Hear Fort Frances cover the Grateful Dead

By Frank Krolicki

There's never a shortage of cover songs that fail to impress, but throughout the year Chicago's own Fort Frances have proven they are a band that knows how to put a worthwhile spin on another artist's track. Adding to a short list that includes the likes of Beck and Will Smith in their "As Told By..." cover series, this time the guys decided to pay homage to the Grateful Dead with a rendition of the breezy "Ripple" of the 1970 album American Beauty. Fort Frances vocalist/guitarist David McMillin said this of the track and the decision to cover it:

"This marks the most calming and relaxing recording I think we've ever done, and we all loved it: banjo, guitar, mandolin, bass, snare drum and lots of harmonies. We chose this particular tune because a) we love it and b) we're gearing up for the Americana Music Festival this weekend. Jerry Garcia was a past recipient of the AMA's President's Award."

Take a listen to the track and download it for free below. Also catch Fort Frances live at Schubas with Dry the River on September 28th.

Fort Frances celebrate summer 1991 style with Will Smith cover

By Frank Krolicki

Chicago folk rockers Fort Frances are getting more and more creative with their cover song choices.

After taking on Beck and Daniel Johnston, the band is back with another non-original, and this time they've tackled none other than the Fresh Prince. More specifically, the 1991 Will Smith/DJ Jazzy Jeff collaboration "Summertime."

Considering the randomness of the song choice, the results are pretty great. Fort Frances actually make "Summertime" sound like a natural fit for them. They also make sure their version lives up to the title, delivering a smooth four minutes of music that's as refreshing as feeling an unexpected breeze on a hot July evening. Hear it for yourself below and check out the band live in the summertime air when they play the Taste of Chicago on Friday, July 13th and Wicker Park Fest on Sunday, July 29th.

Summertime by Fort Frances

Hear Fort Frances cover Beck

By Frank Krolicki

I'm always interested to see cover songs come through from Chicago artists--whether it's A Lull doing Springsteen or City States doing R.E.M.--to see what kind of unique spin the bands are able to offer tracks that originated with someone else. The latest to pop up is a Beck cover from folk-rock outfit Fort Frances. The band decided to take on the melancholy track "Guess I'm Doing Fine" off Beck's 2002 album Sea Change and deliver a version that's pretty faithful, but that at the same time takes the tune into an even mellower, more bittersweet direction. Great stuff! Hear/download for yourself below, and if you happen to be heading to Texas for SXSW, you can catch Fort Frances playing a few different shows there.

Guess I'm Doing Fine by Fort Frances