XL Recordings

As do Sunn O))), Klaxons, Primal Scream, Lydia Lunch, Peaches

Catch phrases like "way ahead of their time" and "blazing their own trail" don't really cut it-- Suicide were in their own sonic world entirely for most of the 1970s. It took folks a while to catch on, but catch on they did, and nowadays Alan Vega and Martin Rev are widely revered for their influence on punk, no wave, post-punk, noise, synth pop, and all manner of musical explorations that emerged in their wake.

But don't take my word for it. Just ask Liars, Spiritualized, Grinderman, Sunn O))) (with Pansonic), Klaxons, Primal Scream, Lydia Lunch, Peaches, Julian Cope, Vincent Gallo, or Bruce freaking Springsteen, all of whom contribute Suicide covers to an upcoming EP series from UK imprint Blast First (Petite).

In celebration of Alan Vega's 70th birthday (!), Blast First (Petite) kicks off the series on July 28 with a 10" vinyl/digital offering featuring the Boss' take on "Dream Baby Dream", a Suicide live track, and a cover of "Mr. Ray" from Ms. Shilpa Ray of NYC's Beat the Devil. Eleven more EPs will follow, one each month, boasting covers from the likes of the aforementioned along with the Horrors, Effi Briest, No Bra, HTRK, Nik Void (aka ex-Kaito lady Nikki Colk), Xvectors, S.C.U.M., and Justin K. Broadrick's former Head of David bandmate Stephen Burroughs.

Each EP will take the example set by the Bruce one, combining Suicide covers by an "established" act and an "up-and-coming" act with a previously unreleased Suicide track from the archives. The 10"s are limited to just a few thousand copies (4,000 in the case of Mr. Springsteen's offering), though the EPs will be available digitally as well. Full tracklist info for the Bruce EP and the two that immediately follow (due August 25 and September 29, respectively) resides after the jump.

And speaking of live Suicide, Blast First (Petite) recently compiled six CDs worth of the stuff for a box set entitled Live 1977-1978. You'll find the collection, limited to 3,000 copies, on UK record store shelves now. [MORE...]