Various - The Pink House (2014)

Sometimes, you walk into Hot Wax and you almost miss stuff. Like this. Thanks to Chris Dadge for bringing this great collection to our attention.

This is a compilation of recordings made in a house in Kensington which has since been demolished/gentrified/taken-over-by-the-goddam-yuppies. From all accounts, a lot of talent lived in/passed through that house - this brings together a whole bunch of our Bug Incision-related favourites, including Lab Coast, Thighs, Laura Leif and Samantha Savage Smith. It's lo-fi goodness that we're super glad we managed to snag.

Grab your own copy over at Hot Wax.

Dice Parks - Dice Parks (2014)

We'd like to apologize for the number of posts of new tapes here at the CCPS, rather than the usual (questionable) lapses into fond reminiscing about the Primrods. We'd LIKE to apologize, but given the calibre of the releases - like this one, from Bug Incision collaborator Dice Parks - we just can't.

This is a great slice of experimental, krautrock, noise, pop and, uh, kitchen sinks. It kind of defies description. But take our word for it, this is good stuff. Get the tape from Hot Wax or Night People.

Basement Demons - Baby Teeth (2014)

Of all the new tapes (ie released this year) in the CCPS collection, this one stands out as one of the rawest. Basement Demons are four teenage cousins who play music that isn't just angry, it's furious. And messy. Propulsive drumming, screaming, atonal guitars... if this ain't punk, we don't know what is.



Actually, we don't know what punk is anymore. But you can get this via the Basement Demons bandcamp.

Mants - The Mants (2014)

Did we say we were done with the Shake!-related posts? We totally lied. Actually, we forgot that we also had this tape laying around the CCPS offices. What can we say?

We were tempted to label this a CCPS Miscellany post since the Mants have defected to Victoria, but since this is a compilation of tracks from the three 7" singles they recorded when they were in Calgary, we'll consider this a proper Calgary release.



Word on the street is that there's a new Mants 7" on the way. Until then, you can either track down their original singles or get this tape from Shake.

CCPS Miscellany: Various - Shake/Arama '14 (2014)

One last Shake! tape, we swear. This one was a special release for June's Shake/Arama, which we're kind of sad we didn't go to Victoria for. Thankfully, Jesse Powell brought us back this limited edition tape from the event.

This tape features over an hour of music from the bands that played the festival, including a slew of Calgary bands. By our math, nearly a quarter of the bands are from our city, but our math is a bit suspect today.

We're not sure if you can get these anywhere - so, uh, tough luck.

Grosser/Durban Poison - Live at Broken City (2014)

Jesse Powell also gave us a copy of this tape, featuring Shake! Records' flagship band, Durban Poison, and Calgary punks Grosser. Jesse says this was recorded on the patio of Broken City in the spring, at a party hosted by Kamil Krulis. We almost missed this release in the flurry of new tapes from Shake!, so huge thanks to Jesse for bringing it to our attention.

This is a pretty rough recording, but Grosser's stage banter and songs about the urban/suburban divide makes this a worthwhile listen. The band features the former lead singer from Lethbridge's Stressed Out, who we last saw crawling around the floor of the New Black a few Sled Island's ago.

Get the tape from Shake!

Pine Tarts - Wolves Named the Moon (2014)

The Shake! Records onslaught continues with the first of three tapes Jesse Powell was good enough to pass our way. The membership of the Pine Tarts has kind of been a revolving door over the past seven-plus years, with Powell the only constant. While this tape doesn't boast a lot of new material, it DOES have the Tarts' expanded, super-duper line up. Which is, uh, super-duper.

Grab this tape from the Pine Tarts' bandcamp, or order it from Shake.

Catholic Girls - Sheila Joined a Cult (2014)

More tape-y goodness from Shake! Records, this time featuring local goth rockers Catholic Girls. Their tumblr claims that they feature "Former members of Mount Analogue, The Poly Shores and The Grim Beat," which gives them some pretty good pedigree. For us, it's the vocal - alternating between goth chanteuse and bubblegum - floating over darkwave synths that makes these guys a pretty great listen.

It should be noted that the four songs on here are also available on 7" vinyl, which we also picked up at Sloth. If you want the tape, you can get it via Shake. 

Lab Coast - Pictures on the Wall (2014)

We recently had to massively restructure the cassette shelving in the CCPS offices, and this tape played a major part in us reaching the tipping point. The good folks at Shake! Records have re-released Lab Coast's excellent 2011 Pictures on the Wall.

Yes, we know we've already posted this, but the fact that this is back in circulation is a good thing. The title track alone is worth the price of admission here.



Do yourself a favour and get one from Hot Wax or Shake.

CCPS Miscellany: Jupiter Crash - Demo

This is an inauspicious way to finish off the tapes from the Republik. This one from Edmonton doesn't have a j-card and - to be honest - it's not very good. It's very well-produced, but careens wildly from sing-along rock to reggae to more good time rock to more reggae (apparently these guys were "the lions of babylon"!). And it finishes with ska. Either these are two bands that have somehow done a joint release, or it's one band that we would never, ever want to see live.

Thanks again to Twyla and the good folks at the Concorde group for thinking of us and sending us all these tapes. Except maybe this one. We might have to send it back.

CCPS Miscellany: Fat Bastard - Demo (1996)

Another tape from the City of Champignons, via the basement of Thee Olde Republik. These guys play the type of music that, in the mid-90s, you would have expected to be played by guys with long hair, cut of jean shorts and flannel shirts. And it probably would have been enjoyed by similarly-dressed folks.