KOOP Stronger Than Dirt

28/07/2024

You can listen to last night's show here.

Some featured artists on this week’s Stronger Than Dirt include Iron Virgin, Jags, Holly and the Italians, Henry Badowski, Died Pretty, Yo, Swingin’ Neckbreakers, Kelly Alvarez, Limiñanas as well as lots of new music.

28/07/2024

Here's the playlist from last night's show.

27/07/2024

Hell yeah!

27/07/2024

Some featured artists on tonight's show include Iron Virgin, Jags, Holly and the Italians, Henry Badowski, Died Pretty, Yo, Swingin’ Neckbreakers, Kelly Alvarez, Limiñanas, lots of new music as well as the weekly Dusty Diamond. That's tonight at 8 right after The Clear Spot on KOOP Radio 91.7 and streaming at koop.org. (Pictured from top left clockwise: Swingin’ Neckbreakers, Limiñanas, Henry Badowski, Died Pretty, Jags, Holly and the Italians)

26/07/2024

You can listen to my Be Kind rewind show here.

Host Scott Gardner played some favorite tunes from the 80s including songs by XTC, Poison 13, Fleshtones, Malcolm McClaren and more.

26/07/2024

I'm hosting Be Kind Rewind today at 3:30.

Today on BKR host Scott Gardner gets your TGIF started with fun tunes from the 80s including songs by XTC, Poison 13, Cassie, Ludus (pictured from top left clockwise) and many more. That's today at 3:30 on KOOP Radio 91.7 and streaming at koop.org.

26/07/2024

OK it's time for another name the band contest. We laid a goose egg last week, so I'm hoping we can get a winner this week, though this one may also be a little on the obscure side. So, the first person to correctly identify the band that provided this week's pilfered promo art will receive a childless, cat-loving but in no way miserable shout-out on tomorrow night's show. Good luck! (Edit: And we have a winner! Ben Soper correctly IDed Iron Virgin, a short-livd 70s glam rock band from Scotland. The uncredited band photo appeared on various releases.)

24/07/2024

Cover art of the week: The Dummies were a garage punk band from central Pennsylvania and were active in the early to mid 90s, releasing one album and several singles. Their 1994 “Rock Attack USA” single on Empty Records featured front cover artwork by graphic artist Cliff Mott. Mott’s work often channeled that of 60s hot rod illustrator and Rat Fink creator Ed “Big Daddy” Roth and was featured on many album covers and pic sleeves in the 90s.

22/07/2024

This week's Dusty Diamond (a vintage gem from the STD vaults): M.O.T.O. (Masters of the Obvious) are a long-time indie garage band that have gone through several line-up changes with Paul Caporino being the one consistent member. Originally from New Orleans they have moved around and have been based at various times in Chicago, Providence RI, and most recently New Hampshire. “The Chicks Can Tell” is a slice of catchy, garage-y power pop with nice guitar and humorously ironic lyrics. It appeared in 2003 on the “Kill M.O.T.O.” album on Criminal I.Q. Records. Listen to it here:

Track from the Kill Moto LP

21/07/2024

You can listen to last night's show here.

Some featured artists on this week’s Stronger Than Dirt include the Kinks, Equals, S*x Pistols, Chris Spedding, Magazine, Boys, Nikki and the Corvettes, Modern English, Lush, M.O.T.O., and Hollows, as well as lots of new music.

20/07/2024

Some featured artists on tonight's show include the Kinks, Equals, S*x Pistols, Chris Spedding, Magazine, Boys, Nikki and the Corvettes, Modern English, Lush, Hollows, lots of new music as well as the weekly Dusty Diamond. That's tonight at 8 right after The Clear Spot on KOOP Radio 91.7 and streaming at kop.org. (Pictured from top left clockwise: Magazine, Lush, Kinks, Equals, S*x Pistols, Hollows)

19/07/2024

Gone too soon. One of my favorites.

19/07/2024

OK here we go with another name the band contest, and this is an obscure one, but who knows, there may be someone out there like me that was going down Myspace rabbit holes to discover new bands like this one. So without further ado, the first person to correctly identify the band that provided this week's pilfered promo art of the week will receive a tastefully understated shout-out on tomorrow night's show. Good luck, and no cheating! (Edit: Unfortunately we didn't have a winner this week. Promo art is from a 2007 self-released s/t CD album by the Human Toys. Photo by Gilles Berquet.)

17/07/2024

This is what self-censorship looks like. These are pic sleeves I would like to showcase, but since my cover art feature is also included as part of a STD blog on the KOOP website, where a broader audience (numbering in the 10s!) requires more editorial discretion, I haven't. Until now. I figure my STD FB followers (a bunch of old punk f--ks, no doubt) have a higher threshold for potentially tasteless and offensive cover art. Still, I have blocked out anything that might put me in FB jail. I've been there once, and it was because of the completely innocuous album cover in the bottom right (it was a Dusty Diamond). So here you go.

17/07/2024

Cover art of the week: Is this too obvious? “God Save the Queen,” the S*x Pistol’s second single, remains one of the most iconic releases in rock music. Released on Virgin Records in May of 1977 during Queen Elizabeth’s Silver Jubilee, it was immediately censored and banned from public airwaves due to its controversial lyrics. Despite that it rose to number 2 on the UK charts. The equally controversial cover with a defaced image of the Queen was designed by Jamie Reid, who also designed their logo.

