Mix Tape Friday: Country Comfort

Favorite Boy and I recently saw a wonderful photography exhibit of Nashville’s finest singers and songwriters — which inspired this week’s post.

As I wrote when I waxed poetic about the Man in Black, I’m a Southern girl and I can't help but love country music. I prefer more traditional country music — Cash and Jones, Carter and Lynn, Haggard and Nelson, Twitty and Parton. Seems many of my favorite artists do, too, by this group of covers.

I’ve wanted to do a tape of country covers for a while. There are some great songwriters, and these interpretations are interesting. I broke one of my rules this week. I’ve included a couple of songs twice — Loretta Lynn’s “Rated X” and Tammy Wynette’s “Stand by Your Man” — because the covers are so completely different.

Grab a pair of jeans and a longnecked Bud, and enjoy today’s hoedown.

R.E.M. :: Dallas

The White Stripes :: Rated X

Wilco :: 100 Years from Now

Syd Straw & The Skeletons :: Harper Valley PTA

Lyle Lovett :: Stand by Your Man

Richard Buckner :: Lovin' Her Was Easier

Shelby Lynne :: I Walk the Line

John Prine + Iris Dement :: (We're Not) The Jet Set

Teddy Thompson :: She Thinks I Still Care

Elvis Costello :: He’s Got You

Gomez :: Wichita Lineman

Beck :: Your Cheatin’ Heart

Cowboy Junkies :: Walkin’ After Midnight

Ryan Adams :: Lovesick Blues

Chris Isaak :: I'm so Lonesome I Could Cry

Grant Lee Phillips :: Hickory Wind

Linda Ronstadt feat. Emmylou Harris :: I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)

R.E.M. :: Jackson

The Jayhawks :: Ode to Billy Joe

John Doe :: I Can’t Hold Myself in Line

Kelly Hogan + John Wesley Harding :: It’s Only Make Believe

The Mekons :: Sweet Dreams of You

Wendy O. Williams + Lemmy :: Stand by Your Man

Neko Case & The Sadies :: Rated X

k.d. lang :: Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray

Jeff Buckley :: Satisfied Mind

Joan Osborne :: Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?

The Lemonheads :: Brass Buttons

Lucinda Williams :: You Don’t Have Very Far to Go

Marshall Crenshaw :: Silver Wings

The Pretenders + Emmylou Harris :: She

Calexico :: Casey’s Last Ride

Jason & The Scorchers :: Lost Highway

R.E.M. :: King of the Road

Since you’re clutching that Bud, you probably don’t have the extra hand (or dexterity) to right-click each of these, so here’s the zip file.

By now you’re possibly shocked that I didn’t include a cover of “Ring of Fire.” Well, I have so damn many, I’m giving the June Carter-penned Cash classic its own subsection:

Rings of Fire

June Carter Cash
Elvis Costello
Allison Moorer
Moby
Cigar Store Indians
Social Distortion
Coldplay
Joaquin Phoenix
Grace Jones
Wall of Voodoo
Country Joe McDonald
Blondie
Dwight Yoakum
The Animals
Johnny Cash + Bob Dylan

Have a lovely hoedown of a spring weekend, kids.

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