LISTEN: New Snapped Ankles | The Quietus

LISTEN: New Snapped Ankles

Snapped Ankles share an updated take on The Fugs' 'CIA Man' for the Edward Snowden generation ahead of their appearance on tQ's stage at this year's Desertfest

East London’s Snapped Ankles have shared a new track, called ‘CIA Man (NSA Violation)’, which you can hear exclusively below.

The track sees the trio, who came together in 2011, cover The Fugs’ 1965 track ‘CIA Man’ with an updated twist, touching on the NSA revelations uncovered by whistleblower Edward Snowden in 2013.

"Having unearthed The Fugs’ ‘CIA Man’ some years before, we were shocked to discover a newer more sinister agency had taken over from the diatribes’ protagonist so we updated Tuli Kupferberg’s list of ills," the band say.

"Of course every time the song is now mentioned online, a blip of data triggers a filter that enters a file that rings a bell in a bunker deep under a mountain in Pennsylvania. So now the forest is full of agents looking for us, and we are taping up our microphones and cameras and walking backwards through our own footprints to shake them off."

Snapped Ankles will play live on tQ’s stage at this year’s Desertfest in Camden, London. The festival runs from May 4-6 and you can find more details, and get tickets, here.

A 12" version of the Violations EP on which the above track features will also be made available in limited quantities as part of this year’s Record Store Day on April 21. You can get the track digitally here.

They will also play London’s Ghost Notes on April 4, Folkestone’s This Is Psychedelia on April 7, Manchester’s Night & Day on April 10, Raw Power festival on May 25 and a string of other UK festivals through the summer.

The Quietus Digest

Sign up for our free Friday email newsletter.

Support The Quietus

Our journalism is funded by our readers. Become a subscriber today to help champion our writing, plus enjoy bonus essays, podcasts, playlists and music downloads.

Support & Subscribe Today