Some FEATURED ARTISTS on this week’s Stronger Than Dirt (Saturday, January 8, 8-10pm) include Traffic, Pointed Sticks, Normals, Explosives, Ideal, Dream Syndicate, Martha and the Muffins, Milkshakes, Moles, Mooney Suzuki, lots of new music, as well as the weekly Dusty Diamond.
PICTURE SLEEVE OF THE WEEK: Ideal were one of the most popular and successful bands of the German New Wave (Neue Deutsche Welle) scene of the early 80s. They were active from 1980 until 1983, and released three studio albums and several singles in that time. Their self-titled debut album was released in 1980 on the Innovative Communication label, and reached number 3 on the German album charts. Its front cover featured the artwork of Bettina Sefkow. She also did the cover art for Ideal’s second album, “Der Ernst des Lebens.”
LAST WEEK’S DUSTY DIAMOND (a forgotten gem from the STD vaults): The Space Cadets are a UK rockabilly band that had sporadic releases between 1995 and 2017. “We Are the Space Cadets” is a catchy, stomping “astrobilly” number in which each band member introduces himself with humorous braggadocio. It appeared in 1996 on the “Awakadeeawakadoo” single on Vinyl Japan Records. Listen to it here:
Promo art from a 1983 Milkshakes single on Upright Records. Photo uncredited.