Sarah Jarosz "Simple Twist Of Fate"

Every year I entertain the thought of adding some extra categories to the Top 25 on MVY.

We do the Top 25 albums.

And for the last several years, we've done the Top 5 singles of the year.  But I haven't been able to marshal the forces necessary to come up with some other mini-lists, like "Comeback Of The Year" or "Collaboration Of The Year."

On the surface they are great ideas, but it would take more research than I have time for, to put together a candidates list.

One possibility near and dear to my heart, would be "Cover Song Of The Year."

I do a set of Live Acoustic and Cover tunes every day, so I'm always on the hunt.  But the list of possibilities is so broad, I'd hesitate to make a list meant to represent MVY for fear of missing some great cover.

That being said, along with The Slide Brothers doing "Praise You," Sarah Jarosz taking a crack at another Bob Dylan tune is one of my favorite covers of the year.


Hear the song on Youtube.

Sarah Jarosz "Over The Edge"

I was on the fence on this track when I first heard it.

I like Sarah Jarosz, and mvyradio has played tracks from her first two records.

But this song had stepped beyond what I initially liked about what Sarah does, which has been a clear-voiced, impeccable approach to roots music.

One of the folks working the record to radio asked me what about this track had me on the fence.

"I dunno.  It seems like she's trying to make a Patty Griffin sounding record."

His response:  "Is that a bad thing?"

We added the song.


Hear the song on Youtube.

Bob Dylan "Ring Them Bells"

The problem with an artist as prolific as Bob Dylan, is that it is easy to be dismissive of his lesser work, and in the process, miss out.

If you were going to go out and buy one Bob Dylan album, no doubt you'd be counseled by friends in the know, to buy a classic album from the 60s and 70s.

In fact, if you were going to go out and buy TEN Bob Dylan albums, you'd still likely be counseled by friends in the know, to buy at least 9 albums from his 60s and 70s output, and maaaayyybe one of his albums from the late 90s or the 2000s, for some perspective.

Yeah, there were some marginal albums over the course of Dylan's 40-something releases. And yes, much of the late 70s through 90s work was nowhere near as strong as his classic output, or his recent renaissance.

But Good Gravy, the man didn't completely forget how to write a song, either.

So if you're counseled by someone who's really in the know about Dylan, they should at least point you to some individual tracks from that period.

And if you were asking me, I'd tell you to go listen to "Ring Them Bells."

I missed this track the first time around, but Barbara Dacey introduced me to in a few years back.

For me, it has all these amazing, mysterious elements that I like in a song in general, and a Dylan song in specific.

I have no idea what the lyrics mean exactly, and yet they evoke a very specific feeling within me. Touching, spiritual, Grace-ful. It's religious without feeling preachy. It's simply a beautiful tune.

And the covers . . . well that can often tell you about the quality of a song. A different vocalist can lift a song, and in the case of "Ring Them Bells" Joe Cocker, Sarah Jarosz, Sufjan Stevens and others do.

If someone tells you an album or a period of an artist sucks, well, don't believe them. You might be missing out.

Check out mvyradio's Dylan Channels.


See the video on Youtube.


See the video on Youtube.


See the video on Youtube.