Open Your Ears: Dan Bern

Dan Bern is a singer/songwriter out of Iowa who's lyrics and vocal style are often compared to Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, and Bruce Springsteen. When you hear his voice, you'll immediately hear the Dylan influence, as well as in his lyrics. When asked about his apparent influence, however, he also shows that he has some of Dylan's humor, saying things like, "I guess Bob Dylan was sort of the Dan Bern of the '60's". If I had to make my judgments, I would say he's a little more mainstream sounding, more "poppy", than Dylan, even in his electric years. It's good, in its own way, but the comparisons are almost unavoidable.

He has been making albums since 1996, and put out his latest album, Breathe, in 2006. Also, a few of his previously unreleased works have been released on iTunes. Check him out at danbern.com, as well as on iTunes.

You can listen to two of his songs below, which will also be added to the Open Your Ears playlist.