Pebble - Treats

Vancouver hardcore from the 90s. From their self-titled, or untitled 7" record.

Anthony Monday - We Can Even

Comox Valley Hardcore (CVHC) circa 1996. From the cassette tape, Haphazard Shambles.

Ex-Dead Teenager - Pile of Sh!t

East Vancouver hardcore from 1997. From the cassette tape, It's Ok To Laugh At People Wearing Gas Masks.

Render Useless - Becoming Anti-Human

Render Useless was Victoria's most important and passionate hardcore band when it came to the Do It Yourself and Do It Together ethics. They tirelessly encouraged others to form bands and get active in the scene and repeatedly toured Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast, playing small towns and inspiring many. They put out one 7" on Slow To Burn Records, the most consistent Victoria hardcore and punk label, as well as several other 7" records and a discography CD on Clue #2 Records. I'll be writing more about Render Useless and Slow To Burn in the future.

Boston Kids Explain Hardcore and Straight Edge on TV (1982)

Excerpts from Boston's "Weekday" People Are Talking "Punk Rock 1982 episode" In order of appearance; Christine Steele, Rick Andrews (The Freeze), Jonathan Anastas (DYS), Julie Angermann (Impact Unit) , Dave Smalley (DYS), The late great Al Ford (Owner Gallery East), Drew Stone (The Mighty C.O's), Katie "The Kleening Lady" Goldman, Walter Gustafson (The Outlets), Bob "Furapples" Hatfield (F.U.'s) . Also in the audience; Duane Lucia, Springa, Michael McDonald, Mike Dean, Steve Grimes, Etc.

The Stiffs - Fuck You (1978)

This is the original version of the Vancouver punk anthem later re-recorded by the Subhumans (who featured ex-Stiffs Gerry Hannah and Mike Graham) and has been covered by DOA, Screeching Weasel, Overkill and many others

Recorded in May 1978 but was never released until 1991 when the song appeared on the double-CD compilation "Last Call: Vancouver Independent Music 1977-1988"

Vacant State interview from Discorder Magazine

Vacant State

"The ‘y’ in d.i.y. is do it yourself, you know? If there’s no venues that just means nobody is looking."

by Sarah Berman
















Vacant State | photo by Sarah Charrouf

It’s an unlikely home for a hardcore band. La Casa del Artista first opened in 2006 for the purpose of showcasing live mariachi music. A towering mustard-coloured building on the corner of Main and 3rd Ave, it’s on the back steps that I first meet three members of Vacant State: Terry Wilk (vocals), Adam Mitchell (guitar) and Chris “Gustav” Gustafson (bass). Relocating to their ground-floor jam space, we sat down (on the floor) to discuss Vancouver’s punk scene, all-ages venues and their debut long player Fill the Void [...]

Read the rest of the interview here

Sparkmarker show review

Sparkmarker / Carpenter / Narrows

Rickshaw Theatre, Vancouver, BC, September 28

Reviews - Concert - Sep 29, 2012

Photo: Adam Cramb

By Jason Schreurs 

What Sparkmarker meant to the early-to-mid-'90s hardcore scene in Vancouver can't be properly put into words. They were the band that scene members at the time all looked up to, often emulated and were constantly inspired by. Seeing Sparkmarker back on stage was akin to a punk rock high-school reunion (singer Ryan Scott joked as such) — except this reunion at the Rickshaw Theatre featured gang sing-alongs, a cast of punk-scene success stories and an abundance of touching moments. Lumps were in throats most of the night [...]

Read the rest of the article at exclaim.ca

Brand New Unit - Do It For You (1997)

GVRD HC