Sky Suspended - Sky Suspended (1993)

Somewhere on Facebook, there's an incredible picture of Aaron Booth and Aaron Smelski as part of this band, looking very, very early 1990's indie rock. Both those lads have gone on to great things - Mr. Booth has put out several fantastic records, and Mr. Smelski is the guitar brains behind Hot Little Rocket.

We think this marks the first Rob McAlister-related project we've posted thus far.

Listen to it here.

Quitters - Nice Try Now Quit (1991)

"The Quitters quit and no one cared / I sat in my bedroom and stared / at the wall" - Lorrie Mattheson (Fire Engine Red).

I honestly didn't know this tape existed until Joe slid me a copy at a Straight show. Not quite the classic that Fuzzball is, but still pretty fine. "White Inside" is reworked on Straight's Palm Springs CD.

Listen to it hereabouts.

Red Autumn Fall - Fabulous Yellow Roman Candles (1993)

Don't worry, I got some Brass, too.

Listen to RAF's FYRC here.

Red Autumn Fall - Rupture (1992)

Simeon, Simeon - it was really nothing.

But you can listen to it here.

Quitters - Fuzzball EP (1992)

We remember reading a review of this in some west coast-based magazine, and they totally panned it. We were so mad - for us at the CCPS, this stands as one of the best recordings to come out of Calgary in the early 90's. Chock full of fuzzy pop goodness, via the garage.

Joe McCaffery and Cheryl would go on to form Straight, which gave us the brilliant single "Vacant." "The Beautiful People" got reworked for Straight's second CD, Palm Springs.

Listen to Fuzzball at our new link!

Teens For Decency - TFD (1995)

Featuring Ian Doig of the Parkades and a couple of his art school buddies (and a surly (male) bass player with a dress), TFD were low fi pop at its best. Recorded by young Dave Alcock when he was really, really young.

Listen to it here.

Placebo- Tiny Gugler (1994)

With Feist's last album on pretty much every critic's year-end list, this is, well, as questionable as it was at the time.

Recorded with Jeff Burns. I think pretty much everything recorded in Calgary between 1993 and 1995 was with Jeff.

Listen to it here.

Legendary Few: Smokes (1986)

We didn't give this its due when we originally posted it back when (we lazily linked straight to Golden Rock, who passed it to us). But Pat Andrews sent us a full scan of the cover, and Graham Evans asked us to repost it. 

What name-dropping!

Color Me Psycho: Kiss Me, Then... (1986)

We rarely go back an update a post, but we're making an exception for this. We originally simply cross-referenced the great work over at Golden Rock: http://golden-rock.blogspot.com/2007/02/color-me-psycho-kiss-me-then-1986.html.

Our scanner can't handle how red the cover of this tape is! So, if the pink freaks you out, here's Golden Rock's transcription of the liner notes:

Released on cassette by Old Shep Records & Filmworks

Tommy Esposito: axes, yelling

Dan Worsley: keyboard mayhem

Marvey Desjarding: the drum

Alv Sawchuck: the crucial four

with: Greg Cheevers: greedy spiritual demi-god

Recorded at In Ear Audio Feb. 1986 A.D.

All jingles written, performed & destroyed by Color Me Psycho.

In retrospect, this needs a bit more than that flippant treatment. But but there's already been a lot said about this tape, so we're not sure what to add here. Oh, how about an article by James Muretich?

We also recommend you check this link at the often-brilliant-but-seldomly-updated O Canadarm! for a wee bit more history, straight from Tom Bagley.

And then, once you're done there, head this way for the download. {update April 24, 2016: Chris Zuk spent a whole pile of time and energy on an improved rip - which doesn't trim the first second or two off Black Corvair}

Agony Pipe - Experience Machine (1992)

I can't remember much about these guys. There's a link to the Ramada Gods in there somewhere, and I believe their bassist, Brent, has gone on to be a part of Vailhalen.

