If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Robert Butcher In his younger days, Sam Hariss of The Sweet Things heard Izzy Stradlin cover Bo Diddley's "Crackin' Up" and the song stuck with him. He decided to record his own cover and enlisted his bandmate Tobin Dale for the track. Even though Hariss and Dale's version is kind of a cover of a cover, it's more in line with Diddley's original. Stradlin's version of the song is a little more dirty blues from a member of Guns 'n' Roses, and Diddley's version is more laid back. This new take on the song seems to have a little bit of reggae in the guitar along with the blues. It's an interesting and surprisingly pleasing version of the song that is well worth checking out.  You can listen to Sam Hariss and Tobin Dale's version of "Crackin' Up" below. The song is available as a single via Spaghetty Town Records. For more on Sam Hariss and Tobin Dale, check out The Sweet Things on Facebook and Instagram .

Photo via Facebook The Mardi Kings are a Boston supergroup of sorts. The band features members of some of the city's finest underground bands, such as Tunnel of Love, The Monsieurs, Shepherdess, Nice Guys, The Barbazons, Earthquake Party, and Miami Doritos. They've contributed to an upcoming Bo Diddley tribute album put out by Slovenly Recordings, and if this song is any indication, it's gonna be a weird tribute. "Pretty Thing" isn't going to sound like an obvious Bo Diddley song. All the typical structure of a blues song has been drained out, and instead it's an electronic noise garage rock song. It's an impossibly bizarre version of a blues classic, but that's sometimes the kind of thing we're all in for. The standard chugging blues riff is still there, it's just an electronic squall now.  You can watch the video for The Mardi Kings' version of "Pretty Thing" below. HE'S BAD! 11 BANDS DECIMATE THE BEATS OF BO DIDDLEY  wi...

Considering that Woodstock, NY's The Bobby Lees played a form of blues based garage punk, covering Bo Diddley makes perfect sense. Except their version of the classic "I'm a Man" barely keeps the minimum of the original to still be a cover. It's nearly a total reworking of the song, while somehow still being a blues song. It's a nasty as hell dirty and noisy version of "I'm a Man," but it's still somehow "I'm a Man." If you're a purist, this won't be for you, but if you want to hear some of the noisiest garage punk you've heard in years, check this one out. You can listen to The Bobby Lees's take on "I'm a Man" below. Skin Suit, the new album from The Bobby Lees, will be out May 8 on Alive Naturalsound Records. For more on The Bobby Lees, check out their website .