Anything by Hayseed Dixie. They mostly cover hard rock/metal songs, as in this version of "Highway to Hell," but they have also covered the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, among others. posted by ronofthedead at 9:00 PM on July 7, 2012 [3 favorites]
I'm having trouble getting my Amazon link to work, but how about "Beatle Country" by The Charles River Valley Boys? posted by Rad_Boy at 9:12 PM on July 7, 2012
It's more Irish/acoustic, but Glen Hansard's cover of Britney Spears' Everytime is so amazing, it just has to be shared. posted by Aquifer at 10:10 PM on July 7, 2012 [1 favorite]
Sounds like a significant fraction of my record collection.
The Carolina Chocolate Drops cover of Hit 'em up Style is really worth hearing. As is everything they do.
IF you're into scottish folk, The Battlefield Band's Bad Moon Rising is a lot of fun.
Matt Nathanson covers are more folky than bluegrass, but there are a lot of 'em and they're good.
You could make a case for all of the Johnny Cash American Recordings, depending on how wide your definition of "bluegrass" was. Also Billy Braggs "Johnny Clash" bits.
Now, if you want to go the other way, Tommy Shaw (of Styx) recorded The Great Divide, a straight-up bluegrass album. If you like Blues, he redid his own Blue Collar Man as a Chicago Blues song. That's out there.
Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby - Super Freak (this is awesome.)
Dolly Parton - Stairway to Heaven (which is actually really good just ignore the hokey choir.)
If you look around you can find a version of Toxic by Nickel Creek. posted by fluffy battle kitten at 10:45 PM on July 7, 2012
Townes Van Zandt covering the Stones' "Dead Flowers" (as heard over the closing credits in Big Lebowski). posted by notsnot at 10:50 PM on July 7, 2012
Your title reminded me of (fictitious) folk group The Folksmen's cover of Start Me Up. posted by illenion at 10:58 PM on July 7, 2012
Trampled by Turtles covering Arcade Fire's Lies posted by Snuffman at 10:58 PM on July 7, 2012
Apparently, Will Oldham (Bonnie Prince Billy) is an R.Kelly fan. (Bonus YouTube comment: "Thought he was Jamie from Mythbusters!") Additionally, this may stray a bit from folk/bluegrass, but I think it fits what you're looking for very well and it has a super cute video: Jenny Owen Youngs - Hot In Herre
In the definitely definitely folk category: Great Big Sea covers REM's End of the World and Cat Stevens's "Here Comes My Baby" (though I can't find that one online). Dar Williams covers Led Zepplin's Comfortably Numb, Midnight Radio from Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Fountains of Wayne's Troubled Times, The Kinks' Better Things, and David Bowie's Starman. Of course, you might also like Seu Jorge's Portuguese Bowie covers from The Life Aquatic. And that's without getting into all the other folk singers Dar's covered (with Cry Cry Cry there's a whole album).
I'll stop now. posted by maryr at 12:27 AM on July 8, 2012
For many more, go to the music section of Amazon and search for the word "pickin" or the phrase "bluegrass tribute". posted by yclipse at 5:05 AM on July 8, 2012
Do a YouTube search for Jesse Morris and Six Pack. He was a busker in San Francisco's BART system who unfortunately committed suicide last year. Here, he sounds just like Johnny Cash while covering Black Flag. posted by AJaffe at 5:57 AM on July 8, 2012
Couldn't find a full youtube of it, but Nickel Creek covered Radiohead's (Nice Dream). Also possibly of interest: Saturday Night Hay Fever, which is disco covered bluegrass style.
In a related but not exactly same wheelhouse: the late, lamented Asylum Street Spankers cover NIN's Closer.
Nthing the Hayseed Dixie recommendation. They are not all hard rock covers; one of my favorites of theirs is a Scissor Sisters cover (I Don't Feel Like Dancin'). posted by immlass at 6:42 AM on July 8, 2012
Cover Lay Down might be right up your alley. (Most recent entry features Steve Earle and his son, Justin Townes Earle, who does a good version of The Replacements's "Can't Hardly Wait.") posted by MonkeyToes at 8:29 AM on July 8, 2012
Mike Phirman and Chris Hardwick (of The Nerdist) were a college music-comedy duo at UCLA, called "Hard 'n Phirm," and they made a bluegrass Radiohead medley called "Rodeohead." It makes me laugh. posted by Sunburnt at 6:48 PM on July 8, 2012
Nearly 20 years ago Run C&W made a couple of fairly entertaining albums playing 'that sweet soul music the way God intended it to be played. Bluegrass Style.' posted by pupdog at 5:00 PM on July 9, 2012
and many of their other videos! Check out their channel.
posted by pupstocks at 8:46 PM on July 7, 2012 [1 favorite]