Sleater-Kinney have blessed fans with an early Christmas gift, covering The Ramones’ classic holiday song Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight). Sleater-Kinney have long cited The Ramones as a major influence, including titling one of their first ever songs I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone back on their 1996 album Call The Doctor.
The track, originally released back in 1989, was performed during Sleater-Kinney’s set at the House of Blues in Chicago last night, and thanks to the wonders of the internet, a decent recording of the track was immediately made available. As the AV Club point out, the quality is not much worse than any original Ramones records either, so it feels pretty damn authentic.
Nowadays all too many people just associate The Ramones with their fashion-forward logo (someone genuinely asked me once, “That fashion brand, you know, the Ram Ones?”), so here’s a nice little reminder for us all that they in fact were, y’know, a cool punk band.
Sleater-Kinney released their phenomenal first album in a decade, No Cities To Love, earlier this year. It’s one of the best albums of 2015, so give it a spin if you haven’t yet. They’ll be touching down in Australia next March to headline Golden Plains Festival, along with a full headline show. Dates below.
Fri March 4: HQ, Adelaide
Tickets on sale now – www.oztix.com.au
Sat March 5: The Triffid, Brisbane
Tickets on sale now – www.oztix.com.au
Sun March 6: Sydney Opera House, Sydney
Tickets on sale Friday Oct 30 – www.sydneyoperahouse.com
Wed March 9: The Croxton, Melbourne (SOLD OUT)
Thurs March 10: The Croxton, Melbourne (SOLD OUT)
More: Read Sleater-Kinney’s Corin Tucker talk music, writing and feminism with Chvrches’ Lauren Mayberry