Canadian Punk Rock, Eh?

Canada's Secret Punk History

[canadianpunkrock]

Dishrags - Love is Shit (1979)

[no-productivity]

The Rebel Spell - No Thanks (2011)

[no-productivity]

The Rebel Spell - No Thanks (2011)

[canadianpunkrock]

Art Bergmann - War Party (1990)

From the Terminal City Ricochet soundtrack

[canadianpunkrock]

The Demics - Talk’s Cheap EP (1979) 1. I Wanna Know 2. You Tell Me 3. Talk’s Cheap 4. New York City 5. Oh Well

[no-productivity]

Interview I did with Joe “Shithead” Keithley of D.O.A. in November of 2014. this was one of the first band interviews I’d ever done and I was pants-shittingly scared during the entire thing.

D.O.A. Have been one of my favourite bands since I was 15 years old, and it’s not every day that you get to meet one of your music idols.

[canadianpunkrock]

I

[canadianpunkrock]

Bureaucrats - Feel the Pain (1979)

[canadianpunkrock]

The Viletones - Last Guy in Town. Live recording of the Viletones at The Last Pogo.  As far as I know, this song was never recorded in the studio, so here’s the only document of it.

[canadianpunkrock]

Correction: it was recorded on the band's 1983 live album Saturday Night, Sunday Morning.

[dyingwillbethedeathofme-blog]

SNFU - Painful Reminder

The young boy had fallen in love With his homeroom teacher He has fallen in love It happens everyday In schools throughout the city Throughout the city She was married, he did learn And inside he did burn Deep inside he did burned He vowed that never again Would he open his heart Open up his heart And to serve as a reminder He painted her a picture This painful reminder And he keeps it in his binder This painful reminder The next day in his art class He drew a picture of her With an axe in her head A picture’s worth a thousand words Even those left unsaid Those best left unsaid Now he walks the halls alone But it is for the better Alone…alone…alone He vowed that never again Would he open his heart Oh no! never again! And to serve as a reminder…

[canadianpunkrock]

S.C.U.M. - So M.U.C.H. Hate (1985)

[incubo-di-morte]

SUBHUMANS - BEHIND THE SMILE

You and me, girl, we’ll fight it out against the world If she believes that, she’ll believe everything she’s told I’ll never leave you, not till the mountains turn to dust If he believes that, he’s got a little too much trust

She’s nothing to him He’s nothing to her And both of them are less than that to me They’ve both been had A lie behind the smile Perjuring to cultivate a dream

Businessmen and workers help each other make their way If you believe that, just look around and count your pay The government will help you, protect the old and feed the poor You might believe that, till the police are at your door You’re nothing to them They’re nothing to you And both of you are less than that to me The skull and the badge Are the lie behind the smile Used against the powerless and weak

I’m a hero, I’m the spokesman for the crowd My only claim to fame is a machine that makes me loud Where am I leading you, why can’t you get there on your own If you believe in me, someday I’ll leave you all alone

I’m nothing to you You’re nothing to me And less than nothing’s what I want to be Confusion and noise I’m sick behind my smile Sick of every face that I see I’m sick of every face that I see I’m sick of every face that I see

[canadianpunkrock]

Stretch Marks - Professional Punks

And here’s a not-fucked up recording of the song, off the band’s first 7" “Who’s In Charge”. The song was recently covered (ironically) by NoFX on their ‘80s hardcore covers record. The NoFX version sucks, so here’s the real thing. 

[ffaannggrrll]

Visit Original Link

Curse- Killer Bees

Toronto punk, 1978.

This was a b-side to their single “Shoeshine Boy”, a song based off the murder of a local 12-year old boy. They even mailed copies to the killers.

“Killer Bees”, in all its comical depictions of mental illness, is still considerably more lighthearted.

[no-productivity]

Just picked up a copy of this book the other day, and really enjoying it so far. It’s really interesting reading about bands I’ve only read references to in the liner notes of reissued albums, heard a track by on an old comp, or have been listening to for years, but because of a lack of documentation, couldn’t find any information about.

Like any punk book, it’s full of ridiculous stories, like Art Bergmann pissing on the Boomtown Rats from the catwalk above the stage they were playing on, or the Germs-esque stage antics of Steve Leckie from the Viletones.

Moreover, I’m finding it incredibly interesting reading about a punk history that took place so close to home. Reading about, say, the 1977 London, England punk scene, or Los Angeles in the 80’s is fun and all, but I don’t feel any kind of real connection with it. With this book, or some of the other Canadian punk history books I’ve read, the author could reference a particular street, bar, or nighbourhood in Toronto, Hamilton or Montreal, and I’ll know exactly where they’re talking about, and chances are, have my own stories from those places.

Where I have absolutely no connection to places like CBGB’s or the Whiskey A-Go-Go, this book really helps to remind me that there is an important punk history from my own back yard, which is still continuing to write itself. 

[station-platform-kiss-blog]

SNFU - Fate (1996)

Dogboy climbed the tower Not sure if he’d jump or fall The driver of the big black hearse  He sat there waiting Waiting for the worst Waiting for the word  Dogtown was elated When the boy climbed down on his own The driver of the big black hearse  He sat there waiting Waiting for the worst Waiting for the word 

Call it luck, I call it fate As the sun shines over the small town The graveyard is no place for the young

The graveyard is no place for anyone

[canadianpunkrock]

Teenage Head - Picture My Face (Live at the Last Pogo, December 1, 1978). Here’s another clip from the Last Pogo. The Horseshoe Tavern was filled past its capacity by the time Teenage Head were scheduled to play. After negotiating with the police where in the process of trying to shut down the show, the cops were given the option to either shut down the event and deal with the riot that would likely ensue (or that they were led to believe would ensue), or allow Teenage Head to play a handful of songs to satisfy the audience. 

[canadianpunkrock]

Hard Core Logo - Who The Hell Do You Think You Are? “You people, you’re the fuckin’ coolest!  You see, I was just lying there, ‘cause I saw you cut your fuckin’ ponytails off, you stupid fuckin’ cunts. That wasn’t very nice.

You’d think there’s a fuckin’ punk revival on. You don’t know shit from good chocolate, babies!” Hard Core Logo from Hard Core Logo.  The best band that never existed.  Directed by Bruce McDonald