It looks like this is available for streaming via Spotify - give this a listen there.
Sunday, 31 July 2022
Chantal Vitalis - Today's Special (2002)
Saturday, 30 July 2022
Red Hot Lovers - Ain't Got Time To Waste (2002)
This batch of heavy riffage is available over at the Red Hot Lovers' bandcamp.
Sunday, 24 July 2022
Spam Avenger - On Man's Attempt To Rid The World Of Unsolicited E-Mail! (2002)
We probably can't get further from country music than this CD from the Spam Avenger (aka Bob Keelaghan). In the early 2000's two things came together to produce this CD: the proliferation of email spam and Keelaghan's unmatchable wit (and presumably a lot of spare time on his part). This CD is a recording of Keelaghan's revenge calls/replies to spam messages he received - they're surreal, stream-of-consciousness conversations, attempts to get spammers off-script and off-balance.
It's pretty funny stuff - and you can get it here!
Saturday, 23 July 2022
Tim Hus - Songs of West Canada (2002)
Here's some more country music for you, a week late for Stampede. Tim Hus takes a different approach to his songwriting than Tom Phillips, opting for a more documentary style in the same tradition as Stompin' Tom Connors. And on this, his first CD, he gifts us with a Calgary song!
It looks like this CD is available from Hus' website - get it there!
Friday, 22 July 2022
Tom Phillips and the Men of Constant Sorrow - The Essential (2002)
Thursday, 21 July 2022
Waterbody - Working For Our Souls (1995)
We like this James Muretich-penned article about the band, mostly because of Kevin Labchuk's prescient remarks about the benefits of remaining independent vs. getting signed by a major label:
Get it here.
Friday, 15 July 2022
Trikl Act - A Spatial Plot Thickens (2001)
We struggle with categorizing the Trikl Act; the band played math-ish rock, but there was something else in the mix that took them into a different realm. Maybe it's just the knowledge that the band featured Clinton St. John (along with Mark McCaul and Jordan Tettensor... and others?) that we read a folky sensitivity to these tracks. As much as the band can turn on a dime, they can also weave a narrative. It's a great preview of what was to come with the very excellent Cape May.
Thursday, 14 July 2022
Thousandsticks - White Knuckled Midnight Drives (2001)
We have a list (or are working on a list, at least) of Calgary albums that are woefully overlooked. Releases that you really should hear, but probably would have a hard time finding a copy of. This CD from James Hayden's Thousandsticks is pretty high on that list - we posted their six song EP a few years ago, but this well-produced full-length is a real thing of joy. If you ever wanted an entire album follow-up to Fire Engine Red's "Shank Pony," this is for you. Oh, wait, it's only us that want that.
Hayden's songwriting is top notch on this and the playing by bandmates Lyle Crilly, Lorrie Matheson, Steve Elaschuk, and Chris Lowry is off the charts. This is a super group that's really super. We go back to this one a lot, it's a favourite road trip disc.
Wednesday, 13 July 2022
Tariq - While You're Down There (2001)
Tuesday, 12 July 2022
Summerlad - Distance Will Be Swept Up (2001)
Now, we know what you're thinking: how long can the CCPS go without mentioning the Primrods? NOT LONG, dear friends, NOT VERY LONG AT ALL. So here's some Summerlad to fill the void in our lives. It's pretty easy to say that the band's first CD picked up where the unreleased/Geffen-tanked Primrods LP left off - especially since "The Mandarin Hand" sounds so much like a companion to "Francis Gary Powers Offers You The Thrill Of A Lifetime." Which in our books is a-okay, of course. There's maybe more shoegaze to this than the Primrods' offerings. But it was a tasty mix that got better with time.
Get swept up here.
Monday, 11 July 2022
Karl Roth - Almost Behavin' (2001)
We think this is Karl Roth's third CD - we posted the first a while ago, and this one follows the same path with a selection of standards handled adeptly by Roth on vocals and violin, and bunch of great backing musicians including Amos Garrett.
No download on this one as it's available on the streaming services.
Sunday, 10 July 2022
Rembetika Hipsters - Architects of Narghilé (2001)
Anyways, the Rembetika Hipsters payed tribute to the traditional urban and rural music of Greece, and was a mainstay at Pegasus restaurant and other community events (we'd catch them at the Hellenic Society of Calgary's annual Greek bazaar). We know we're pretty Allen-focused, so here's a video that shows how important Diochnos is to the band - such charisma!
Allen gave us crap a couple of times about posting links to CDs instead of sending people to the artists - so hit up the Hipsters directly for a copy of this one.
Saturday, 9 July 2022
Neckers - In "A Whole Mess O' Trouble" (2001)
We've posted stuff on either side of the Neckers - Vernal Season (the high school band that brought together the core members of Brendan Tincher, Jim Blood, and Bil Heatherington) and the Pygmies (Tincher and Blood's post-Necker band, who subsequently became Jeans Degrees). Where latter era Neckers fell into more of a power pop and garage rock feel, their first CD is much more in the pop punk vein. But that logo! Excellent from the get-go.
Looks like this is available on the streaming platforms, so check it out there.
Friday, 8 July 2022
Mico - Standing In The Shadows (2001)
The download is over at the Mico bandcamp.
Tuesday, 5 July 2022
Martyr Index - 1936 (2001)
Following his work with Inquisition, Mark Vermin fired up the Martyr Index and took aim at all things capitalist, wrapping his message in a hard rock-leaning punk. And also gave us one of the greatest fold-out CD covers in this city's history - this thing's a beauty! But! We're not just about the album art - except when we can't seem to pin down who was in the band for this album. Casey Lewis and Jimmy James were in the band at some point but we don't know for sure that they were in it from day one.
Grab this via the Martyr Index bandcamp.