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Party Stains – A Weekly Update From Stronger Than Dirt

Posted on: May 14, 2021
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Art 72

Some FEATURED ARTISTS on this week’s  Stronger Than Dirt (Saturday, 8-10pm) include Manfred Mann, Kasnat & Katz Fighter Squadron, Milk ‘N’ Cookies, Specials, Moles, Stereolab, Teen Titans (Austin), Wax Idols, new music by Set-Top Box (Australia), CDG (Portland), Leopardo (Switzerland), and Splitt (Baton Rouge), as well as the weekly Dusty Diamond.

PICTURE SLEEVE OF THE WEEK: The Teen Titans, a previous STD Dusty Diamond band (January of this year), were a 90s garage punk band from Austin. The “More Songs, Less Music” EP was released originally in 1994 on My Papa’s Leg Records, and reissued in 1996 on Peek-A-Boo. The original release on My Papa’s Leg came in multiple picture sleeves designed by band members and friends of the band. The sleeves shown (top l-r) are by Phillip Niemeyer (vocals), Dean Hsieh (guitar and vocals), and (bottom left) Travis Higdon (friend of band and founder of Peek-A-Boo Records). The back cover art (bottom right) was the same on all and was done by Hsieh. The reissue on Peek-A-Boo featured only Niemeyer’s design.

LAST WEEK’S DUSTY DIAMOND (a forgotten gem from the STD vaults): The Rip Offs were part of the prolific Bay Area garage scene of the 90s that included seminal bands like the Mummies and Supercharger. Their feisty lo-fi sound was informed by the energy and attitude of 70s punk bands, and their look, lots of black and stocking masks, was pure 90s garage aesthetic. While they were only around for a couple of years, they released several singles and one superb album. “Wild Jane” is a catchy rough hewn nugget based on actress Jayne Mansfield. It appeared in 1994 on Rip Off Records, the label of bass player Greg Lowery.  Listen to it here:

Promo art from a 1978 Teens single on Hansa Records. Photo uncredited.