Micro Edge - '83 Demo LP 

Label: Ugly Pop Records; Year: 2019; Format: Vinyl LP (45 RPM)

1983 was a good year for hardcore punk, there is no doubt about that. Many classic records were released said year and are raved about to this day. Here in the United States established scenes in places like Washington DC, Southern California or the Midwest had independent labels being there at the right time to document the bands and the recorded material. Unfortunately not the same can be said about Toronto, Canada which is the biggest city in Canada and boasted a small but very active hardcore punk scene in the early '80s. I say unfortunately because it is a shame the T.O. scene didn't have somebody to fill the gap with a record label at that point but at least quite a few tapes and some records ended up being released, mainly thanks to Brian of Youth Youth Youth fame who was a big supporter of Micro Edge as well. Forward to the last few years and Toronto has seen a true resurgence in activity, especially when it comes to documenting the early '80s hardcore punk scene. Micro Edge from presumably the suburb of Scarborough as the band members met at a school there, are by no means a known entity even to minor freaks like myself hence I am grateful for Ugly Pop Records having released this record as it sure as hell kicks ass. For a demo tape put on vinyl it certainly sounds great and fresh and let me tell you that in my opinion had this record been released back in the day some people would be raving about it to this day as with many other so called hardcore classics. What you get is sixteen angry, pissed off hardcore punk tracks that will remind you of early Dischord bands or certain West Coast acts such as D.O.A or Circle Jerks. I love the loud and aggressive bass sound and the equally abrasive drumming. The guitar player certainly knew how to write songs and the singer fit the bill. Not much else really needs to be said and if '83 style hardcore punk without even a hint of metal is your thing than you will love this record as much as me. Ugly Pop did a wonderful job with this release which also comes with a copy of the band produced skater fanzine Bong Out. Killer Release! 

V/A - Vancouver Evolution EP

Label: Unknown; Year: Unknown; Format: Vinyl 7"

What we have got here is a must-have for everybody that loves early Canuck punk, or KBD punk simply because these four tracks on here are a fabulous time document of the very early Vancouver scene, including the Furies, the Skulls, the Stiffs and Victorian Pork. True fans of Canadian punk will know that the Skulls became D.O.A, and the Stiffs evolved into the Subhumans. All four tracks originally appeared on the Double-CD compilation Last Call - Vancouver Independent Music 1977 - 1988, hence my assumption is that some bootlegger just took them straight from those CDs and slapped them onto an EP, which includes a copied insert with information on the very beginnings of the Vancouver punk scene. Sure enough, an official release would have been nicer, but it is what it is, and since it's still readily available I don't see why you folks out there shouldn't own a copy of this!

Sam Sutherland: Perfect Youth - The Birth of Canadian Punk

Publisher: ECW Press; Year: 2012; Format: Book

There was a time not even all that long ago, where I was asking myself why nobody has ever written a book on punk rock from Canada. It was a time when the first serious books about punk rock started to be published, and maybe it was just too early for this great land. But patience pays off, and in 2014 there is more than one book to be had about punk rock from those crazy Canucks. This particular one here though is special, in the sense that it covers the history of punk rock from coast to coast of this vast country. Sam Sutherland has done a fine job at doing so, and I understand that it must have been one hell of an undertaking to not only track down all the bands and its former members, but to actually organize the book so that it becomes clear to people not that knowledgable with Canadian geography where in the heck these guys came from. There are nineteen chapters in this book, and each one of them concentrates on a specific scene/city/band(s). While many of us seasoned punk rock enthusiasts are familiar with the historic backgrounds of bands such as the Viletones, Subhumans, the Diodes or D.O.A, I personally enjoyed most the chapters about the scenes I had very little knowledge about, such as Edmonton, Winnipeg, Saskatchewan or Ottawa, to name a few. Winters in those places are harsh, brutal, and long, yet even in those remote areas scenes developed and flourished. It is those chapters that make this book a really great read, and I would have bought a book about those remote scenes themselves, but that's just nerdy me. Of course you'll also get to read about the scenes in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal and anywhere else in Canada. Great stuff, and I hope there is more to come in form of books and records that delve into the rich history of Canadian punk rock.