The banjo is one of the many instruments that I hold dear to my heart. Versatile in the inspiration it evokes, it either has me dancing wildly like in "Big Country" by Béla Fleck and the Flecktones or teary-eyed in Sufjan Stevens' "For the Widows in Paradise, For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti."

Thanks to the genius that created Spotify, and friends for convincing me to explore it, I recently discovered an amazing collection. After my insomniatic cure tune ("Dramamine" by Modest Mouse) came to an end, I was pleasantly surprised by the following song, a cover by Iron Horse. The album art: a house painted in two halves of periwinkle and green, a large pink bird and above the title read The Bluegrass Tribute to Modest Mouse - Something You've Never Heard Before. The title spoke for my thoughts.

Searching for any other covers this Pickin' On Series had to offer, I was shocked to find a lengthy collection of my favorite artists/songs that were "picked on." Led Zeppelin, The Shins, "Jessie's Girl" and other 80s singles that I consider my guilty pleasures, Neil Young, ZZ Top, Blue Oyster Cult, Pink Floyd, The Doors. My jaw dropped, and I continued to search. A cover of Peter Bjorn and John's "Young Folks," Bob Marley, a whole album dedicated to Bob Dylan cleverly but obviously titled Tangled Up In Bluegrass: A Tribute to Dylan. The Dave Matthews Band tribute is fantastic. Don't judge me, I still love them due to my incessant nostalgia. And in all honesty the band is amazing so if it's just Dave's vocals that irk you, you can still appreciate the instrumentals. For all of you Boss fans, there's Pickin' on Springsteen: A Tribute. There's the White Stripes, Phish, The Who, and even Pickin' on Wilco.

Hey and if you have really shitty taste in music, don't fret. They even have albums dedicated to Melissa Etheridge, Nickelback, and Creed.