Review - Arson "Coho? Coho! / (Livin' with the) White folks" 45

Here is the review of Arson re-issue on Ugly Pop in the May issue of MRR (#347).

Arson “White Folks” ep

This is the ep originally released by the band back in 1979 on their own Glamatron label. The Ugly Pop re-issue sees the songs flipped so the title track is the B-Side and “Coho Coho” starts out the record. It is a smart idea given the energy to “Coho Coho” is a faster song and as a result stands out because of the energy. But this is the first time I have noticed this crazy effect layered over the entire song. It is like a live wire which is fitting for a band named ARSON. I love the effect.

The song has a particular importance to the band who wrote it after observing an anti-disco rally in Chicago. The crowd was chanting something that sounded like “Coho” and so the band wrote a song about it replicating the chanting part at the beginning of the song.



 

The title track is a 33 player. It is a longer song and played slower. It reminds me of the DEMICS “New York City” in terms of pace. Rude’s vocals exude an IGGY POP snarl who I have come to learn was an inspiration. “White Folks” is a building critique of the suburbs and Frank Manley breathed new life into the single back in the 90’s through the “Smash the State” series. But there is something about having this as a single which has me appreciating it so much more. (Ugly Pop Vinyl - http://uglypop.bigcartel.com/)

Crash Kills Five “What do you do at night?” ep

This is a re-issue plus kind of release by the guys who would go onto write the surf instrumentals for Kids in the Hall. The plus is in the liner notes that come with the single. In the same way that Don provides the background stories in Trouble in the Camera Club he recounts how CRASH KILLS FIVE came together, their association with the DEMICS, their various recordings and how they broke up. CRASH KILLS FIVE start with a letter that Freddie Pompeii gives to Don Pyle from some kids in Calgary. Don goes to Calgary and meet these guys who have a band called BUICK McKANE.

 

These guys would relocate to Toronto to start CRASH KILLS NINE. A line up change, a name change, a bunch of serendipity and the band records a single in an actual garage that was converted into a studio. Don’s vocals sound like Joey Ramone. The music is more mid-paced like the DIODES except the drum structures borrow more from the CLASH, which is apparent in the song “It’s always there”. “Special school” is one of my favourites with the building BUZZCOCKS riffing.




This is one of the rare snapshots of a band perfectly in the scene in its origin and makes particular sense if you have ever heard Don talk about his love for record collecting. And speaking of snapshots, the cover is of the TD Towers at night. It is a stark shot of the financial district which was a common view in the era before the condos took over the city’s waterfront.



Working with the title, the cover does an iconic reinterpretation of the financial district similar to what the POLES did with “CN Tower”. It’s clever. (Ugly Pop Vinyl - http://uglypop.bigcartel.com/)

The Dream Dates "Surfer Joe" 45

Here’s the third single by this little known Hamilton band that existed in 1979. Just when you thought the well ran dry, Ugly Pop offers up two new covers of unreleased material by the DREAM DATES.

The A-side is a cover of the band that brought you “Wipe Out”. “Surfer Joe” was a single by the SURFARIS in which “Wipe Out” was the B-Side. How crazy is that? The B-Side is a cover of the 50’s rocker Freddy Cannon who was inspired by Chuck Berry. “Tallahassee Lassie” was his first single and it suits Deemer’s guitar sound which channels Chuck Berry and Gord Lewis simultaneously.



 

The inner sleeve has a new photo of the DREAM DATES that I have never seen yet and exhibits the rockabilly meets glam punk that was influencing the scene at the time. This is a great addition to the DREAM DATES canon. (Ugly Pop Vinyl - http://uglypop.bigcartel.com/)

Fratricide 12"

FRATRICDE were an incredible crossover band from Vancouver. They happened right at the time that bands like DRI and COC got noticed for doing something unique.


FRATRICIDE were right there and judging by the flyers in the liner sheet (see below) they played with all of them. Suicidal Tendencies, Beyond Possession, the Dehumanizers, the Accused, DRI, COC, and MDC. It didn’t hurt that Jonzo’s vocals were exactly like Blain Cook of the ACCUSED.

