Independent's Day Radio

Being compared to Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie is one thing, and lots of musicians have borne that lofty burden. But it’s entirely another to live up to the reasons Dylan and Guthrie can be referred to with a single name. Modern day troubadour Dan Bern has earned a place at the grown up songwriter’s table many times over. He’s prolific, having written hundreds of songs. His deft use of language spans from seemingly tossed off simple songs in which his incisive wit cuts right through the pretensions of lesser writers, to political parables and revelatory personal reflections – all of which are delivered with a captivating but affable stage presence. He has released nearly twenty albums since he got his start in the mid-90s and continues to write and perform all over the country. His latest release is an eight-song collection of songs about Hannukuh, called, appropriately, Hannukuh Songs. Bern thankfully avoids the typical egregious sins of musical excess that plague many Christmas albums, and instead delivers