15/07/2024

This week's Dusty Diamond (a vintage gem from the STD vaults): The Night Kings, a garage band from Seattle, were part of the first wave of garage revival bands on the West Coast in the early 90s. Led by the talented and underrated guitarist and vocalist Rob Vasquez, they released one full length album and five singles between 1991 and 1993. “Death” is a loping rocker with a simple but catchy melody backing Vasquez’s distorted guitar and expressive vocals. It appeared in 1992 on the “Increasing Our High” album on Super-Electro Records. Listen to it here:

Seattle garage rock

14/07/2024

You can listen to last night's show here.

Some featured artists on this week’s Stronger Than Dirt include Pink Floyd, Sweet, Devo, Wire, Kathy and the Lawnmowers, Naked Spot Dance, The Left, Stereolab, Mooney Suzuki, Stereo Total, as well as lots of new music.

13/07/2024

Some featured artists on tonight's show include Pink Floyd, Sweet, Devo, Wire, Kathy and the Lawnmowers, Naked Spot Dance, The Left, Stereolab, Mooney Suzuki, Stereo Total, lots of new music as well as the weekly Dusty Diamond. Tonight at 8 right after The Clear Spot on KOOP Radio 91.7 and streaming at koop.org. (Pictured from top left clockwise: Devo, Stereo Total, Pink Floyd, Wire, Stereolab, Sweet )

12/07/2024

What better way to get your weekend started than with a STD name the band contest! So here we go: the first person to correctly ID the band that provided this week's pilfered promo art will receive a sun kissed vine-ripened shout-out on tomorrow night's show. Previous winners are encouraged to count five-Mississippi to give others a chance. Good luck! (Edit: Congrats to Kevin Owens for correctly IDing The Mooney Suzuki. Promo art from their 1998 s/t (“Black”) EP. Photo and design uncredited.)

10/07/2024

Cover art of the week: “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn,” Pink Floyd’s debut album, is a masterpiece of 60s psychedelic music, and their only album that included the full participation of their founder, Syd Barrett. It was released in August 1967 on EMI Columbia to critical acclaim and reached number 6 in the UK album charts. In October it was released in the US on Tower Records with an altered track list. The photo on the front cover was taken by Vic Singh with a special lens (given to him by George Harrison) to create the impression of an L*D trip. The back cover was designed by Barrett.

08/07/2024

This week's Dusty Diamond (a vintage gem from the STD vaults): The Original Sins were a garage rock band from Bethlehem, PA. Formed in 1987 they went on to release nine albums and several singles before calling it quits in 1998. Fronted by guitarist and vocalist John Terlesky, they had a diverse sound that included psychedelic, punk, and pop. “Not Gonna Be All Right” is a swinging garage rocker with a catchy melody, growling vocals and a searing guitar break. It appeared in 1987 on “Big Soul,” their first album, on Bar/None Records. Listen to it here:

Provided to YouTube by BWSCD IncNot Gonna Be Alright · The Original SinsBig Soul℗ 1994 Bar/None RecordsReleased on: 2008-06-03Main Artist: The Original Sins...

07/07/2024

You can listen to last night's show here.

Some featured artists on this week’s Stronger Than Dirt include Brian Eno, Lyres, Fast Cars, Edith Nylon, Young Marble Giants, Replacements, Original Sins, Felix Da Housecat, Vermillion Sands as well as lots of new music.

07/07/2024

Here's the play list from last night's show.

06/07/2024

Some featured artists on tonight's show include Brian Eno, Lyres, Fast Cars, Edith Nylon, Young Marble Giants, Replacements, Felix Da Housecat, Vermillion Sands, lots of new music as well as the weekly Dusty Diamond. That's tonight at 8 right after The Clear Spot on KOOP Radio 91.7 and streaming at koop.org. (Pictured from top left clockwise: Young Marble Giants, Vermillion Sands, Brian Eno, Edith Nylon, Replacements, Lyres)

05/07/2024

Happy Fifth everyone! Now let's do a name the band contest. The first person to correctly identify the band that provided this week's pilfered promo art will receive an extra crispy shout-out lightly dusted with sea salt on tomorrow night's show. Previous winners are encouraged to give others a chance for their own moment of STD glory. Thanks and good luck! (Edit: Congrats to John Paul Monge for correctly IDing Young Marble Giants. Promo art from their 1980 “Colossal Youth” album on Rough Trade. Photo by Patrick Graham.)

03/07/2024

Cover art of the week: Attic Ted are a long-time indie band from San Marcos, TX who are fronted by the talented, creative, and prolific Grady Roper. They have a quirky, hard to define sound that often contains elements as diverse as carnival, country, and klezmer. Oh, and they also wear beautifully grotesque hand-crafted masks on stage. “Kafka Dreaming,’ their sixth full-length album, appeared in 2019 on Roper’s Pecan Crazy label. It featured cover art by Cindy Popp and a band photo on the back by Commercialies.

01/07/2024

This week's Dusty Diamond (a vintage gem from the STD vaults): Gaunt were a garage punk band that was part of a vibrant music scene during the 90s in Columbus, OH. Formed in 1991 they released several albums and singles and even made the jump from indie labels to Warner Brothers in 1997 before disbanding the next year. Tragically, band member and guitarist/singer/songwriter Jerry Wick was killed by a car in 2001 while bicycling home. “Silly Watches” is a catchy, propulsive punker with buzzsaw guitars. It appeared in 1992 on the “Wh**ey the Man” 10” mini album on Thrill Jockey. Listen to it here:

Gaunt - Silly Watches from Wh**ey the man (10"), 1992, Thrill Jockey

30/06/2024

You can listen to last night's show here.

Some featured artists on this week’s Stronger Than Dirt include John’s Children, New York Dolls, Teenage Head, Nervebreakers, F-Systems, Sheena and the Rokkets, Jesus and Mary Chain, Clean, Gaunt, Causey Way, Peach Kelli Pop, as well as lots of new music.