FRATRICIDE were a force to be reckoned with. They had done a split with another local crossover band MISSION OF CHRIST which caught Pushead’s ear. He offered the band a split LP which was common for a Pusmort releases back then. FRATRICIDE were to do a split with a Dutch band called NEUROOT who were known for their speed and their politics. There is no doubt in my mind that had this record come out FRATRICIDE would have been propelled into bigger circles. But the folks in the band would go on to do big things regardless. The guitarist started STRAIN and did a well known hardcore radio show called “Flex Your Head” for decades. Jonzo has been singing for HONG KONG BLONDE and have a great ep on Ugly Pop that you can check out if you don’t believe me.

Thirty test pressings exist of the NEUROOT split and have fetched as much as $1,000 for a copy so that should say something about how good this release was. Instead this became another Canadian hardcore story about missed opportunity reminding me of the YOUNG LIONS or CHRONIC SUBMISSION. Nonetheless it is good to finally hear this material. I can say it is better than the MISSION OF CHIRST split or the Heart First ep. And Darrin Crosgrove’s artwork makes this totally look like a Pusmort release so it suits it.

The songs found on here are:

1. Blind Faith
2. Rip Wide the Sky
3. Blood Red Dream
4. Going Under
5. Grave
6. Final Solution
7. Beaten Senseless

(Schizophrenic Records -17 West 4th Street / Hamilton, ON / L9C 3M2 / Canada / http://www.schizophrenicrex.com/ // Ugly Pop Vinyl - http://uglypop.bigcartel.com/)

Flyer - Monday November 11, 2002

The Statics "Original 1980 Punk Rock Recordings" ep

Glenn Salter found out about this band through a compilation that he came across at a flea market for Mississauga compilation called "Mississauga Live". Glenn tracked down the band and did an interview with various band members to find out the band's story which is an insert that coems with this single. Glenn approached Simon Harvey of Ugly Pop about  working together on this single and it comes out in April 2001 pressing 800 copies. It's a great little find especially given that the Statics were the only punk band on the comp.

The songs for this ep come from that comp. The recording was a live off the floor from the Newport Hotel, which was a place that bands from Mississauga played at.

I have heard from people that the song "Rebel Like Me" is the stand out on the single. It is the most punk sounding number of the three.

"Mr. Bill" is about the SNL plastiscene character that would get crushed in the end. the guitar sound is probably inspired by the band's love for Teenage Head although others have compared it to Chuck Berry.

The B-Side track "The Story" is an autobiographical story about the band. We do learn from the insert that the band had 10 originals, but I am not sure how many more were recorded.

Regardless, this was a great little archeoligical unearthing.

DFA "Destined for Assimilation" 12"

This was an a amazing band from Regina, Saskatchewn. Not many band scome from Saskatchewan. So when they played heavy crossover similar to BEYOND POSSESSION or the ACCUSED I was pretty floored. Not only did they play a genre of hardcore but they played it well. It is was a sound that was in a rennaissance with bands like HOLIER THAN THOU, paying tribute to metal and hardcore from back in the mid-80s. Crossover skate thrash from the 80's that borrowed from speedmetal. Lots of chugging crunchy riffing played as fast as one can. Vocals are flat and throaty, shouted with fervour. The themes have a hardcore scene awareness. Lots of twisty parts played with girth. But in listening to this against the early crossover, DFA stands up because it doesn't get caught up in the technical nature of metal - the music stays quick paced and flows despite the twists. They did a Left for Dead copver live so they are obviously an influence. Ugly Pop released this first record and the songs on here are:

1. Destined for Assimilation

2. With a Straight Face

3. Hypocrite

4. Nerve

5. Our Lord and Saviour

6. Your Form of Unity

7. Under the influence

8. I Know Everything

MRR Interview - Ugly Pop Vinyl

Simon Harvey has done a label for quite some time. His last label was called Ugly Pop Records. What a great name for the label. Simon started out by putting out a series of singles from Toronto and then did some re-issues and a few archival first time releases. It was an interesting label doing some important releases. I talked to simon about doing an interview and MRR published this as a profile in the February 2001 issue of MRR. This is issue #213 which is sold out of back issues but you can click on the cover above and get a PDF of the Ugly Pop piece.