Peek-A-Boo and Three Day Stubble

Amid all the coverage of Madonna's multiple fractures, it's easy to forget we're celebrating two semi-notorious music anniversaries right here in Texas this week.

Ten years ago, Travis Higdon's Peek-A-Boo Records released its first vinyl EP - Unsafe At 45 RPM by Higdon's own 1-4-5's. Since then, Peek-A-Boo has released memorable albums by Silver Scooter, the Octopus Project, the Kiss Offs, the Prima Donnas and several other indie-leaning acts with Austin ties. Running a shoestring label out of an apartment through 10 years and 48 releases is no easy feat, as you can see from this 2002 Todd Wolfson photo of Higdon (at right) on the job.

To celebrate Peek-A-Boo's anniversary, Higdon is having a 50% off sale on back catalog items. I highly recommend Silver Scooter's The Other Palm Springs (1997) and the Kiss Offs' Goodbye Private Life (1999), two late Nineties Austin gems now on sale for $6 each.

Meanwhile, in San Francisco, Houston-born nerd rock pioneers Three Day Stubble (pictured here in an early line-up) celebrate their 25th anniversary tonight at Bottom of the Hill. Their rare debut, 1982's Nerd Rock, only came out on 8-track tape. My favorite Stubble album is 1991's Wafer of Darkness, which I recall went to #1 on the influential KTSB 91.7 Cable FM playlist.

I was fortunate enough to see Stubble play in S.F. back in June, but vocalist Donald the Nut was away in Japan, so my old pal Mr. Positive from the Peenbeets acted as understudy that night and did a very admirable job. I'm sure Donald will be there for the silver anniversary show, which should be disturbingly and amazingly groovy. For proof, here's some QuickTime footage of Donald's infamous pee fountain (NSFW unless you work in a urologist's office).