The Riptides

Canadian punk rockers the Riptides emerged from Ottawa, Ontario, when they assembled in the mid-'90s around an aggressive pop approach that drew equally from the Queers and Ramones on one side and the Dwarves and Meatmen on the other. Their debut appeared toward the end of 1997, after which the original quartet—twins Andy Vandal on vocals and Bob Goblin on bass, along with Sean Shameless on drums and Doug Vermin on guitar—issued five full-length albums and contributed tracks to multiple compilations throughout the following eight years, although nearly all of those titles went out of print aside from the 2002 Joe Queer-produced Drop Out. The Riptides established themselves as regulars on the Canadian underground circuit, building recognition through shared bills with the Methadones, Dwarves, and Moral Crux. Eventually they secured deals with Union 2112 in Canada and Red Scare in the United States, which brought out their November 2006 album Hang Out under the guidance of producer Mass Giorgini. At that stage the roster consisted of the Vandal brothers plus Pat Bitch on drums and Skottie Lobotomy on guitar, and the four musicians embarked on a North American trek alongside the Queers in early 2007.