Listen to it here.

Feast of Fools - Carnival (1988)

Finally getting back to this one...

Before they turned into Citrus Park, Steve Bandola, Jeff Burns and Dana Lyons played with lead singer Reid Stewart.

In case you're not quite up to speed on relations, Steve is the brother of Mark Bandola, of the very fantastic Lucy Show. Steve's recently been playing with Jeff Kushner as the Beagle Ranch.

New download link!

Massive Ferguson - The Slow-Fi Sounds of... (1996)

Friday night saw the release of the new CD from the Cripple Creek Fairies, which is worth picking up.
But before CCF, there was Massive Ferguson. Hutterites, clowns, metal and 4-track mastery.
There's still an article on the old VOX website, worth checking out, to give you sense of what these guys were about.
Or just head for the download.

Airship One - A1 (1996)

A young man does battle with his 4-track.

01. Winterpeg

02. Tall Dark and Wooden

03. Do You Know Why?

04. sadshy@stupid.ca

05. Terminal City

06. Everybody's Mod

07. Titanic

08. Ironclads

09. Tropes and Turns

10. Love Spiel

Download.

Citrus Park - A Fine Morning (1989)

(My mp3 version of the Feast of Fools' tape is full of wow and flutter, or else I would have started there...)

Jeff Burns would go on to record almost every indie band in Calgary in his basement studio in the mid-90s.

Track Listing:
1. Golden
2. The Battle Is Over
3. Malpractice
4. The Morning at Home
5. Run Away
6. Annette
7. The White Sky
8. Crown of Thorns

Citrus Park were:
Jeff Burns - Vocals, Guitar
Stephen Bandola - Vocals, Bass
Dana Lyons - Drums and Percussion

New download link!

Shinolas - Pigeonhole (1997)

Track Listing:
1. Aqua Vulva
2. Chair
3. Everyday Skies- Deep & Meaningful
4. Admission
5. Gogo Girl
6. Life Eternal
7. Banff

The Shinolas were:
Tom Atkinson - Drums
Pete Link - Guitar, Vocals
Conrad Montana - Bass, Vocals, Organ

Download it here.

Forbidden Dimension - Our Martian Heritage (1992)

Forbidden Dimension started out in 1988, just as Jackson Phibes's (aka Aleister Hexxx) previous combo, Color Me Psycho, was calling it quits. It was initially conceived as a one-man one-off project, sonically in the Chrome/Metal Urbain/Roky Erickson/60s punk/proto-metal mode. - CBCRadio3

To my ears, this cassette sounds better than FD's first CD release, Sin Gallery. Must be the undead drum machine.

Track listing:
1. Vulture Feed
2. Dreamdate
3. All Black and Hairy
4. Wild Doll
5. Cold Hands, Cold Heart
6. Atomic Canibal
7. Martian Death Saucer
8. Dial M for Monster
9. Dig That Crazy Grave
10. Shrunken Heads
11. White Line Reaper
12. Hand of Glory

Download it here.

You can find some Color Me Psycho over at O Canadarm!
http://ocanadarm.blogspot.com/2007/06/color-me-psycho-canada.html
http://ocanadarm.blogspot.com/2007/01/color-ne-psycho-canada.html

Huevos Rancheros - Huevosaurus (1990)

Stripping rock’n’roll to its most basic frame, Richie, Brent and original bassist Graham emerged from the garage in 1990 — you guessed it — without a singer — and immediately put out its first product, a 6-song cassette. - CBC Radio 3

Track listing:
1. Huevosaurus
2. Blonde Girl In a Blue Volare
3. Latin Ranch
4. I'm Branded
5. Mindsurfer
6. Mystery Mtn (sic)

Huevos Rancheros were:
Brent J. Cooper - guitar
Graham Evans - bass
Richie Lazarowich - drums, percussion

What a strange little fire. It's almost like Hallowe'en.