Beachcombers - Dik Van Dykes

Hamilton, Ontario's Dik Van Dykes (who also had a great tune on the compilation LP Music From The Armpit Of Canada) were active during the last half of the '80s and opened for The Ramones for three nights in '88. "Hamilton's Ambassadors of Tackiness to the World" consisted of lead singer/guitarist Mike Johnson, drummer Stu Smith, rhythm guitarist Steve Hoy, bassist Frank Viola and backup singers Renee Wetselaar and Sara Hodgson (aka "The Pop Tarts"). "Beachcombers" is another good-natured burst of punk rawk inspired by the long-running Canadian tv show of the same name.

Balm Of Gilead - Sons Of The Desert

The '60s-influenced garage-pop band Sons Of The Desert (not these Sons Of The Desert) hailed from Montreal. On "Balm Of Gilead" Maureen Bradley, Naomi Emmerson, Alain Goulem, Jim Spencer and Neil Stewart (the liner notes don't specify who played what) stir up an organ-heavy mix of '60s bands like The Zombies with a bit of Blondie.

Music Interlude - Tongue 'n' Groove

Prince George, British Columbia's Tongue 'n' Groove - "a pop-punk garage band (sort of)" - were Sandy Sadowsky (guitar), Neil VanderWerf (guitar), Vito Mori (drums) and Rick Metz (bass)...and that's about all I can tell you. "Music Interlude" is just that; a joke song that sounds like an extremely short hardcore punk tune followed by 20 seconds of amusingly self-indulgent noodling.

The Other Side - Fluid Waffle

Fluid Waffle (boy, did these Og bands have great names, or what?) were "lounge demons" from Ottawa, part of that city's punk "next wave," even though they were never really a punk band. On "The Other Side" singer/organist Tom Stewart, drummer Dave Dudley and guitarists Steve D'Annunzio and Pat Banister get their organ-driven lounge on. After Fluid Waffle broke up, Stewart, Dudley and Banister formed another group named Furnaceface.

Cadillac - Salmon Breath

Salmon Breath were a straight-up psychobilly duo (drummer/backup singer Poly Grip and singer S. Garbitch, who answers to Pussycat Smart these days) from Calgary, and "Cadillac" is a raucous strip of Sun-inspired country-fried trash.