This week’s Stronger Than Dirt (Saturday, September 10, 8-10pm) will showcase many of my favorite tunes from 1982. Some featured artists will include the Bangles, Big Boys, Bongos, Flipper, Fun Boy Three, Go-Go’s, Nina Hagen, Pylon, Replacements, Three O’Clock, and many more.
COVER ART OF THE WEEK: Flipper were an 80s noise punk band from San Francisco that influenced later bands such as the Melvins and Nirvana. They were known for a slowed down distorted sound unlike anything in the punk scene at the time. Their first full length release was “Album – Generic Flipper,” recorded in 1980 and 1981 and released on Subterranean records in 1982. The cover (the same on front and back) spoofed the generic brands craze of the 70s and 80s and was designed by Saneway Stores, Inc. Inserts included a lyric sheet designed by David Perry and a Subterranean catalog. It has been reissued numerous times through the years and as recently as 2015 in cassette form on Burger Records. Click on image to enlarge.
LAST WEEK’S DUSTY DIAMOND (a forgotten gem from the STD vaults): The Mortals were a Cincinnati garage rock band associated early on with the Estrus Records sound. They were active from 1991-1996 and released two full length albums and several singles. “Disintegration” is a driving mid-tempo burner with a solid bassline and searing guitar work from James “Bill” Grapes. It appeared in 1991 as their first release on a 7” EP on Estrus Records as well as on their 1992 “Ritual Dimension of Sound” album, also on Estrus. Listen to it here:
Promo art from Fun Boy Three’s 1982 self-titled album on Chrysalis. Original artwork by Terry Day, Frank Elton, and John Teflon Sims.