The Naked Raygun tribute album Godspeed… A Tribute to Pierre Kezdy comes out on July 28 via Put It Here Productions and Big Minnow Records, and today we’re premiering Face To Face‘s contribution, a cover of “I Don’t Know” from the band’s 1985 debut LP Throb Throb.
“All the good songs were taken already,” Face To Face’s Trever Keith jokes, “haha just kidding. I like the message about telling parents to act like the people they want their kids to grow up like. I also like how it’s a message coming from youngsters (at the time). It’s a very kind of ‘face to face’ type of lyric. Plus the music is cool and it has a great breakdown at the end.”
“Naked Raygun’s [1990] album Raygun… Naked Raygun was one of my earliest and most profound introductions to punk rock,” Trever adds to us to over email. “Their unique brand of songwriting and melody makes them an unmistakable standout in a crowded field of 1980s punk rock bands. We jumped at the opportunity to pay tribute to Naked Raygun and to be a part of helping [late bassist] Pierre’s family and his legacy.”
Face To Face’s cover stays faithful to the original, but Face To Face play it with all the same urgency they play their own songs with, and they make this 1985 classic sound very fresh in 2023. Listen:
Trever also recently announced Sight and Sound: An Art Exhibition And Acoustic Performance, a short touring engagement featuring acoustic sets and his debut as a visual artist. The description reads, “An ‘evening with’-style show with a storyteller acoustic set that will include face to face favorites and more, Sight and Sound will also feature Keith’s first ever series of paintings on display for viewing in person, which are themed on classic face to face songs, ‘Disconnected,’ ‘A-OK’ and ‘Blind.'”
Trever says, “Finding visual art as another outlet for my creative expression has been incredibly positive and cathartic for me. I think bringing the paintings into the music performance space is the most direct and natural way to share them first with the people who have been supporting me for more than 30 years.”
Trever is bringing Sight and Sound to Nashville’s Lounge at City Winery on 7/30, NYC’s Loft at City Winery on 8/18, Chicago’s Cobra Lounge on 8/20, and Anaheim’s Parish Room at House of Blues on 9/1. Tickets here.
Trever also has a solo album coming later this year. Listen to its latest single, a Lost Dog Street Band cover: