Sheryl Crow at the 1998 Grammy's

You gotta love Shawn Colvin: she has a great voice, she's a fine songwriter, she's beautiful, she's smart, she runs triathlons, and she's got great taste in covers (see her album "Cover Girl", or if you can find it my compilation "Return of the Cover Girl"). These two tracks are from the twentieth anniversary show of Cambridge, Massachusetts' legendary Club Passim, which, strangely enough, was held at Boston's Orpheum Theatre, on October 19, 1989 (and thankfully broadcast on WGBH). The first is a Talking Heads song off their album "Speaking in Tongues"; the second is a Bob Dylan song off "Blood on the Tracks." Colvin infuses both with her wistful magic, and gets an assist from Greg Brown on "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go." Big hat-tip to tspine at Dime for the original up.

Naive Melody (This Must Be the Place)

You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go

Don't forget to drop by the comments area to say hi so I know you came by.

A Well Respected Man

Ah, the Kinks. Who doesn't love the Kinks? What we have here is a 1977 radio appearance by lead Kink Ray Davies, chatting and playing a few of the band's songs on the DJ's acoustic guitar. Ray appears to be either jet-lagged or substance-lagged, but his mellow state only adds poignance to a brilliant off the cuff performance.

Thanks to Dave at Dime for sharing this long lost archival gem!

Download

RAY DAVIES
KFWD-FM 102 STUDIOS,
FORT WORTH,TEXAS,USA
APRIL 1977

1-AD FOR APRIL 6 CONCERT
2-TALK
3-LIFE ON THE ROAD
4-TALK
5-WELL RESPECTED MAN
6-HERE COME THE PEOPLE IN GREY
7-20TH CENTURY MAN
8-ACUTE SCHIZOPHRENIA PARANOIA BLUES
9-TALK
10-OKLAHOMA USA
11-TALK

FM UNKNOWN LINEAGE

Ron Sexsmith Sings Dylan, Beatles, and Buddy Holly

I had dinner with a couple of Canadians the other night, and mentioned I had been listening to Ron Sexsmith. They thought I was talking dirty or something. Apparently, even in his own country, Sexsmith is not that well known. It's a damn shame, because his lonesome, melancholy music is really great, and who doesn't get lonesome and melancholy sometimes? He even makes other people's music sound lonesome and melancholy, as he does on these three songs from the radio show Idiot's Delight with Vin Scelsa, recorded on August 15, 1995.

I Will

Crying, Waiting, Hoping

You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go

After you've enjoyed these, buy some of Ron records and go see him in concert. h/t to starsonesp for sharing.