Some FEATURED ARTISTS on this week’s Stronger Than Dirt (Saturday, October 2, 8-10pm) include the Kitchen Cinq (Amarillo!), the Sweet (see promo), Soft Boys, New Hearts, Tuxedomoon, Pointed Sticks, Miracle Workers, Mummies (pic sleeve), Ladytron, Thee Oh Sees, new music by Spit Kink (Buffalo), Famous Mammals (Oakland), Exercise (Austin), Why Bother? (Mason City IA), and Smirk (L.A.), as well as the weekly Dusty Diamond.
PICTURE SLEEVE OF THE WEEK: This is the record that gave the show its name. The Mummies were from San Bruno CA (near San Francisco) and played garage punk while dressed in ragged mummy costumes. While together for only a few years (1988-1992) their lo-fi sound, stage costumes, and general rebellious attitude (“F— CDs”) were a major influence on the 90s garage scene. The “Stronger Than Dirt” single featured (as did many of their releases) photos by Sven-Erik Geddes, owner of the garage label Planet Pimp Records. It appeared in 1992 on the Telstar label.
LAST WEEK’S DUSTY DIAMOND (a forgotten gem from the STD vaults): Dead Moon were a legendary garage rock and roll band from the Portland area that included the husband and wife team of Fred and Toody Cole. They had a stripped down sound with punk and occasional country influences, and their songs often dealt with dark themes. Active from 1987 until 2006, they had several releases, many on their own Tombstone label. “Graveyard” is classic Dead Moon, a scorching raw garage nugget about lost love. It appeared in 1988 on their first album “In the Graveyard” on Tombstone Records. Listen to it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFOowKu7WjA
Promo art from the Sweet’s “Blockbuster” single on RCA Records. Photo by Hipp.