If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Adrian Buckmaster I love cover songs, especially when an artist picks a song that's not one of the obvious ones. New York based Canadian filmmaker Kris Lefcoe has released a cover of The Stooges' "Dirt." Lefcoe does the near impossible feat of releasing a cover that is instantly recognizable but also reworked into her own style. Lefcoe's version includes a distorted keyboard and a much more vulnerable take than the original. The cover still has buzzing guitars and the same bass line. Lefcoe has made an homage to an iconic band while avoiding making a note for note cover. Kris Lefcoe says of her cover of "Dirt": “ Iggy’s lyrics capture a seemingly contradictory combination of raw emotion, vulnerability, and nihilism that I find relatable. The Stooges are my favorite band, and this is a song I haven’t heard anyone cover before...I think the fragility and femininity of my voice gives the lyrics a new meaning.” You can watch the video for "Dirt...

Photo by Oscar O'Shea 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 It may be a little prettier and start off almost pop, but the psychedelic freak out has been replaced by this noise rock tantrum that feels destructive.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 her...

If you've never seen Todd Haynes's fantastic 1998 film Velvet Goldmine , you truly owe it to yourself to do so. It's basically a David Bowie biopic without licensing. Once you watch the film, you're going to need to check out the soundtrack. In addition to the classic songs of the period, it also included a song by Wyde Ratttz. Wylde Ratttz stood in for The Stooges, and consisted of Ron Asheton (The Stooges), Mark Arm (Mudhoney), Mike Watt (Minutemen), Don Fleming, Jim Dunbar, Sean Ono Lennon, and Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore and Steve Shelley. They did a cover of The Stooges's classic "T.V. Eye" that made me desperate to hear more. Alas, there was no more. Until yesterday. Apparently the band got together to for a second session that included originals and a cover of The Pretty Things. You shouldn't even be reading this any more. This is pure gold, and I can't believe this has been sat on for over twenty years. This is a supergroup to end ...

Photo by Pacific Dream Photography A few weeks ago we posted about James Williamson's foray into childrens' music with "I Love My Tutu." Now you can listen to the b-side of his collaborative single with  Lisa Kekaula of The Bellrays, "Never Far From Where the Wild Things Are." Meant as a tribute to the iconic book Where the Wild Things Are , the b-side is decidedly louder and more rocking than "I Love My Tutu." The song was originally written by Williamson's son Jamie, and then worked out by James. It's much closer to Iggy & The Stooges than you would expect from a song about a kids' book, but that's what makes this so fantastic. You can buy the single for "I Love My Tutu" and "Never Far From Where the Wild Things Are" via iTunes . Proceeds will benefit Project Hawai'i , which helps homeless children in Hawaii. This is the first of three collaborative singles James Williamson plans to release this y...

Photo by Pacific Dream Photography James Williamson is responsible for some of the greatest riffs in the history of rock. While playing with Iggy & The Stooges on Raw Power , he became a legend with "Search & Destroy," "Gimme Danger," "Raw Power," etc. He is an absolute rock god. The last thing you would expect him to be doing now is playing ukulele on a kids' song about grandparents, right? Well... here's "I Love My Tutu." Tutu is the Hawaiian word for grandmother. Williamson wrote it while playing ukulele for his granddaughter, and then decided to have Lisa Kekaula of The Bellrays sing the track for the recording. Most likely you'll choose Raw Power  over "I Love My Tutu," but it's still a fun song, and better than 99% of what your kids probably listen to.  "I Love My Tutu" will be available commercially on June 17. It will have a b-side titled "Never Far From Where the Wild Things Are,...

Starting last year, The Dead Milkmen started following up their 2011 comeback album by releasing 7” singles, available for both download and as a physical record. The first one to be released was “Dark Clouds Over Middlemarch.” The B-Side is “Ronald Reagan Killed the Black Dahlia,” a song implicating Ronald Reagan in the Black Dahlia murder. Both songs feature Rodney Anonymous at the top of his game. Most punk bands from the 80s/90s tend to have mellowed out with age and even at their most rocking, their new material is almost easy listening compared to their original output. Apparently the secret is to take 16 years off. Rodney just sounds like he’s been festering since 1995, just waiting to get his chance to attack mainstream American culture and politics. There is also a digital bonus track (all vinyl copies come with a download code for both tracks and a bonus song, as well) of a cover of ROME ’s “Little Rebel Mine” as a duet with Audrey Crash. The second single, “Big Words ...

Recorded live at Ann Arbor ’s Michigan Theater on April 19, 2011, this DVD documents the tribute concert performed by Iggy & The Stooges for Ron Asheton, the late Stooges guitarist who passed away in 2009. For something that could have been such a somber occasion, the performance is anything but, which makes it the perfect tribute for Rolling Stone’s 60 th Greatest Guitarist of All Time. The concert begins with a 20 minute introduction by Henry Rollins . After explaining the creativity Ron’s playing style was and how much The Stooges mean to him (and sharing a story about introducing The Stooges to a young, foreign fan), Rollins joins the Stooges for the opening song, “I Got a Right.” Iggy immediately takes over frontman duties, and dispels any concern this will be a sedate performance by bringing enough fans onstage to fill the entire stage (complete with crowdsurfers) by the 4 th song, “Shake Appeal.” The Stooges run through 20 total songs selected from their 3 studio a...