Friday, November 23, 2018

UIC reissues their two classic garage albums via Warner Music Canada

UIC's first two corkers, Our Garage ('86) and Live / Like Ninety ('88) are out now on vinyl and digitally on all platforms!

Warner Music Canada in conjunction with Like 90 Records have just released two Canadian garage-punk classic albums – Our Garage and Live / Like Ninety – from Exeter, Ontario’s UIC. Originally issued in the 1980’s, both albums are now available on all streaming services for the first time as well as being re-issued on CD and vinyl. The band will celebrate the re-release of the records with a show at This Ain’t Hollywood in Hamilton on Saturday (November 24).

Originally formed in 1982 in a basement in Exeter, Ontario, UIC took it’s influences from Detroit radio where The Stooges, MC5 and Alice Cooper dominated the airwaves. The original line-up – Fred “Slack” Robinson, Dave “Smokin” Robinson, Murray Heywood, Ted Triebner and Dan Preszcator – took their name from the Unemployment Insurance Commission (since rebranded Employment Insurance).

After a few years of playing shows in the London area, the band moved to Toronto and became regulars on the bill at the Siboney, the Rivoli, the Horseshoe Tavern and Lee’s Palace, playing alongside the likes of The Gruesomes, Teenage Head and Deja Voodoo.

Our Garage
The band’s debut, Our Garage, was released in 1986 and has been re-mastered for this reissue. To quote Little Steven, “Garage rock/punk is white kids trying to play rhythm & blues and failing wonderfully.” Whether you were from Canada, the UK, Japan, the US or Europe, if you were listening to garage punk, you likely remember UIC. The opening track, “Our Garage,” is an anthem proudly declaring the band’s influences. The band shows their Canadian roots with tracks “Shamrock Bang” and “Crop Dustin” while the fan favourite “I’m Alive” serves up garage rock ‘n’ roll smashed together with rhythm and blues. Buy/download/stream Our Garage right here.

OUR GARAGE tracklisting
Our Garage
Shamrock Sin
Shamrock Bang
Bomb Boys
Blood
Nashville Dreamin'
All Together Now
You Drive Mad
I’m Alive
Cure The War
Crop Dustin



Live / Like Ninety
Recorded live at a sold-out Lee’s Palace show on November 4th 1988, Live / Like Ninety is arguably the best UIC album released to date if only because no studio could ever capture the explosive sound of the band live. The album documents the band’s full-speed-madness where they literally played until the tape ran out – you can actually hear the tape slip through the tape machine for the last time and continue snapping around the reel. Live / Like Ninety was voted by NOW Magazine as one of the most influential Toronto albums of the 80’s. The album has been re-mixed and re-mastered for this reissue. Buy/download/stream Live / Like Ninety right here.

LIVE / LIKE NINETY tracklisting
Ignoramus
Outta Hand
Altogether Now
Lockjaw Bay
Get Red
Green Lady
Livin' In The Past
Mystery Train
New Race
Bomb Boys
Stations Fading






By the time of disbanding in 1995, UIC had released three full length albums (a fourth ,The Wiseman Sessions, was lost for almost 20 years when the tapes were finally recovered, mixed and released). Over the next few years band members pursued various musical paths and in 1999 four of the five band members joined forces as The Chickens. By 2006, they all went their separate ways.
Flash forward to 2016. UIC, joined by guitarist Dave Dysart, reunite to headline an Oshawa benefit in memory of local rock & roll promoter and Star records founder Mike Shulga. Spurred on by Dysart’s enthusiasm, the band marked the 30th anniversary of Our Garage by playing their first Toronto show in 20 years. The success of those shows inspired a new sense of creativity who have since re-entered the studio to record new material to be released on their own Like 90 Records.
Bringing it all full-circle, UIC, (with bassist Andy Hauber), were able to join the Toronto bill of MC50, the 50th anniversary tour of Kick Out The Jams, the MC5 album that was such a huge influence on the band in the first place.

Connect with UIC
https://uiccanada.bandcamp.com
www.uiccanada.com
https://www.facebook.com/groups/74952020082/
https://soundcloud.com/uiccanada
https://www.reverbnation.com/uic7
https://www.instagram.com/uic_the_band/




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