NC Artists Partner For New Benefit Covers Collection

Courtesy: lpc media

Music acts from across North Carolina have come together to help one of the state’s most beloved music venues.

Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, NC has hosted countless acts over the course of its 50 years in business, but its future is now in doubt as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Its closure meant the cancellation of its entire concert schedule, leading to trouble paying the rent and basic overhead costs.

In response, many of the North Carolina bands that have gone on to national (and even global) fame since their days performing at Cat’s Cradle have come together for a benefit compilation meant to raise money for the famed venue. Cover Charge: NC Artists Go Under Cover To Benefit Cat’s Cradle is scheduled for release July 31. Pre-orders open July 3.

The 25-song record features music from the likes of Chatham County Line, Mipso, The Mountain Goats and Tift Merritt and Superchunk among many others.

Superchunk front man Mac McCaughn talke about doing his part to help the venue in a recent interview.

“Like many musicians out there, I miss playing shows, and like many fans I miss seeing bands,” said McCaughan. “When it is safe to get together to watch live music again, it will be a disaster for all of us if our favorite venues aren’t around to host the artists we love. I literally grew up seeing bands at the Cat’s Cradle and playing there with all my bands, going back to high school. Superchunk is excited to be part of this album, playing one of our favorite songs to support our favorite venue.”

Cat’s Cradle owner Frank Heath said he was moved by the outpouring of support for the venue and live independent venues in general during a separate interview.

“I, and the rest of the Cat’s Cradle family, have been bowled over by the concern being shown for music venues both here and around the country,” Heath said. “The fact that so much great music can come from just one place is amazing in and of itself–as folks will find out when they hear the songs on the “Cover Charge” compilation. Learning about this effort to assist the Cradle, has just reinforced another wonderful thing that we really already knew, that so many of the Triangle’s great artists and musicians are also amazing and caring people, who value and want to help protect Cat’s Cradle, and who also genuinely care about all of the other artists and the entire music community. This alone is huge, and it helps me to believe that more of us will come through this pandemic with fewer permanent scars.”

The track listing for Cover Charge: NC Artists Go Under Cover To Benefit Cat’s Cradle is noted below.

Cover Charge Track Listing:

1. Superchunk – “Can’t Stop the World” (The Go-Go’s)
2. Sarah Shook & the Disarmers – “Apocalypse” (Cigarettes After Sex)
3. Hiss Golden Messenger and Jonathan Wilson – “Travellin’ in Style” (Free)
4. The dB’s – “I’m on an Island” (The Kinks)
5. Steep Canyon Rangers – “Unknown Legend” (Neil Young)
6. Eric Bachmann & Skylar Gudasz – “All I Have to Do is Dream” (The Everly Brothers)
7. The Connells – “Keep Your Distance” (Richard Thompson)
8. Mandolin Orange – “Boots of Spanish Leather” (Bob Dylan)
9. The Love Language – “Everything Flows” (Teenage Fanclub)
10. Dex Romweber (feat. Jennifer Curtis) – “A Face in the Crowd” (Andy Griffith)\
11. Tift Merritt – “Help Me Make It Through The Night”  (Kris Kristofferson)
12. The Old Ceremony – “Alone Again Or” (Love)
13. Mayflies USA – “There is a Light that Never Goes Out” (The Smiths)
14. The Mountain Goats – “The Longest Winter” (Paradise Lost)
15. Faith Jones – “For What It’s Worth” (Buffalo Springfield)
16. Mipso – “Long Distance Love” (Little Feat)
17. Terry Anderson and The Olympic-Ass Kickin Team – “Every Night” (Paul McCartney)
18. Florence Dore – “Somewhere Down the Line” (Marshall Crenshaw)
19. Southern Culture on the Skids – “Let’s Work Together” (Canned Heat)
20. Iron & Wine – “Piss Diary” (Kingsbury Manx)
21. Mount Moriah – “Don’t Let It Bring You Down” (Neil Young)
22. Sam Melo of Rainbow Kitten Surprise – “Stars” (Janis Ian)
23. Don Dixon & Marti Jones – “Respoken” (The Lovin Spoonful)
24. Chatham County Line – “Think I’m in Love” (Beck)
25. The Veldt – “Dress You Up” (Madonna)

More information on Cover Charge: NC Artists Go Under Cover To Benefit Cat’s Cradle is available at https://www.facebook.com/CoverChargeMusic.

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