Some FEATURED ARTISTS on this week’s Stronger Than Dirt (Saturday, 8-10pm) CANADA DAY special include the Guess Who, David Clayton Thomas (Blood, Sweat & Tears) and the Bossmen, Pointed Sticks, Martha and the Muffins, Teenage Head, ‘B’ Girls, Cub, Les Sexareenos, New Pornographers, and the Flashing Lights, as well as the weekly Dusty Diamond.
PICTURE SLEEVE OF THE WEEK: The Evaporators, a garage rock band from Vancouver B.C., are maybe best known due to their eccentric, irrepressible keyboardist and vocalist (and guerrilla interviewer), Nardwuar (the Human Serviette). The “Honk the Horn” EP has the perfect picture sleeve for the upcoming Stronger Than Dirt pre Canada Day celebration show. It appeared in 2001 as a split release on Mint and Nardwuar Records, and featured photographs by William R. Jans. The design is uncredited.
LAST WEEK’S DUSTY DIAMOND (a forgotten gem from the STD vaults): The Chumps were an Austin based garage punk band influenced by 70s punk, both musically and lyrically. They were active mostly in the mid to late 90s, though they played occasionally in more recent years, and released an album as late as 2015. “Russian Roulette” is a short punky number that embraces a less-is-more strategy, as in simple chords and minimal but effective lyrics (“Pow pow pow pow pow pow… Russian roulette… repeat). Not the cheeriest topic, but, you know, this is a really fun tune. It appeared in 1995 on the “Russian Roulette” EP on the local Austin label, No Lie Records. The cover art was done by Bones (Lower Class Brats), and silk-screened by No Lie owner and local artist, Lindsey Kuhn. Listen to it and the second song on Side A, “Self-Destruct” here:
Promo art by the STD design team.