Bob Dylan: I Shall Be Released

Bob Dylan’s new album, Together Through Life was just released on April 28th. This was his 46th release… wow. That’s 39 albums more than Right Said Fred. Yes, Right Said Fred released seven albums.

Today’s Bit O’ Covers post focuses not on the new release, but on a classic Dylan song written in 1967, “I Shall Be Released”. Dylan recorded two versions of this song – the first was done in 1967 but not released until 1991’s The Bootleg Series, Vols. 1-3 [Rare And Unreleased, 1961-1991] 2 disc set, and the second was done for [...]

The Most Twitterific Music Tweets EVER (for right now)

Twittering has become an interesting daily experience for me. The more I check in there, the more I find that there are so many great people, great sites, and great networks available for people to connect with each other. There are times when I find it a bit overwhelming, and at times I find it a mess, but for the most part its simplicity is its strength.

When I first came across Twitter, I thought it was just the same as Facebook’s “wall” section… until I realized [...]

This Week’s Top 5 Most Played Songs From Swap’s iTunes

Randy Newman is an amazing songwriter. I have no idea how he comes up with his songs… and I’m sure I’ll be searching my whole life for that answer. His work with Pixar has been sensational, and I must admit that I look forward to hearing a new tune of his with every film.

“Louisiana 1927″, off of Good Old Boys, tells the story of the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, a disaster that left about 700,000 people homeless and stranded in both Louisiana and Mississippi.

The song resurfaced when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. I remember playing this song in San Diego during that time… [...]

April New Releases: Bat for Lashes, The Felice Brothers, Death Cab for Cutie, Bill Callahan, Papercuts, and more

On April 7th, Bat For Lashes (aka Natasha Khan) returns with her second album, Two Suns. Listening to the album as I type this, I must say that Khan’s voice just pulls you in… simply gorgeous. It’s an album that is definitely worth checking out.

According to the press release, Two Suns “sees Natasha exploring her creative personas and the world around her in a very different way.” It features collaborations with Scott Walker and Yeasayer, and [...]

Today Only: Free Download of Bob Dylan’s “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’”

Bob Dylan is offering the first track, “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’” from his forthcoming release, Together Through Life, for free on BobDylan.com. The song will be available for free from midnight, March 30th through midnight, March 31st both on his site, so grab it while you can.

Together Through Life was produced by Jack Frost, and was prompted by the composition of a new song, “Life Is Hard,” which was written for a forthcoming film by French director Oliver Dahan (La Vie En Rose). This will be the 46th release from Dylan, [...]

This Week’s Top 5 Most Played Songs From Swap’s iTunes

The rains have finally stopped here in California… the sun has come out… so that means it’s time for This Week’s Top 5 Most Played Songs From Swap’s iTunes!

You gotta love an artist who will adapt their song to fit Sesame Street’s programming. That’s exactly what Feist did with her song, “1,2,3,4,” and after seeing her performance with the Sesame Street Muppets, I frankly can’t go back.

I can, though, enjoy the rest of her catalog without thinking of those adorable Muppets. Her debut album, Monarch (Lay Your Jeweled Head Down) was released in 1999, and [...]

This Week’s Top 5 Most Played Songs From Swap’s iTunes

The Super Bowl is coming up soon!!!! Did your team make it? Mine did(n’t).

Awwwwww… :-(

Oh well. I guess there’s nothing more to do but take a look at This Week’s Top 5 Most Played Songs From Swap’s iTunes…

“Shooting Star” is a track off of Bob Dylan’s 26th studio album, Oh Mercy. Released in 1989, it received critical acclaim and helped Dylan reestablish himself in the charts, reaching number 30.