Friday 20 September 2013

Early 1990's Handbills

Over the years, we've posted various things to our Facebook page which haven't - for various reasons - made it to this blog. We're trying to rectify that now, and we swear it's not just to increase our post count and prove our worth. Also: WE'RE NOT RUNNING OUT OF IDEAS OF THINGS TO POST. Entirely. On a side note, please contact Gene Poole if you have anything you'd like to share with the CCPS and its audiences.

Right, back to business. Earlier this year, Curtis Ling passed us a pile of old handbills for the Republik and other venues. Actually, he gave us some tapes, and used these as padding.

 

It's a pretty cool collection of stuff, and reminds us of how many great shows we don't remember from that era. Check out the full collection on Facebook.

Thursday 19 September 2013

Iconocast Magazine (1980)







One of the things we had always wondered, not having been part of the original punk scene in this city, was whether there had been any 'zines pre-VOX. We didn't really expect to find the answer in the Local History room of the Calgary Public Library, but then, we didn't really expect an answer.

The CPL had three issues of Iconocast neatly tucked away in its pamphlet file (which, if you press the point, contains very few actual pamphlets). This crudely- but also lovingly-assembled 'zine is a great document of the early days of the scene. We can't tell who exactly was behind this great endeavour, but they did a phenomenal job. Here are a few highlights.

Cartoons by Warren Kinsella!
A pun-filled interview with the Lips!


Local record reviews!
An interview with Random Scrapings!


The Remains and a very early reference to the Golden Calgarians standard "Chicken on the Way"!

Scathing criticism of the Unusuals!

Heartthrob-worthy photos of the Verdix!

And Warren Kinsella writes about... uh, Warren Kinsella.

On a side note, our trip to the library showed how significantly the CCPS has poisoned this whole local music history thing: tucked into the folder for Punk Music was a clipping from a Calgary Herald article about the CCPS, featuring Gene Poole. We go looking for answers, and end up looking in the mirror. We're not sure what that means.

Our apologies for relying on Issuu to house these glorious pdfs. It seems like the only solution out there that fits right now...

Tuesday 17 September 2013

Culture Boys - Wisdom Of The Ancients (1991)


CCPS facebook fan Richard Christensen pointed us to this tape, which he found and has since uploaded to his blog. We have no idea who these guys, but this thing is really a product of its time, that brave, wonderful era when the wistful, clever lyrics and acoustic guitars of the Barenaked Ladies were threatening to turn us all into CBC Radio One hosts. Or something. Anyways, if you can make sense of that, you know what to expect and can go listen to this over at Richard's blog.

Sunday 15 September 2013

Tau Ceti - Live on KIK FM (1987)

Another gem arrived in our email a short while ago, this time thanks to the Mannequin Depressives' Russ Magee, who writes:

I saw Tau Ceti live only once, during the "Auditions '87" contest, at the age of 16 (my brother's band, "Echo Echo" (nee "The Stand") was competing, but I really tweaked onto Tau Ceti). I've had this tape sitting in my boxes, moving with me, all these years. Recorded onto a home stereo from the live broadcast on May 18, 1987. The set has 5 songs which aren't on any of the albums/singles linked from your site, so far as I can tell:
"City Boy"
"Sold Out" (?)
"Hearts Don't Break"
"Marry Me Mary"
"Paralyzed By Fear"
Our favourite part of the 20-minute set is where frontman Dan Klauss takes the time between songs to spell out the band's name. An excellent example of awkward stage banter, preserved for future generations.

Friday 13 September 2013

Shoutin' Abner Pim and the Puritans - Demos (1995/1996)


We got an email a couple of weeks ago from the one and only Bob Keelaghan, with a request and an offer. He asked (politely) if we wouldn't mind removing the download link for the Shoutin' Abner Pim and the Puritans tape we'd posted long ago (as downloads were interfering with the significant income the band was reaping from iTunes downloads of the CD it was later included on). In return, he said he'd give us some old Puritans demos. Well, we're scared of Bob, so we capitulated.

And, boy, are we ever glad we did. Here's what Bob gave us:

1. Three 4-track demos recorded some time in 1995, released only to CJSW as Shoutin' Abner Pim and the Puritans, before the band underwent a dramatic name change: "Welcome to Persia, Batman," "Song Bea," and "Dennis Wilson". Bob says, "They sound crackly, either because they sound bad to begin with or because I couldn't get the volume down on my pre-amp when I did the transfer." The band at the time was:
  • Bob Keelaghan: guitar, backing vocals 
  • Michael Paton: guitar, backing vocals 
  • Vladimir Sobolewski: bass 
  • Chris Temple: Lead Vocals 
  • Jason Woolley: drums
2. "Salt and Vinegar," recorded in 1996 at Sundae Sound during the same sessions as the "Let Me Stand Next to Your Attitude" single. Never released. Line-up: 
  • Mitch Hendrickson: lead vocals 
  • Bob Keelaghan: guitar 
  • Michael Paton: guitar 
  • Vladimir Sobolewski: bass 
  • Steve Nykolyn: drums
We want to make sure you caught that: the first three tracks feature one of our favourite Calgarian voices, Chris Temple. Well, two of them do, as one is an instrumental. And one of them is super slowed down, to hi-larious effect. 

Anyways, we think our deal with Bob worked out pretty well.

Wednesday 11 September 2013

Hag Face - Hag Face (2013)


As you know, we at the CCPS have a thing for low-fi garage rock. So we're really enjoying this tape - it's sludgy and fun, and doesn't take itself too seriously. Plus, former members of the Myelin Sheaths and Bash Brothers... both of whom, we've just had the intern point out, were not Calgary band.

Thankfully, it's the intern's last day with us. And you can grab this from the Hag Face bandcamp.

Monday 9 September 2013

Telstar Drugs - Telstar Drugs (2012)


This tape caused a bit of confusion at the CCPS offices since (a) it didn't come with a track listing and (b) the version we got ahold of has different art than the one over at Weird Canada. Anyways, we actually listened to the thing, and confirmed that this is the tape the band put out last year.

We like (a) that this band has named itself after a Calgary landmark (formerly just around the corner from Chicken on the Way, even!) and (b) the weird, meandering, angular pop that they play.

Get it from the Telstar Drugs bandcamp.

Saturday 7 September 2013

Liquid Light - Liquid Light (1988)


Here's another one from Ian Chiclo, one that we think the former proprietor of Golden Rock would have appreciated. This tape includes a studio version of "Between a Rock and a Hard Place," which was originally posted by Golden Rock way back when as a live recording. Liquid Light sits nicely alongside the more rock/less punk part of the scene and bands like Big Bang Theory.  Frontman Scott Kelly (Skali) continues to be active in both music and art, it appears.

Damn, we already made the "get liquidated" pun...

Friday 6 September 2013

Same Difference - Demo


Former VOX editor Ian Chiclo passed us a couple of tapes a while back, and we're finally getting our crap together and posting them. First up is this, a five-song demo from Same Difference. These are (we think) different versions than the ones on their self-titled tape. Plus the last two songs don't appear to have been on any other releases that we're familiar with.

Vive la difference!