For the next week or so, Vortex is the only shop that has the latest Ugly Pop 7"s. Here's the scoop on each of the three titles:

Dream Dates - Surfer Joe 45
The final single from this excellent Hamilton band, culled from the same 1979 session that gave us their "Moans on the Phone" and "Mess You're In" 45s. A-side's a ripping rendition of a lesser-known Surfaris number, while the flip attacks Freddie Cannon's "Tallahassee Lassie" in similar fashion, all blazing, dirty guitars, sneering vocals and amphetamine pace. If you heard the first two singles, you know what to expect-- pure late '70s North American-style punk rock in the vein of Dead Boys, Heartbreakers, Teenage Head and The Users. Not technically a reissue, but it sure fits the theme. 500 press, black vinyl, no gimmicks. (UP023)

Crash Kills Five - What Do You Do At Night? EP
Crash Kills Five exploded onto the Toronto punk scene with this self-released EP in the summer of 1980, blasting through three tracks of supremely catchy punk rock that perfectly balanced memorable song-writing with quick tempos and raw guitar attack, clearly inspired by early Ramones, Diodes and early Buzzcocks. A planned 12" follow-up was never released, as the band split up soon after, with members going on to early hardcore outfit Young Lions and legendary surf-punk band Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet, leaving behind only this very collectible single. Faithful reconstruction of original artwork plus detailed new insert with tons of info for punk history geeks like us. (UP024)

Arson - Coho Coho b/w Livin' With the White Folks 45
Arson was Toronto's first punk rock supergroup, formed by members of the Viletones, The Ugly and The Poles to deliver raw, tough punk rock as other parts of the early scene veered off to power pop or new wave. Self-released in 1979 and never repressed, this excellent 45 has long been a fave of world-wide collectors, but is just now once again available for the rest of us. Topside's a great fast-paced punker with wild guitar action, backed with a slow-burning creepycrawl monster that compliments it beautifully. Limited one-time repress with faithfully reproduced packaging and new insert! (UP025)