Leave it up to Phosphorescent to make me second guess “Are You Ready for the Country?” being only my 10th favorite cut off Neil Young’s undeniable 10-track 1972 album, Harvest. Be it The Beatles, Willie, Bob Dylan, or — perhaps their most comfortable fit — Neil Young, Matt Houck and friends know their way around a timeless tune. Above, a fine homage to Neil’s barn-rocking Stray Gators.
(via Mojo, via Aquarium Drunkard)
Not only does Phosphorescent’s Matthew Houck take on songs by Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, and the Beatles with consistently solid results, but the Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter’s originals shouldn’t be overlooked either. In probably their biggest break since getting asked by Willie Nelson himself to play Farm Aid (alongside the likes of Neil Young and Wilco, no … Read more
An excellent post on Said the Gramophone today about Phosphorescent’s “The Mermaid Parade” inspired me to dust off the alt-country band’s latest album, Here’s to Taking It Easy, tonight before catching up on the Matthew Houck-led outfit with a quick YouTube search. It turns out they might be listening to Bob Dylan’s Witmark Demos lately, as the classic Dylan-penned, Elvis-covered tune “Tomorrow Is a Long Time” has become a live staple on the band’s recent tours. Watch Houck perform a beautifully nuanced solo rendition, live in Paris, above.