There are a lot of Stooges covers out there. Most bands tend to focus on "I Wanna Be Your Dog," "Search and Destroy," "TV Eye," etc. This may be the first cover of "Ann" that I've ever heard. "Ann" is from The Stooges' 1969 self titled debut, and it kind of has that filler feel to it. It's a slow, plodding song that shows off Iggy Pop's Jim Morrison influence and then ends in a psychedelic freak out. In other words, it's perfect for Tropical Fuck Storm to cover. TSM deliver a surprisingly straightforward cover. It may be a little prettier and start off almost pop, but the psychedelic freak out has been replaced by this noise rock tantrum that feels destructive. This one is a ton of fun.
You can watch the video for Tropical Fuck Storm's cover of "Ann" below. Moonburn, the new maxi-single cassette, will be out August 26 on Joyful Noise Recordings. Moonburn can be pre-ordered here. For more on Tropical Fuck Storm, check out the band's Facebook and Twitter. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
Sat. July 30 - Bandcamp Live screening of Goody Goody Gumdrops feature Sat. Sept. 3 - Vlieland, NL @ Into The Great Wide Open Sun. Sept. 4 - Groningen, NL @ VERA Mon. Sept. 5 - Amsterdam, BL @ Paradiso Wed. Sept. 7 - Berlin, DE @ Frannz Club Thu. Sept. 8 - Hamburg, DE @ Molotow Sat. Sept. 10 - Brussels, BE @ Botanique Mon. Sept. 12 - Tourcoing, FR @ Le Grand Mix Tue. Sept. 13 - Paris, FR @ Le Trabendo Wed. Sept. 14 - Rennes, FR @ Antipode Thu. Sept. 15 - Lorient, FR @ Hydrophone Fri. Sept. 16 - Nantes, FR @ Le Lieu Unique Sat. Sept. 17 - Orleans, FR @ Hop Pop Hop Festival Mon. Sept. 19 - Bordeaux, FR @ Rock School Barbey Tue. Sept. 20 - Biarritz, FR @ Atabal Thu. Sept. 22 - Bilbao, ES @ Kafe Antzonkia Sat. Sept. 24 - Madrid, ES @ Shoko Sun. Sept. 25 - Valencia, ES @ Loco Club Tue. Sept. 27 - Toulouse, FR @ L’Ecluse Wed. Sept. 28 - Lyon, FR @ Le Marché Gare Fri. Sept. 30 - London, UK @ Studio 9294 Wed. Oct. 19 - Montreal, QC @ Theatre Fairmont Thu. Oct. 20 - Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern Fri. Oct. 21 - Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop Sat. Oct. 22 - Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall Mon. Oct. 24 - Detroit, MI @ El Club Tue. Oct. 25 - Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups Wed. Oct. 26 - Nashville, TN @ DRKMTTR Fri. Oct. 28 - Denton, TX @ NO COAST - Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios Sat. Oct. 29 - Austin, TX @ Levitation - Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater Tue. Nov. 1 - Atlanta, GA @ The Earl Wed. Nov. 2 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle Thu. Nov. 3 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s Fri. Nov. 4 - Washington, DC @ DC9 Nightclub Sat. Nov. 5 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Somehow Peter Prescott of Mission of Burma and Volcano Suns has another band that I never knew about. Minibeast already released an album that I completely missed back in 2012, and they are currently at work on the follow up, Free Will. Based on a track from the upcoming album, "High Sea," Minibeast shares some common sonic ground with Mission of Burma, but with an added emphasis on the groovy side of things. It's basically the noise and dissonance of Burma but heard through a 60s surf groove, as if Frankie and Annette were punks. You can listen to "High Sea" below. Minibeast currently have a Kickstarter to help fund the final production of Free Will. You can get more information on that here . It should be out sometime in June.
Photo by Cecil Sykes Midnight Peg are an Edmonton, AB based band that are referred to as "madhouse punk." Their latest single, "Thirstland," is a just barely under control two minute burst of punk. You have guitar riffs that will make you think of At the Drive In, and somewhat spoken and yelled vocals which create a feeling of chaos throughout. This is a loud and angry track that is completely in your face. But, unlike most tracks this loud and punk based, "Thirstland" still keeps a sense of art in their music. Midnight Peg feel like a higher class of loud, angry punk rock. This one is great, with just enough of an emo undercurrent to make the song kind of melodic and almost palatable to a mainstream audience. You can listen to "Thirstland" below. Skinning is due out in October on Thousand Island Records. For more on Midnight Peg, check out the artist's website .
Photo by Annabel Kean For their latest single, New Zealand's The Beths have released "Mother, Pray for Me." This is a heartbreaking ballad consisting of Elizabeth Stokes' vocals and guitar with just the slightest hint of organ. It's a deeply personal song for Stokes, made obvious with how intimately the song comes across. It truly feels almost confessional, and it's quite simply beautiful. The Beths are most known for huge little indie rock gems perfect for bopping along to, but "Mother, Pray for Me" is quite the opposite. Stokes' vocals and lyrics are right up front on this one, and I can't imagine it any other way. Elizabeth Stokes says of her latest single: “I cried the whole time writing it. It's not really about my mother, it's about me — what I hope our relationship is, what I think it is, what it maybe actually is, and what I can or can't expect out of it. “My mother is a first gen Indonesian immigrant, and very Catholic....
