NOW PLAYING:

Party Stains – A Weekly Update from Stronger Than Dirt

Posted on: May 23, 2023
Filed under:

Some FEATURED ARTISTS on this week’s Stronger Than Dirt (Saturday, May 27, 8-10pm) include Os Mutantes (RIP Rita Lee), Jet, XTC, Units, Tina Peel,Tubeway Army, Berlin Blondes, Judy’s, Polyrock, lots of new music as well as the weekly Dusty Diamond.

COVER ART OF THE WEEK: Led by Gary Numan, UK band Tubeway Army was one of the first ’77 era bands to embrace synthesizers. Their second album, “Replicas,” was released in 1978 on Beggars Banquet and included the two singles, “Down in the Park” and the huge hit “Are ‘Friends’ Electric?” Both of those used the same cover art as the album, which featured art direction by Malti Kidia and photography by Geoff Howes. Shortly after the release of the latter, Numan chose to drop the “Tubeway Army” name and release music under his own name, albeit with the same backing band. (Click on image to enlarge.)



DUSTY DIAMOND OF THE WEEK (a forgotten gem from the STD vaults): The Insomniacs, a garage band from New Jersey, make their second appearance as a Dusty Diamond. To review, they formed in the early 90s and are still performing live. “Sylvia Gray” is tuneful, jangly garage rock punctuated by some tasty freakbeat inspired and reverb drenched guitar breaks. It first appeared in 1995 on an EP of the same name, and then in 1996 on the “Out of It” LP on Estrus Records. Listen to it here:



Promo art from the Judy’s 1985 “The Moo Album” on Wasted Talent Records. Original artwork is uncredited.