With the music arm of the 2013 edition of SXSW in full swing and sonic force, who better to kick off that inaugural night deep in the heart of Austin, Texas at the House of Vans showcase at Mohawk than Iggy and the Stooges, who have already gained plenty of PR this year, with an album on the way followed by a summer tour. The band threw their hearts full of napalm into the delirious and frenzied crowd a few nights ago, debuting a few songs from their upcoming album Ready To Die, which is the first to feature the lead guitar strains of James Williamson on record since the band’s seminal 1973 release Raw Power, released over 40 years ago this year.

Led by T-N-T [he’s dynamite] lead singer Iggy Pop, who although in his mid-60s, still burns like a white hot, white noise whirling dervish of intensity and sonically apoplectic moxie, had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand, which has been his musical wont since he made mincemeat of a microphone and a stage over 45 years ago when The Stooges’ first musical strains were heard in Southern Michigan.

In our celebration of the upcoming Record Store Day 2013 on April 20th, we found this cool little item. A tote bag. But not any tote bag mind you, this one is a Mike Watt tote bag. That’s right, the coolest of the cool bass player, who cut his teeth in legendary units like The Minutemen and Firehose, who currently plays with the latest incarnation of Iggy Pop’s Stooges, and who has spread his talents far and wide as a session man all over the musical landscape now has an accessory for women AND men alike…although some alpha males might not have the nerve to see it that way.

The tote bag, which is an exclusive offering from the official Record Store Day website, is done up in simple stark white, but the kicker is the image on it, which is a facsimile of the ad Watt had posted back in the summer of 2008, when the bass pictured on it was stolen and Watt sent out this image in hopes for its return. That bass had laid down the bottom end to a sundry amount of gigs, The Stooges’ album The Weirdness, Floored by Four’s debut record, and Watt’s first solo album, the eclectic and wonderfully quirky named Ball Hog or Tug Boat.

Continue below to see the full-size ad shown above.

Ragin’ Full On, the 1986 debut album by the alternative/punk/post punk trio Firehose, is on sale in MP3 format for only $5.00 on Amazon right now!

The band, which was born from the legendary punk ensemble The Minutemen due to the death of their guitarist/singer D. Boon, also carved their own niche in that genre of music. Quirky, intense, unique, the sounds of Firehose range from sublime to rapid fire intense. Lead singer/guitarist Ed From Ohio is able to maintain the heat put forth by the ex-Minutemen rhythm section comprised of drummer George Hurley and bass player extraordinaire Mike Watt, (a true bonafide legend of the post punk generation to many who followed him) and songs like “Brave Captain,” “Chemical Wire,” “The Candle and the Flame” and “Under the Influence of Meat Puppets” chug along at a breakneck pace. The band reunited recently and have sallied forth to keep their sounds alive to the loyal generation that remained with them back when and to a new generation as well. Ragin’ Full On remains highly recommended.

Browse the main sale page to see the other 99 albums on sale for only $5 each in MP3 format through the end of June 2012.