News Weather and Spores

The Spores formed in Vancouver in 1983 and became part of the city’s second wave of punk. The group centered on guitarist Wayne Abstain, guitarist Sandy Beach, drummer Boom Boom Benson, bassist Johnny von Klutz, and vocalist Danny Shimanny. From the start they combined straightforward punk songwriting with a sense of humour and stage presentation that made them stand out from other local bands, but their music was always the core of the project.

Their first release was the Meat Biproduct EP, recorded in early March 1984 at Mega-Thrust Studios with Steve Whitehouse engineering and Rogan Roger mixing at Studio 26. The record introduced the band’s sharp, energetic approach and remains one of their most collected titles. Around the same time they produced two early music videos — “Up the Boss” (1984) and “Meat Biproduct” — both highlighting their deliberately outrageous and irreverent personality.

In 1985 the Spores released their only full-length album, Schizofungi!, on Criminal Records. The LP brought together their fastest and most developed material, including “Billboard Hero,” “Chemical Rainbow,” “House of Frankenstein,” and a live version of “Meat Biproduct.” The album captured the band’s sound more fully than the EP and became their defining release.

The Spores continued performing and recording through the mid-1980s and began work on a second album in 1988. The sessions were never completed, and the group dissolved later that year. Many of those recordings remained unreleased until Sudden Death Records, operated by Joey “Shithead” Keithley of D.O.A., issued the anthology News, Weather and Spores in 2009. The collection compiled material from the band’s singles, the Schizofungi! LP, and the unfinished 1988 recordings, along with two tracks re-recorded by former members after the original masters could not be located.

Although their active period was brief, lasting from 1983 to 1988, the Spores left behind a concise and distinctive catalogue that continues to be referenced in discussions of Vancouver’s 1980s punk history. Their recordings, EP, album, and surviving videos provide a clear record of a band that contributed a unique voice to the region’s punk landscape.
-Robert Williston

Sudden Death Records is proud to be releasing a new cd from an old school Vancouver punk band, The Spores! The cd is titled "News, Weather and Spores".

Yow! After twenty years in secret vaults, a new anthology of songs has resurfaced from Vancouver’s Punk Rock jesters - The SPORES. As one of the leaders of the second wave of punk’s ‘glory years’, the band clawed their way through the shattered music scene of 1983, recording several singles, videos and the album “Schizofungi!” which was hailed by both geniuses and idiots alike. The songs were furious yet melodic, and the band was compared to the music styles of The Damned and Stiff Little Fingers. Known for their outrageous live act, they grew a fan base of rabid followers who were a constant element to their sold out shows.

In 1988, during the intense recording of their follow-up album, the Spores were torn apart, leaving only fragments of what would be their best songs. As the years passed and other musical styles rose and fell, these songs percolated in hibernation until recently rediscovered. Now, remixed and digitally enhanced, they form the anthology “NEWS WEATHER and SPORES”, along with other selected anthems from the band’s vinyl years. Many of the songs, like “Shopping Binge” and “Conspiracy in the Sky” have themes which are even more relevant today than when they were written. However, the master recordings of two songs were unfortunately never found, and as an added bonus to the CD, some members of the band reunited decades after to rerecord from scratch these tunes, which appear as the last two tracks.

These 20 songs represent the best of the Spore’s output and none have ever been released on CD before. The disc also contains anti-videos for “Up the Boss” and “Meat Biproduct”. Available now on Sudden Death Records.

Release Date: January 6th, 2009

Order your copy today