Some FEATURED ARTISTS on this week’s Stronger Than Dirt (Saturday, May 23, 8-10pm) include Jesse Hector (RIP), Paper Lace, The Quick, Cassie, Units, Long Ryders, Bongwater, Dead Moon, Freak Genes (RIP Andrew Anderson), lots of new music as well as the weekly Dusty Diamond.
COVER ART OF THE WEEK: The Quick were a mid 70s pre punk glammy power pop band from Los Angeles. They included Steve Hufsteter who would later play with punk bands the Dickies and Plugz. Influenced by 60s pop as well as Sparks, another LA band, they released but one album and a few poorly distributed singles. One of those, the Hufsteter penned “Pretty Please Me” was later covered by the Dickies and Redd Kross. The album, “Mondo Deco,” was produced by Kim Fowley and engineered by Earle Mankey, Sparks’ original guitarist. It was released in 1976 on Mercury records and then reissued (this copy) in 2009 on Radio Heartbeat. It featured a design by Desmond Strobel and photography by David Alexander.
DUSTY DIAMOND OF THE WEEK (a vintage gem from the STD vaults): The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion were a NYC rock and roll trio with diverse influences including R&B, blues, punk, garage, noise rock and more. Fronted by rhythm guitarist and vocalist Jon Spencer (Pussy Galore, Boss Hog, Gibson Bros.), they formed in 1991 and were active until 2016. “Afro” is a blues-y, funky slab of garage punk with a sweet bass line and scorching guitar break behind Spencer’s soulful growl. It appeared in 1993 on the “Extra Width” album and the next year on a single, both on Matador Records. Listen to it here:
Promo art from the Shades’ 1980 “Ward & June Never Understood…” EP on Ray-Gun Records. Photo by Tom McMahon and graphics by Joe Zavaletta.