ON THAT SUBJECT: Sub Pop’s hottest new...

ON THAT SUBJECT: Sub Pop’s hottest new group is the Dwarves. But don’t expect to see Hollywood (which is owned by image-conscious Disney Inc.) grabbing the distribution rights for the controversial thrash-punk band. “They’re cut from exactly the same cloth as the Sex Pistols,” Pavitt says. “They spend 24 hours a day figuring out, ‘How can we (expletive) with people?’ You could say they’re 1% music and 99% attitude, which is a volatile combination.”

How volatile? The cover of the band’s new album, “Blood Guts and . . .” (the complete title has an expletive we can’t print here) depicts a pair of naked women, covered in blood, cavorting with a male dwarf, also drenched in blood.

“We think it’s a great commentary on the whole war on art that’s going on in this country,” Pavitt says. “It probably is like poking a stick into a lot of people’s eyes, but we’re totally behind it.”

Pavitt says he hasn’t received any complaints yet. “There’s no sex or violence in the picture--it’s all implied,” Pavitt says. “Some people will probably think we’re total scum--and others will think we’re heroes. We’re still waiting to see what happens.”