On this this week’s Stronger Than Dirt (Saturday, March 7, 8-10pm) Scott will be celebrating International Women’s Day with an episode showcasing all female artists and female voiced bands. Some featured artists include Hazel O’Connor, Cristina, Bangles, Pussywillows, Saint Etienne, Lida Husik, Melenas, Public Practice, some new music as well as the weekly Dusty Diamond. This will be the second of two spring membership drive Stronger Than Dirt shows, so please consider showing your support for KOOP 91.7, Austin’s community radio, by making a donation. And thanks!
COVER ART OF THE WEEK: Hazel O’Connor is a British singer/songwriter and actress with a long career stretching from the late 70s to the late teens. She rose to fame in 1980 with a starring role in the film “Breaking Glass” for which she also wrote and performed some songs for the accompanying soundtrack. In the same year Albion Records released her first album, “Sons and Lovers,” which included the song “D-Days” (Decadent Days). It was subsequently released the next year as a single, also on Albion. It reached number 10 in the UK charts. Both the album and single featured cover art by Edward Bell.
DUSTY DIAMOND OF THE WEEK (a vintage gem from the STD vaults): The Causey Way, everybody’s favorite indie garage rock Branch Davidian like dripping with irony cult band, makes their return as a Dusty Diamond. They included among others Brian Teasley of Man or Astro-Man? and actress Summer Phoenix and were active from 1998 until 2001. After disbanding some of the members went on to form the soon-to-be Dusty Diamond band Pilot Scott Tracy. “Compound Lessons” is a mid-tempo musical “sermon” with a lilting melody, loping bass line and pleasing synth flourishes. It ends with a children’s choir expressing love for “him,” or is it “Him?” Classic Causey Way. It appeared in 2000 on the “Testimony” EP on the Fueled by Ramen label. Listen to it here:
Promo art from the Muffs’ 2000 “Hamburger” album on Sympathy for the Record Industry. Portrait of Kim Shattuck by Holly Suzanne Bader using a photograph by Jay Dennick.