Singer-songwriter and Dawson’s Creek theme song creator Paula Cole is usually not mentioned in the same breath as alt-rock faves The Replacements and Dinosaur Jr, but now they are thanks to Cole’s new song, which is unexpectedly titled “The Replacements & Dinosaur Jr.”
The song is the first single from Lo, Cole’s first album in a decade, and is a heartfelt tribute to her friend and mentor Mark Hutchins, who died in 2016 at age 51. “Mark exploded my mind. I literally heard the Beatles first with Mark,” Paula says. “Also The Replacements, Dinosaur Jr., A Tribe Called Quest, The Pixies, and a lot of gorgeous early-90’s alternative music folks might not associate with me. We connected in our love for Peter Gabriel’s music. I was mourning, honoring, celebrating Mark when I wrote this. I wanted to acknowledge him and his lasting influence in my life. Mark should have had an enormous career. I’m so grateful. The song needed to be fun, like he was.”
“You showed me The Replacements and Dinosaur Jr,” Cole sings. “The Beatles, yes, you preferred John / XTC and Daniel Lanois and Bonita Applebum.” Watch the lyric video below.
Lo will be out March 1 via 675 Records.
Lo tracklist:
Follow The Moon
The Replacements & Dinosaur Jr.
take it, take it, take it
Invisible Armor
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
Green Eyes Crying
Calling All Saviors
Golden Apples Of The Sun
Letter From A Quarry Miner
Wildflower
Flying Home