Friday 12 July 2019

Thee Leaders - Thee Leaders


We got this tape from Tiemen Kuipers last summer, and he promised he'd send some info. Which he hasn't yet, and dammit, we need to clean our desk off. So here it is - a tape without a proper label, without a j-card... hell, this one didn't even have a case. So we were a bit worried.

But it's actually pretty entertaining - we think The Leaders are from somewhere in the mid- to late-90s, and they play a pretty hilarious, primal garage rock. Kind of like the Mummies - lots of energy, not a lot of refinement. The tape was probably recorded on a basic tape deck in their practice space, if we were to guess. We quite like this - but maybe only because there aren't many (any?) bands doing this type of thing in town right now.

Scratch that itch here.

Thursday 11 July 2019

Project X - Project X (1993)



A new old tape! We were very excited when Eddie at Melodiya passed this to us. Look at that cover! This has got to be really great skaterock or something, right? And we KNOW it's Calgary 'cos look at that map! And two lead guitarists! This has got to be something in the lineage of Beyond Possession and Ninth Configuration! Sadly this tape is not in that lineage, but rather middling emotive rock.

So disappointing.

Wednesday 10 July 2019

Supervisions - Supervisions (2016)



Here's another tape we probably should have picked up sooner - before the band broken up, at least. It looks like Supervisions called it quits earlier this year. So, uh, here's their first (and only?) tape. This is a blissful bit of guitar-focused indie rock, with a few math rock and shoegaze elements mixed in.

Get it from the Supervisions bandcamp; copies are still kicking around local record stores at the time of writing.

Tuesday 9 July 2019

Crystal Eyes - The Female Imagination (2017)



Here's another tape we should have picked up a couple of years ago. We really have no excuse for this. BUT posting it in context of this recent batch of tapes, we realize that drummer Mathieu Blanchard may be the glue holding together half this city's bands. Well, him and Chris Dadge, who plays on and recorded this little gem of dreampop (again! more dreampop!). The vehicle of Erin Jenkins and her ethereal voice, these songs are well-crafted little nuggets with sly references to some of the old masters (Cohen and Reed references ooze through this, in a good way).



Get it from the Crystal Eyes bandcamp.

Monday 8 July 2019

Sunglaciers - Moving In Darkness (2017)


Hey, you know that story we hinted at yesterday? Here it is. We screwed up so much with Sunglaciers, we got behind by TWO tapes. So here's their second tape, which is, uh, actually a bunch of re-recorded songs from their first tape. To be fair, they've been recorded by the guru Chris Dadge, so there's not too much to complain about. This is also a slightly different lineup of the band - and a sound that's maybe a bit more Britpop and a little less Paisley Underground. Maybe?

Get it via the Sunglaciers bandcamp, 'natch.

Sunday 7 July 2019

Sunglaciers - Twin Evil Twin (2018)


Oh, man. We screwed up. We don't know why we slept on this tape. Actually, we do, but that's a story for another day (like, tomorrow).

Sunglaciers have dialed things in with this release, landing somewhere in a strange land between power pop and psych pop. It's a pretty great place, actually, not too far from the Paisley Underground. This band is a real force live, especially with the addition of a new(ish) keyboard player. We're really looking forward to their full length release this fall.



Get the tape via the Sunglaciers bandcamp.

Saturday 6 July 2019

Dark Time - Dark Time (2018)


Turns out, if you wait too long to pick up a band's tape, by the time you get it... AND by the time you get around to posting it, the band's membership may shift a bit. Or, in the case of Dark Time, a lot. The current lineup retains only frontperson Cayley O'Neill and keyboardist Eric Heitmann, but that's a lot of trainspotting for whatever day this is.

We really like Dark Time's sound. If you can imagine the singer from Peach Kelli Pop fronting a dreampop band, that's what you get. Kind of. Speaking of which, where did this raft of dreampop bands in Calgary come from? We're not complaining, we're just... confused. And kind of pleased, especially with Dark Time - this is really good stuff, and their new lineup is killer.



Get the download from the Dark Time bandcamp, score the tape from one of their shows.

Friday 5 July 2019

Memory Gravel - 001



Here's another Cain Davis tape (with hand-typed cover). This is a nice document of some audio experiments from Bug Incision regulars Davis, Matt Purdue and Jack Sinclair. This sounds like an all acoustic affair - no electronics? We assume that's Sinclaire's mandolin making some hushed, somewhat tortured sounds in there.

We don't know where you can get this. Maybe at the next Bug Incision show?

Thursday 4 July 2019

Cain Davis - Paradise Slaves (2019)


Local experimentalist Cain Davis passed us a copy of his new tape, gently warning us that "it's a bit quiet." Somewhere behind the tape hiss, with the volume on the CCPS office stereo turned up almost halfway, we're treated to what sounds like tape loops, electronic noise and soft synth pads. It's kind of like Music for Airports, if it was being played on the tarmac.

We think this is Davis' bandcamp - there are tapes in a couple of the record stores around town.

Wednesday 3 July 2019

Future Womb - Babygirlgalactic (2019)


We somehow missed Future Womb at this year's Sled Island (hey, you can't see ALL the bands), but still picked up this tape (because... tapes!). We're glad we did - this is some serious ear candy. Produced by frontperson Mikaela Cochrane and her brother, Taylor Cochrane (of the much-lauded 36?), this is an ambitious piece of dreampop, ostensibly a concept album/song cycle about trauma and recovery. We got this just in time for floating down the river.



There are copies in our local record stores; or you can grab the download from the Future Womb bandcamp.

Tuesday 2 July 2019

Polly Dactic - Half Nermal (2019)


This is a band that's become one of our favourites over the past couple of years, and we're really excited to have this tape. Made up of members of, uh, Hag Face, Sunglaciers and Aiwass, this band is... probably not what you might expect. Growing from a solo act to a two piece to a trio, this is unapologetic 80's synth goodness. Slightly more than minimal wave, but just shy of new wave, Polly Dactic bounce between serious and fun. Or are they just serious fun?



You can grab the download from the Polly Dactic bandcamp, or maybe score a copy at one of their shows.

Monday 1 July 2019

Valiska - Numbers (2019)


Somehow we missed our own birthday - the CCPS is now 12 years old! Hooray! To celebrate (late), we're going to start posting some of the clutter that's on our desk right now.

We'll start back up with this fresh tape from local electronic/experimental musician Valiska. He's backed away from the vocal tones that characterized his last couple of releases, using the repetitive voices from World War I number stations as a foundation. Sujata's soft synth tones pair perfectly with the sharp voices, creating a hypnotic and meditative soundtrack.

Another stellar release from Valiksa; this tape is a limited edition, but it looks like copies are still available via bandcamp.