The upcoming film Echo in the Canyon captures the creative explosion that happened in Southern California in the mid-Sixties, with Jakob Dylan interviewing heroes like Tom Petty, Michelle Phillips, Brian Wilson and more. The music that came out of the Laurel Canyon scene was inspiring to my generation of songwriters, said Dylan who also executive produced the project. Added Beck, who also appears, These records come all of the sudden, like an avalanche, and theres nothing like them before.
The film also features covers by a younger generation of songwriters. One of those performances from the soundtrack (out Friday) is Loves 1966 classic No Matter What You Do, a duet between Dylan and Regina Spektor. The duo stay true to the originals jangly magic while adding a new energy when they sing it together. Its a heartfelt tribute to one of the scenes most underrated bands: Rolling Stones David Fricke once praised Love for its unconventional details, masterful singing, crunchy-guitar rock, straight-up Stax-grounded soul, eccentric psychedelia and contemporary funk.
There are a series of events around the Echo in the Canyon release. Tomorrow, the Grammy Museum will host a preview screening along with a Q&A with director Andrew Slater and Jakob Dylan; Jakob Dylan and Jade Castrinos (formerly of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes) will perform the Mamas & the Papas Go Where You Wanna Go on Jimmy Kimmy Live! later that night. A series of musical performances will also happen after screenings this weekend.