This week, singer-songwriter Conor Oberst appeared on Late Show with David Letterman and performed “Hundreds of Ways.” The 34-year-old Oberst is backed up by the roots rock band Dawes on the catchy song with a bit of a country influence (even mentioning “Bakersfield”). The lyrics recount a vague personal journey, reminding the listener that life is not fair while presenting a more uplifting conclusion about getting through the day in the chorus. Check it out.
But there are hundreds of ways To get through the days; There are hundreds of ways, Now you just find one.
Recently on Tuesday, July 22, singer-songwriter Ryan Adams performed the song “Stay With Me” at State Theatre in Portland, Maine. The song will appear on his forthcoming self-titled album, Ryan Adams. Check out his playful performance in the video below.
Ryan Adams will be the fourteenth studio album from Adams, whose last CD Ashes & Fire came out in October 2011. The three-year layoff is a relatively long one for Adams, who is generally known for producing a lot of material. Adams recently explained to Rolling Stone that he stopped recording for awhile because of Ménière’s disease, an inner ear disorder. Fortunately, therapy from a hypnotherapist and some medical marijuana helped get Adams back in the studio.
As you can tell from “Stay With Me,” the new album features powerful rockers with a different sound than his previous album, which I liked a lot. Adams already released the song “Gimme Something Good” from the new album as a 7-inch single, and it became the number one seller on Amazon.
I am reserving my judgment on the new music until I hear the whole album, but I am happy to see Adams making music again. The label Pax-Am releases the whole album Ryan Adams on September 9. What do you think of the new music from Ryan Adams? Leave your two cents in the comments.
In the various E Street Band live versions of Bruce Springsteen singing “Drive All Night,” I have always felt that Springsteen cannot capture the loneliness and angst of the original recording on The River (1980). As the next-to-last song on side four of the two-album set, “Drive All Night” brings together all of the sadness of the album, reminding the listener (along with the underrated final song “Wreck on the Highway“) that the only hope of surviving the despair is with love, even if there is no guarantee that it will do anything more than make a moment better.
The best place to listen to “Drive All Night” is to put the song on the stereo in a dark room while you think about everything you have ever lost. By contrast, a live full-band version cannot capture that feeling because a Springsteen concert is a celebration of community with a large crowd and the E Street Band backing up the singer. But when Glen Hansard sings his version of “Drive All Night” live, he comes close to the feeling of the original recording.
Singer-songwriter (and sometimes movie actor) Glen Hansard has a voice made for evoking sadness and pain. There are great versions of Hansard covering “Drive All Night” by himself. As the title track for a 2013 EP, Hansard recorded his own version of “Drive All Night” with Eddie Vedder helping on vocals and E Street Band member Jake Clemons playing saxophone. Check it out.
Springsteen must have recognized Hansard’s skill with the song, as he invited him to sing the song with him in July 2013 when Springsteen played in Kilkenny, Ireland. When Hansard begins singing, Springsteen has a look on his face like, “This guy gets this song.” Check it out.
But my favorite Hansard version is where he sings alone with a guitar with a little help from Once co-star and former Swell Season bandmate, Marketa Irglova. The two have voices that blend perfectly, and the fact that the two are former lovers adds another layer of poignency to the performance. Check it out.
What is your favorite version of “Drive All Night”? Leave your two cents in the comments.
With the recent stories about the release of an audio recording of Britney Spears singing without auto-tune, one might imagine getting similar secret recordings for other famous singers. Some folks have put together some funny “shreds,” imagining bad vocals by famous singers. For example, check out how one might image how the Beach Boys sound singing without any audio enhancements (posted on YouTube by coozco).
For the shred of a more recent song, check out SamRick‘s take on One Direction singing “Story of My Life.”
You can find other shredding videos on YouTube for more laughs.
Who would you like to hear without any special effects? Leave your two cents in the comments.
Blues guitarist and singer Johnny Winter has passed away in Switzerland at the age of 70. During his lifetime, he made some great music, including this wonderful full show from Copenhagen in 1970. Check it out.
For more on Winter, check out this story on NPR. RIP.
What is your favorite Johnny Winter performance? Leave your two cents in the comments.
