Indie
With programming as scattered as CJSW’s it can’t be easy curating a compilation album. Selecting tracks from the station’s live sessions — as its braintrust has for this CD — narrows down the candidates but it’s a daunting task nonetheless. So for the album accompaniment to CJSW’s funding drive the station sticks to what it does most admirably: navigating Calgary’s musical terrains.
That’s not to say this is all local — B.C.’s O’Mally Montreal’s The Nymphets and Winnipeg’s Del Barber are among its selections — but its most memorable moments come hash-tagged with a #YYC. Type Monkey Type showcases its funkier tendencies with “Smooth Like Crunchy Peanut Butter” while J.R. Shore lays down a positively heart-shattering violin-driven cut with “Ghetto Bird.” Reuben Bullock’s gorgeous whisper on “The Rain” on the other hand explores the shimmering nuances of crestfallen folk.
But the comp’s standouts are the fuzz-laden contributions of Heat-ray and Faux Fur. The former provides “Never Forever” which comes off like a crunchy swoon-gaze revision of “Everlong” — its meandering chaotic breakdown is perhaps the collection’s most spine-tingling moment. Faux Fur on the other hand has vocalist J.S. Audet’s crackling distant vocals contrasting with an explosive open-string riff that’s indebted to the more exhilarating moments of ’90s indie rock. And that’s saying nothing of the Psychic Alliance or immaculately titled The Poly Shores whose sassy contributions merit mention. This isn’t a compilation appreciable for its consistency or coherency; rather this is CJSW’s answer to Daytrotter and an invaluable entry-point to Calgary’s music scene.
