If you’ve never seen a Dub Rifles show, don’t feel bad but don’t hold your breath either: they last graced a stage just over 30 years ago and there are apparently no plans to reunite. However, we can all be thankful that new Winnipeg label Sundowning Sound Recordings decided to announce their presence with No Town, No Country, a compilation of Dub Rifles’ EPs (No Town and Boom!) interwoven with live cuts that bring the disc to a just-right 55 minute length.
The No Town tracks are remixed from the original masters, while the Boom! offerings are pulled from the original vinyl. But don’t fret over quality: the disc sounds just fine, and such concerns are thankfully washed away by the content. “Production of Funds” is one of the funkiest—and best—to be heard here, both studio and live versions. The song has the most cracking bass/sax interplay on the entire disc, and visions of James Chance will enter your head even before a twitchy guitar lead gives way to a speedy sax lick. “Stand” deserves a spot in the canon of propulsive, singsong punk tunes that become rallying cries for frustrated youth. Most lines feel widely applicable, but upon perusing the extensive and personal liner notes from Colin Bryce (vocals/guitar) you will discover “Stand” was inspired by outrage over factory farming practices.
Inflections of power pop, ska, and old-timey swinging rock n roll are all over this disc, suggesting Dub Rifles took cues similar to those of their contemporaries on a few different branches of the punk tree. “Punch” and “Over the Top” are among the best songs that appear here only as live recordings, serving as a pretty solid argument for the very release of a CD filled with songs that nearly predate the format itself. Highly recommended. (Sundowning Sound Recordings, sundowningsoundrecordings.bandcamp.com) Daniel Emberg