Metapost: Covering the Coverblog

Welcome (back) to Cover Lay Down! Just a quick note between cover features today -- I'll try to keep these short, but every once in a while it's useful to pull the curtain aside to speak out and clarify, I think.

First, I am hoping to write up a more formal guide to Cover Lay Down eventually, but I'm focusing on the music right now. In the interim, if you have any questions (like "why is there a Richard Thompson cover of a Squeeze song in yesterday's post about Teddy Thompson?"), the welcome post might be a useful place to start. Go ahead, I'll wait.

Second, a word or two about the method behind the musicposting here at Cover Lay Down. As you have probably noticed, music is being posted on box.net. I like box.net because it allows you to play a song before you decide if you want to download it. But box.net capacity is low for free accounts, so songs will probably only be up for a week or two before I take them down again.

This is okay, I think -- after all, the purpose here is to expose and promote musicians and albums, in the hopes that you'll buy the songs. But the clock is ticking on our first few entries, folks. If you haven't heard anything from Richard Shindell's stellar new cover album, or fed your ears with Eliza Gilkyson's amazing Dylan and Greg Brown covers, you're about to miss the boat.

Finally, a thousand thanks to YOU for validating my efforts. In less than two weeks we've had over a thousand downloads, and are closing in on 100 unique hits a day. It's especially nice to see that some of you have been following the links to artist websites and stores. Feel free to drop any suggestions for future post themes, songs, or artists in the comments at any time -- you've all earned it.

And a most special thanks to all who have driven traffic and good vibes my way. It is an honor to be found, and recognized, and welcomed so warmly by some of the very coverlovers and musicbloggers I've admired for years. If you've shown up circuitously, and have yet to visit Fong Songs, The Late Greats, Womenfolk, Cover Freak, Covering the Mouse, Coverville, and Retro Music Snob, head on over -- you're in for a treat.

We'll be back tomorrow with a second round of our Covered in Folk series, featuring folk covers of the songs of Neil and Tim Finn (cf. Crowded House, Split Enz). Y'all come back now, y'hear?