Category: Emm Gryner


Cover Lay Down Status Update:
Rumblings from Behind the Scenes

November 10th, 2008 — 01:50 am

Just a quick note to let folks know that, although I’m holding off on posting anything of real significance this close to the move, thanks to some amazing benefactors and patronage, I’m hoping to have good news and a new site address sometime later this week. (Of course, there’s always room for a bit more encouragement as the process continues; if you haven’t had a chance to offer your support, please check out our call for patronage below.)

The plan is to resume regular twice-weekly posting, with the depth and breadth you have come to expect from Cover Lay Down, by next Sunday at the latest. In the meantime, here’s some coverfolk tunes to keep your ears humming while you wait, from Emm Gryner’s pianofolk take on a personal thrash metal fave to Tim O’Brien’s chunky newgrass take on an old gospel spiritual, and from the Irish siren croon of Cara Dillon to the Cape Breton Celtic of The Cottars. Plus two ragged favorites previously posted, just to top the list off right.

Cover Lay Down will return.

960 comments » | Cara Dillon, Emm Gryner, Redbird, Richard Thompson, The Cottars, Tim O'Brien

Covers of The Clash classic Straight to Hell +5 covers of Friend of the Devil Elseblog

July 11th, 2008 — 09:45 am


It’s Hell Week over at Star Maker Machine, and though I had pretty much relegated all cross-promotion of this collaborative blog to the sidebar, I thought coverfans and folkfans might be interested in this piece about Friend of the Devil, one of my favorite Grateful Dead tunes from one of my absolute favorite Dead albums American Beauty. For the original, plus five covers — from countryfolker Lyle Lovett, true folksman Bob Dylan, poprockers Counting Crows, acoustic roots band Last Fair Deal, and oldschool newgrassers Rice, Rice, Hillman and Pederson — head on over.

But don’t leave emptyhanded, folks. My usual pre-post iTunes search called up several great indiefolk and alt-folk covers of Straight to Hell, an underrated, unusually downbeat political song by old-school Britpunk faves The Clash. The song isn’t truly about Hell so much as it uses the term to voice mass culture’s dismissal of the downtrodden in what Wikipedia describes as “a typical Clash condemnation of the wrongs that they saw in the world as they wrote the song”. As such, despite its title, Straight to Hell doesn’t really belong at Star Maker Machine this week. But the covers make a perfect short set for a Friday coverblog occasional, and it sure as hell makes me happy to share ‘em here.

Cover Lay Down publishes Wednesdays, Sundays, and the occasional Friday and holiday throughout the year. We’ll be back this Sunday with a coverset of treesongs for my eldest child’s sixth birthday!

842 comments » | Amy Loftus, Emm Gryner, Josh Rouse, Kensington Hillbillies, The Clash, Will Kimbrough