If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Joshua Black Wilkins Posthumous unreleased collections are a mixed bag, but we're confident that the upcoming one for Justin Townes Earle is going to be something special. His death in 2020 was devastating for his fans (including myself), so I started hesitantly listening to his cover of Fleetwood Mac's iconic "Dreams." Earle hits that perfect space between honoring the original release and making a song his own. His version of "Dreams" is obviously more country, and a smaller version of the song. The 70's arena pop rock sound is replaced by the intimate style of Earle, but the song is instantly recognizable as the Fleetwood Mac classic. Of course, lyrics like "What you lost/What you had" sting a little bit when you hear them in Earle's voice. You can watch the video for Justin Townes Earle's version of "Dreams" below. All In: Unreleased and Rarities (The New West Years) is due out August 9, and is available for pre-o...

Americana (particularly bluegrass) covers of punk/new wave songs are pretty cliche, but sometimes a band just completely nails one. Boston's Twisted Pine are releasing an all covers EP on Friday, and one of those songs is Blondie's beyond classic "Heart of Glass." The Blondie original might be one of the most perfect songs of all time, but Twisted Pine rise to the challenge and make "Heart of Glass" their own. The song is instantly recognizable once the vocals kick in, and they take very few liberties with the melody. Instrumentally, it's obviously going to be a much more stripped down version, but you'll definitely recognize it. As someone that loves cover songs, this might be one of the best I've heard in years. You can listen to Twisted Pine's version of "Heart of Glass" below. Dreams , the covers EP from Twisted Pine, will be out June 8 on Signature Sounds. It will also feature covers of classics by The Cranberries, Scissor ...

Photo by Ken Sears Back in December, I headed out on a Sunday night to see Madisen Ward and The Mama Bear at Brighton Music Hall. The show was being taped by Front Row Boston, a show on WGBH, our local PBS affiliate. Some videos of the show have been trickling out, and yesterday they posted their cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams." This version of "Dreams" might be what it takes to give Fleetwood Mac another shot. Madisen Ward and The Mama Bear's version is slowed down to about half the tempo of the original, and it truly gives "Mama Bear" a chance to shine. It's much more folk than Fleetwood Mac's rock, but this version is truly lovely and heartfelt.  To watch the video for Madisen Ward and The Mama Bear's version of "Dreams," you'll have to head over to Front Row Boston's website . While you're there, be sure to check out some more of their live videos. It's all professionally shot, multi-camera record...