Necessary shelter: Crosby and Emmet record month-long Covers Project
Yes, it’s shit-central outside, an icy mess of dirty slush and Masshole road rage that’s keeping most sensible folks locked indoors. Thankfully, RYAN LEE CROSBY and MR. SISTER'S AMELIA EMMET are intent on keeping our ears warm and busy throughout the month, giving us some covers to hide under.
The two have partnered for the Covers Project, where the pair separately records a new song for each day in February and posts it to their respective Tumblrs. Already in the books for Crosby are Bad Brains’ “Big Takeover,” Big Star’s “Kangaroo” and today’s offering, “I Wanna Be Your Dog” by the Stooges. Not to be outdone, so far Emmet has posted “Run For Your Life” by the Beatles and, just a few hours ago, “Fox In The Snow” by Belle & Sebastian."
Both are operating solo, playing all the instruments themselves. And the results so far are pretty great.
Hearing Crosby perform the Stooges cover makes me long (as I often do) for a reunion of his early-2000s band, the noisy, abrasive, post-grunge rock trio Cancer To The Stars. Crosby really is Boston’s own AA Bondy in the respect of having gone from loud, sloppy screamer to an introspective soulful solo artist without losing any artistic integrity or the arch & flow of what's becoming a pretty prolific local career. Bondy’s prior act before going solo, Verbena, of course, is likewise a far cry from his current folksy stuff. Yet both have made the transition pretty seamlessly.
Crosby next takes the stage Feb. 20 at Passim on a bill with Marissa Nadler, and as soon as we find the next show listing for Emmet’s Mr. Sister, we’ll post it ASAP (she just performed at Great Scott this past Sunday with Banditas and Bunny's A Swine). In the meantime, these covers should hold us over until it’s safe to travel the angry streets.