SXSW
Montreal’s music scene goes out to Texas!
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In this space I usually write about Montreal’s music scene insofar as what’s happening within it. The transplant from the Midwest opening for Plants and Animals; the local rabble-rousing ska-punk ne’er-do-wells celebrating 16 years of not getting killed; the smack-talking English metal band. Etc.
However Montreal music scene is just as much about what it puts out as what it puts on. And, with the music portion of SXSW on deck, mentioning the Montreal-specific acts and showcases I plan on checking out while in Austin, Texas is, well, the neighbourly thing to do.
POP Montreal has both day parties (read: free) and official showcases on the docket, and both promise to be good. The day party they’re putting on with Blue Skies Turn Black on March 18 is especially tantalizing. Opening up with Valleys and closing with Suuns (nee Zeroes), it’s pretty much been assembled to mess a lot of people up.
(Seriously—listen to Suuns for 30 minutes and try not to have a shift in consciousness. Go on. I dare ya.)
That said, the Bamm TV/POP co-production of Hollerado’s Nacho House the day before (at Beauty Bar), and POP’s showcase the day after (at Club DeVille) will attract more hipsters. Why? At Nacho house, Michael Cera will be playing with Mister Heavenly. On the 19th, 2011’s biggest buzz band, BRAIDS, fill the 11pm slot at the POP/Gorilla vs. Bear showcase.
The over/under for Arrested Development-related jokes is 852. Scott Pilgrim jokes? We’ll see.
Photo by sxsw.com/
Moving on, M For Montreal’s plan is a bit more artery clogging.
March 16 finds them throwing their Poutine Party (exactly what it sounds like) as well as their official showcase at Spill. That will feature the likes of Polaris Prize winners Karkwa and Montreal royalty The Dears, who are currently touring their new album Degeneration Street, a record far better than someone at Pitchfork with a vendetta would have you think.
Also, their two day parties on March 19—one in conjunction with the CBC Radio 3 folks and one with the Brooklyn Vegan, uh, vegans—promise to be epic. Some of the names attached at present: Owen Pallett, BRAIDS, Austra, PS I Love You, Cadence Weapon and …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead.
The Festival International de Jazz de Montreal showcase on March 18 is also pretty stacked. Leif Vollebekk, Random Recipe and Miracle Fortress at Spill? Suits me just fine. So does watching Jessie Stein and The Luyas close out the official Planet Quebec showcase on March 19 at the same place.
Will any or all of these Montreal-y acts be as good as last year’s contingent, which included Duchess Says’ Annie-Claude basically destroying a bar and scaring the hell out of unprepared Americans?
Time will tell.
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