PREVIEW
TEENAGE DEPRESSION
Compilation CD Release Party
November 6
Castle Pub
In the world of campus radio, the 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. weekday shift is just about as agonizing a slot as you can receive. If you have tons of imagination, stamina and caffeine (and a gift for patiently dealing with all the goofy stoners who incessantly tie up your request line), you may be perfect for the job.
Still, everyone gets weary of the hours eventually, and Tiemen and Paul, the hosts of the show Teenage Depression on CJSW 90.9 FM have recently moved to the earlier, though still late-night, slot of midnight to 2 a.m. on Monday night.
Their fans will be happy to know that the time of their show may have changed but the music they play remains the same
"Seventies punk and ’60s garage," specifies co-host Tiemen. "Teenage Depression is our way of trying to recapture those days of discovering great music – when bands as diverse as The Cramps, The Lyres, The Rezillos, The Nerves, The Meatmen, DRI, Dead Kennedys, Buzzcocks, COC and Sham 69 could all be called punk rock."
He admits that it confuses the heck out of the people who tune in expecting Sum 41 and Bad Religion from a show devoted to punk. That's part of the reason that he and Paul decided to start up Teenage Depression.
"We're just trying to get the word out to the younger folk that there is more to the punk scene than what's currently going on in Calgary," Tiemen says. (The) emo-hardcore all-ages scene. Fashion punk (and) early ’80s Brit-influenced punk scene. Rock ’n' roll scene. I've been involved in the Alberta punk scene since the mid-80s and I've never seen a time where there have been so few options music-wise in Calgary. Everybody's buying the same CDs, going to the same shows, but who can blame ’em? There are no options."
To present an option and to lure people to interesting music, Tiemen and Paul have put together a compilation of their favourite current bands. Included on the CD are groups such as the Tyrades, Drastics, Stoneage Hearts, Reckless Bastards, No-Counts and Flip-tops. Besides the radio show and the new disc there's also the Teenage Depression newsletter, which includes CD reviews, interviews with new bands, playlists from the show and really cool illustrations. It's quite a huge effort for something that offers little (to no) monetary return.
"Both of us were looking for something that nobody in town was dishing out. So instead of sitting around and complaining, we thought we'd try to do a little something about it," he continues. "We realize that we're not DJs and that we know very little about publishing a newsletter or putting out CDs. But the nice thing about punk rock is that you don't need to. Teenage Depression was born out of a love for punk rock music and we're trying to share the bands we love with everybody."
And so the valiant DIY spirit lives on. Tiemen and Paul DJ at Castle Pub the first Wednesday of every month. Teenage Depression is available at Sloth and Melodiya. Be on the lookout for Tiemen's other publication, Dragsville, there too. |
