The Riptides

by Corey Apar Canadian punk rockers the Riptides hail from Ottawa, Ontario, forming in the mid-'90s with an aggressive pop sound that nodded to the Queers and Ramones as much as it did the Dwarves and Meatmen. Their first record was issued in late 1997, and the guys -- twins Andy Vandal (vocals) and Bob Goblin (bass), Sean Shameless (drums), and Doug Vermin (guitar) -- released five full-lengths and appeared on various compilations over the next eight years, though most of their records fell out of print except for 2002's Joe Queer-produced Drop Out. The Riptides became a fixture in the Canadian underground, spreading their name on tours with acts like the Methadones, Dwarves, and Moral Crux. They eventually found label homes over at Union 2112 (Canada) and Red Scare (U.S.) to release their November 2006 album, Hang Out, produced by Mass Giorgini. By that point, the band's lineup included the brothers Vandal and Goblin alongside drummer Pat B**ch and guitarist Skottie Lobotomy, and the quartet headed out in early 2007 on a North American tour with the Queers.