Following the release of their sophomore record earlier this year on Kill Rock Stars, hip-shakers Panther have announced that they will release a new cover song once a month for the next two years. The most interesting part of this endevour however may be that the band plan to post each song for free on their blog Rhinestone Neckbrace.
The band have already posted their first cover, a dusty and sassy rendition of the Bee Gees "To Love Somebody." The track is a bit more laid-back and traditional sounding than the band's usual raucous party-starters, but it should serve as a small, and decidedly sweet, treat for fans of the two-piece.
14 Kt. God
The cover of "To Love Somebody" is the first piece of new music Panther has released since their second LP 14 Kt. God dropped back in February. 14Kt. God displayed a pastiche of all things funky as it combined elements of classic disco with dance-punk, the big band electro of !!!, and even tribal breakdowns. In an indie scene that has spent the last 5 or 6 years dominated by "dance" oriented artists, it was a surprising breath of fresh air that exhibited just how innovative and diverse groove-laden songs can be.
Rhinestone Neckbrace
Panther's blog, Rhinestone Neckbrace, is an interesting addition to the typical media. Yes, the band does have both a traditional site and a MySpace page, but it is on their blog that fans are offered perhaps the best indicators of who the band really are. Between typical obscure and ridiculous YouTube videos the band reveal information about their influences (see the post about the death of Descendents bassist Frank Navetta or photos of a dog in a Black Flag t-shirt) and political views (the tiny shout out to Obama on election day). It's not your typical blog, but Panther aren't your typical band.
Panther Tour Dates
Besides writing new jams and cranking out the covers, Panther are also going to be hitting the stage quite a few times in the next few months. In December the band will play two hometown shows in Portland, one of which is with garage-punk mainstays The Thermals. Then in March the band will hit Europe for a handful of dates.
DECEMBER 2008
5 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir - w/ The Thermals
14 - Portland, OR @ Rotture - w/ Explode Into Colors, Hawnay Troof
MARCH 2009
4 - Koln, Germany @ King Georg
5 - Offenbach, Germany @ Hafen 2
6 - Metz, France @ L'Emile Vache
7 - Antwerpen, Belgium @ Scheld'apen
8 - Bruxelles, Belgium @ La Filature
12 - Nantes, France @ TBA
13 - Bordeaux, France @ Heretic
14 - Nancy, France @ L'Autre Canal
17 - Dudingen, Switzerland @ Bad Bonn
24 - Geneve, Switzerland @ L'Usine
25 - Luzern, Switzerland @ Treibhaus
27 - Prague, Czech Republic @ Klub 007
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