Physical media is back: sadboy pizza releases ‘summer sampler vol. 1’ – an all-Canadian artist CD compilation

GEORGETOWN, Ontario, June 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- sadboy pizza, an alternative culture 90s/early 2000s themed pizza and hobby store, has released summer sampler vol. 1 – the brand’s first ever physical CD compilation, featuring 13 Canadian artists across the nation.

Before algorithms dictated everything from what we watched to what we listened to, humans curated discovery, and by extension, culture and connection. “Mixtapes and burned CDs were a love language once,” says Michael Racioppo, owner of sadboy pizza. “This project’s intention is to highlight incredibly talented Canadian artists through a physical medium that has largely dissolved over the years as a result of algorithmic-based digital landscapes that have taken out the human in connection.”

Desiring to tackle digital fatigue and the rampant spread of AI slop infiltrating artistic spaces, often deceiving listeners and viewers, Racioppo adds, “We can’t turn on a device anymore without it listening, watching, recommending, or generating content for us to consume. It’s taken out the humanity of discovery and art. AI is trying to devalue creatives and what we do. Culture is critical to our wellbeing, to what it means to be human. If we don’t continue to show up, and resist, we let algorithms win. Physical media is the best way to do it.”

With community in mind, sadboy teamed up with local artist and illustrator, Blake Stevenson of Jetpacks and Rollerskates, who designed the CD's unique packaging. In support with Canadian record labels New Damage Records and Royal Mountain Records, and a number of independent artists, sadboy pizza’s summer sampler vol. 1 contains 13 tracks, showcasing the Canadian alternative music scene.

The track list on summer sampler vol. 1 includes:

Mountain Head – Let It Out (Georgetown, ON)
also-ran – Perfection (Far From It) (Winnipeg, MB)
madfolk – Stick Around (Toronto, ON)
Jenny Palacios – Who Couldn’t Love You? (Toronto, ON)
Neon Ghosthouse – Ice Cream (Ottawa, ON)
Chief State – DAMN! (Vancouver, BC)
Calling All Captains – A New Type of Grey (Edmonton, AB)
F!TH – Take An Honest Look At Perfection (Ottawa, ON)
Cawston - Sara Tune In (Kelowna, BC)
In All Fairness – Trace (Hamilton, ON)
Customer Service – Never Meant To (Halifax, NS)
poor sport – streetlights (Victoria, BC)
John’s Cottage – No Glory (Toronto, ON)

“Discover or rediscover the lost novelty of music discovery through physical media,” says Racioppo. “Share the CD with your friends, talk about your favourite tracks, roll down your windows during a summer night drive, and remember what humans have the capacity to create when we’ve put in the time and effort to struggle through the friction to make art.”

The album is available at sadboy pizza and other distribution and promotion partners throughout Canada including Dine Alone Records (Toronto, ON), Vintage 905 (Whitby, ON), Vintage Instincts (Guelph, ON), Into the Music (Winnipeg, MB), Compact Music (Ottawa, ON), Blackbyrd Myoozik (Edmonton, AB), and more.

For more information, visit sadboy.ca.

About sadboy pizza: sadboy pizza is an award-winning, top-rated pizzeria in Georgetown, Ontario. While the heart of sadboy pizza is their 18” XL pizzas, the soul of their store’s alternative culture is in homage to the 80s, 90s, and early 00s. sadboy pizza features a line-up of pinball machines, retro collectibles, curated local hot sauces and craft beer, as well as an impressive VHS nook complete with a CRT TV and over 500 purchasable VHS tapes.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/315e74f7-7fd6-439e-9f6c-d54fcf149e2b

Michael Racioppo | michael.racioppo@sadboy.ca

sadboy pizza summer sampler vol. 1

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