Friday 23 September 2016

Valiska - Repetitions (2015)



We're posting a not new tape! Only because this one somehow slipped past us last year. So, it's really not that old.

Whatever, tapes is tapes. And this is a lovely tape. We don't say that too often, do we? Maybe we're listening to this with different ears than we have in the past, but we really get what Valiska is about with this release. The tracks glide seamlessly between drones and more formal compositions, Sujata's pianos act to underscore structural themes, while his synths add colour and looseness. The result is highly listenable, in both its calm and its tension.

Copies of this are still available from the Valiska bandcamp.




Thursday 22 September 2016

Corinthian - Eurozone Ghosts (2016)



This new tape from Deep Sea Mining Syndicate leader Evangelos Lambrinoudis II has been in fairly constant rotation in the CCPS offices for the past two weeks, only partly because it is such a good complement the unsettled weather we've had.

Corinthian tries to find a place somewhere between ambient noise, drones and techno, with one alternatingly giving way to the other. It's honestly difficult not to keep coming back to the name of Lambrinoudis' label to describe the sound here - this hypnotic and compelling tape does sound like deep sea mining. It's a shame that he's enabling our lazy writing style. 


The tape is limited to 50 physical copies; there was a stack at Melodiya last time we were in there, or you can grab it via the DSMS bandcamp.

Wednesday 21 September 2016

Feel Alright/Century Palm - Split Cassette (2016)


Following on our last post from a bunch of Calgarian ex-pats, here's a split tape that local fellers Feel Alright and uh, Calgarian (and Lethbridge) ex-pats Century Palm that was put out over the summer for the tour the two bands dig of eastern Canada. Huge thanks to Jesse Locke and Kevin Boyer for helping us get a copy!

The Feel Alright side repackages a bunch of tracks that were originally on last year's excellent but completely unattainable Softies cassette. Feel Alright are one of the local bands we really can't get enough of. Craig Fahner is mining a great bit of early 70's power pop, living in an alternate reality where punk may never have happened. Or if it did, it stopped being fun. The perfect power pop of "Telegraph Hill" is alone worth finding this tape for.

Century Palm's side makes us wish that either we had the brains to get out east to see the band, or that they had the money to get out here for some shows. Punk did happen in Century Palm's world (as they confirm with a Husker Du cover), but then it got stuck in the 80's - their cover of the Grapes of Wrath's "All the Things I Wasn't" is a surprise and a delight. This is a nice evolution from the work Andrew Payne did with the Fun Funs here in Calgary five years ago.

We're honestly not sure how to/if you can get this tape. Planet of the Tapes put it out, but it's not on their bandcamp yet. Maybe write to your local elected officials demanding that this be more widely available?

Thursday 8 September 2016

Brain Fever - La Luna (2012)


In a bit of random synchronicity, we found a copy of this last weekend - the original bridge between Brain Fever and La Luna. This tape was remastered and then re-released as La Luna's first LP. You can't download this one anymore, but, as mentioned yesterday, if you grab the improved version you can help La Luna with their bills.

Wednesday 7 September 2016

La Luna - Always Already (2016)/Tour Cassette (2015)





We usually try not to cover two tapes in one post, but we're going to make an exception for Calgarians-in-Toronto La Luna. The hardcore band moved east last year, and this summer hit a pile of trouble with their tour van in - of all the places - Newfoundland. Short of cash and facing a painfully high repair bill, they turned to their bandcamp as a way of raising money. Which we were more than happy to oblige, since it was also a way to grab a couple of goodies that otherwise we wouldn't have been able to.

Their 2015 Tour Tape is a quick two-track blast through what the band does best (a BIG guitar sound, lead singer Vanessa Gloux's vocals and great dynamics). Always Already, their 2016 LP (on tape? we're still confused when bands do this) is a steamroller of emotions that - for us - shows how amazing Nicolas Field's guitar work can be, blending math rock and hardcore into a tasty mix. 


We suspect the band is still recovering from the bills they accumulated on their summer tour; help them out and grab these tapes and/or the downloads via the La Luna bandcamp.

Tuesday 6 September 2016

Ultra Gash - Trench Rash (2016)


Ultra Gash has a second tape that came out earlier this year, which is characterized by a messily-inky j-card (think of a laser printer that's spewing toner) and a spray-bombed orange cassette. And more of the same yelpy punk goodness that made their first tape so good.

Again, you can get this at Sloth (we think) or the Ultra Gash bandcamp.

Monday 5 September 2016

Ultra Gash - Demo (2015)



We've got a ridiculously large pile of new-ish tapes in the CCPS office again, so we're going to, uh, post them. It's kind of what we do.

We saw Ultra Gash late last year at Tubby Dog, but didn't know they'd put out a tape until we found it at Sloth some time during Sled Island. This trio plays yelpy, propelling punk that's primal and dark at the edges.



Grab the tape from the Sloth or the Ultra Gash bandcamp.