The Brighter Side: A 25th Anniversary Tribute To Uncle Tupelo

From EXCLAIM: "Not many groups have invented an entire subgenre of music. Even fewer can claim to have done it over 13 tracks. Uncle Tupelo, the trailblazing band that spawned Wilco and Son Volt, released their debut album, No Depression, 25 years ago, giving birth to what is now known as alternative country. To commemorate this anniversary, Reimagine Music has assembled 13 groups who have continued to mix roots structures with punk sensibilities for The Brighter Side: A 25th Anniversary Tribute to Uncle Tupelo's No Depression."

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Esperanza: Songs From Jack Kerouac's Tristessa

From AMERICAN SONGWRITER: Imagine a woman sitting in the isolation of her bedroom, strumming the same simple chord progression over and over, belting out lyrics of a love she doesn’t believe she deserves. Marissa Nadler’s “Tristessa’s Song” offers a portrayal of a disheartened, self-loathing young girl in love — and its simplicity only fuels the story’s romantic sorrow.

From the upcoming compilation album Esperanza: Songs From Jack Kerouac’s Tristessa, Nadler wrote this track from the point of view of the novel’s protagonist, Tristessa, the morphine-addicted prostitute with whom Kerouac falls in love. Taking her own liberties, Nadler “imagined Tristessa was secretly pining over Jack, regardless of her bond to Old Bull Gaines, but had already decided to push him away for fear of rejection.” Nadler establishes this with a chorus repeating, “I don’t believe I’d love you like you need.”

American Songwriter Full Review

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"Great indie/country/southern rock outfit Murder By Death turn "Lounge Act" into an even darker number..."

From SNOB'S MUSIC: Spacey and slowed down seems to be the approach of choice. The Autumn Leaf's "On A Plain", The Dutch Masters' "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and Will Dailey's stripped down "Territorial Pissings" all do that effectively. Margot & the Nuclear So-and-Sos manange to take "Something In The Way", a song I never cared for, and fleshed out the arrangement, improving it vastly.

Great indie/country/southern rock outfit Murder By Death turn "Lounge Act" into an even darker number, this time with a hint of Middle Eastern flair. The album's standout comes from mewithoutyou, who combine Kermit The Frog-esque vocals with a nearly acoustic arrangement for an incredible version of "In Bloom".

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"The other thing that makes Paint It Black so cohesive is the lush and smoldering vocals from the women..."

From COVERMESONGS: Given the broad sonic reach of the “alt-country” genre, one might expect that Paint It Black: An Alt Country Tribute to the Rolling Stones to be a fully plugged in, loud, proud and boisterous salute capturing all the sweat, swagger and energy of the group. But that would require leaning on the Mick Jagger side of the sound. Instead, producer Jim Sampas has chosen to throttle-down, and to lead with Keith (with the Grievous Angel as guardian). It results in an exceptionally cohesive and even-keeled album – a rarity among tribute compilations. That should come as no surprise, though, since we know Sampas for his work on other quality salutes: last year’s Subterranean Homesick Blues: A Tribute to Bob Dylan’s ‘Bringing It All Back Home’, Badlands: A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Nebraska’, and This Bird Has Flown: A Tribute To The Beatles ‘Rubber Soul’.

The other thing that makes Paint It Black so cohesive is the lush and smoldering vocals from the women who are so prominently featured throughout. Margo Timmins is everything you would expect in a well-chosen Cowboy Junkies version of “Moonlight Mile.” Hem‘s Sally Ellyson delivers “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” with the tenderness of the lullabies she’s known for. And Mary Gauthier’s “Dear Doctor” duet with Lee Harvey Osmond’s Tom Wilson is effective (and much preferred to Mick Jagger’s duet with his falsetto self). There’s the prior-mentioned Hannah Prater, Barbara Kessler’s faithful reading of “You Got The Silver” and finally Karin Bergquist of Over The Rhine on “Waiting On A Friend.” It’s the women of Paint It Black that ground the album in a cool, comfortable and sustained place.

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Subterranean Homesick Blues: A Tribute To Bob Dylan's Bringing It All Back Home

From COVERMESONGS: While listening to covers of Bob Dylan, it is important to not sit around waiting for his raspy voice to suddenly appear… after all, it is being covered by someone else. Subterranean Homesick Blues: A Tribute to Bob Dylan's 'Bringing It All Back Home' brought together artists like The Morning Benders, J. Tillman of Fleet Foxes, and Laura Veirs to channel the folk from before they were born. They cover the album in its entirety, closing with five covers of outtakes from the original recording sessions.

Staying true to the original, the first half of the album is electric. It felt forced and over-produced for most of the tracks, especially Peter Morén's “Subterranean Homesick Blues.” The original novelty of an electric Bob Dylan gets lost in the opening song with too much noise. It did work for Mirah's “Love Minus Zero/No Limit,” with a peacefully haunting hum.

The acoustic second half translated smoothly. “Mr. Tambourine Man” by the Helio Sequence was compelling and heartfelt, reminding us why this is such an epic track. The outtake songs were executed best. The album closes with Laura Veirs and William Fitzsimmons, who contrast the famous Bob Dylan gruff with their smooth sound. Veirs' “Mama, You Been On My Mind” comes and goes so quickly that it leaves you wanting more. And “Farewell Angelina” by Fitzsimmons takes you through a gentle haze all the way to the end.

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The Brighter Side: A 25th Anniversary Tribute To Uncle Tupelo

Esperanza: Songs From Jack Kerouac's Tristessa

Come As You Are: A 20th Anniversary Tribute To Nirvana's Nevermind

"Great indie/country/southern rock outfit Murder By Death turn "Lounge Act" into an even darker number..."

Paint It Black: An Alt Country Tribute To The Rolling Stones

"The other thing that makes Paint It Black so cohesive is the lush and smoldering vocals from the women..."

Subterranean Homesick Blues: A Tribute To Bob Dylan's Bringing It All Back Home