V/A It Came From Inner Space LP
This new Canadian compilation is very much like the English samplers that proliferated wildly in the ’78 epoch, in that it features a bunch of pop bands and one or two token punk groups. Of the latter, SNFU produces two powerful mid-tempo gems with crunching guitars and sing-along choruses (including the classic “Real Men Don’t Watch Quincy”), while DOWN SYNDROME offers a couple of raunchy garage punkers. Of the pop bands, the STANDARDS and the THIEVES stand out above the wimpy pack by virtue of a heavier guitar sound and an unobtrusive ’60s tinge. The overall effect is rather refreshing in our current era of musical segregation.