Tapes are undoubtedly one of my favourite ways to listen to music. I feel that having to carry around each physical record you want to listen to forces you to pay more attention when you listen to it, whereas if there's a track on an album you dislike on your ipod you could be tempted to just put something else on. You'd be right to say that the sound quality of cassettes is poor compared to vinyl, but as Ben from Childhood told me a few months back "records can sound completely different on tape, I think it's an interesting way to listen to music definitely". Trying to work out which discordant screeches of noise were actually supposed to happen on The Jesus and Mary Chain's Barbed Wire Kisses compilation made me pay more attention to the band and ultimately fall in love with them, whereas having to carry around Portishead's Dummy tape in my pocket all day forced me to listen to that album 3/4 times in a train journey to justify it, which again ended up with me becoming fixated with that band.
Cassette Store Day is one of very few times in the modern day where cassette gets the appreciation it deserves as a format, and it returns on the 17th of October. Here are a few of the tapes (although as a whole this year's list is very impressive) that you should definitely be picking up.
Fuzzkill Records - Now 666 Vol. II (Compilation)
Having featured Terrapin favourites Pinact in the first volume, we had high hopes for Now 666 round two and it's looking like we're going to get what we wanted. The second volume boasts some of Scotland's best bands in a long time, from the jangly shoegaze of Lush Purr to the lovable garage pop of the wonderfully named The Bellybuttons. If you're interested in the underground Scottish scene then you really need to get yourself a copy of this, and if not you probably should anyway - it looks incredible.
Girl Band - Holding Hands With Jamie
Rough Trade may have lost their way a little since the days that they were putting out some incredible music by the likes of The Fall and Swell Maps, but Girl Band's debut album is a million miles away from the mediocre indie records that RT have been plaguing us with in the last few years. On 'Holding Hands With Jamie' the Dublin four-piece channel the spirit of Confusion is Sex-era Sonic Youth and cover more sonic territory than all Rough Trade records of 2015 did combined. It's loud, abrasive, and utterly immersive - the perfect cassette
The Maccabees - Marks To Prove It
Another band that have managed to wrong-foot the 'landfill indie' tag by continually producing alternative pop songs that just feel necessary. The Maccabees have always had a special place in my heart and, although this might not be their strongest release, owning a Maccabees tape is too good of an opportunity to miss. If you're looking to pick up something a little bit more accessible, The Maccabees write killer pop songs and there are choruses aplenty on their latest release.
Honeypeace Records - C'est La Via (Compilation)
Honeypeace Records are one of our favourite DIY labels and we're super excited to hear that they're putting out a compilation for CSD. There's a sorta close knit feel to Honeypeace that makes them really hard to not fall in love with, and they're also home to Terrapin favourites Rain Maze. Their CSD release features Foliage, Skyset and Johan Heartbeat, you can watch a really beautiful promo clip for the release here.
See the full list here
By Marty Hill
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