More Cover Tunes from Other Artists

[styxfanNH]

On April 18th, Matthew "Sid" Sweet and Susanna "Susie" Hoffs go Under The Covers together on their new duet album from Shout Factory Records, featuring covers of 15 of their favorite songs from artists including The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Fairport Convention, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, The Beach Boys, The Who, The Velvet Underground, The Mamas And The Papas, The Bee Gees, The Zombies, and more!

The duo will appear at SXSW March 18th, but you can catch a sneak preview of their set at L.A.'s hip semi-underground venue Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles on March 1st and 8th!

Not in the Los Angeles area? The tracks And Your Bird Can Sing and Run To Me are currently streaming on their MySpace site, so click on over for a sneak preview, and stay tuned to thebangles.com for more details, plus exclusive insider info from Sid and Susie!

[styxfanNH]

Could today's music be so horrible that record compnies are asking their artists to make cover albums to try ro bring some exposure when music was music?

[Ash]

Today's music isn't as bad as yesterday's. I'd argue that more listenable new music is coming out today than has come out in a long time. I think this is especially true in the rock segment of music. There has been a whole lot of good rock music in the last couple of years.

Most of the new music today in the rock sphere is from a more youthful crowd... one many people wouldn't consider rock but more heavy metal or alternative. In my opinion, I consider acts like Disturbed, KoRn, Cold, System of a Down and others to be a lot more rock and roll than heavy metal. There are, however, exceptions.

I've read elsewhere on this board that Chicago's new record is quite good and true to their roots (although I never really got into Chicago). And the new Queensryche record Operation: Mindcrime II is flat out amazing.

I find music a lot better today than I did at this same time in the 1990s. If you remember, it was about this point in the 1990s that a groundswell of Classic Rock stations popped up all over the place just because the generation that grew up on that music couldn't stand the "new" music. Now you would almost have to put a gun to my head to get me to listen to classic rock station... or for that fact Music radio in general.

I know this wasn't totally on topic... but you struck a nerve with the statement about today's music. And while to a point I do agree with you - I just think it's getting better.

I do wonder what is up with all the stupid cover song albums tho. I bought Styx' because there were a few songs on it that I thought were really well done... aside from that - I've never bought an album of covers.