Show notes
PopCast #10 - Part 2: Darkhorses, discoveries and debuts.
In this episode: The Hot Springs, Katie Moore, We're Marching On, Alden Penner, Les Angles Morts, Land of Talk, Royal Mountain Band, Miracle Fortress, the Museum Pieces.
It all comes crashing together for the end of 2005. If you've been paying attention you know that we've already begun an end-of-year wrap-up, with Part 1 of Episode 10 of the PopCast, which took a look at some of my personal favourite major releases of 2005. I'll be wrapping that up by Friday with Part 3, but for now we get to do something really fun and take a look at some of the best local (more or less) darkhorse debuts and discoveries of this year. We thought this three-part process was a good way to acknowledge both the international music community, and those communities that are a little closer to home, if not home itself. If you want to take a look at mini-reviews of major releases to correspond with Parts 1 and 3, you can check out the mass is secretly obsessed with nipple dream. We thought it appropriate that our end-of-year write-ups and little superficial lists focus on all the great emerging artists around us. Let us know if you think someone is missing, but make sure they're not in one of the other lists, first ... And it's also Wednesday, which means this post is doubling as our Pop Picks, as well. And rightfully so. Pop Montreal is helping put on a big benefit show for the SPCA at the Main Hall tonight, and it will be featuring a lot of the artists you hear on today's podcast. So we've got one pick for this week, and it's For the Kittens That Lost Their Mittens. Come out and enjoy.
And by all means, check out these locals or neighbours who reared their lovely heads for more or less the first time this year, whether through EPs, self-released bebuts, or demos; whatever. They've been grouped here either by community and/or complementary sound—but mostly for sake of brevity; all of these artists deserve condiseration in their own right. In no particular order.
Friendship Cove and Friends - Think About Life, the Hot Springs, Telefauna Montreal
The mutant offspring of Donkey Heart (RIP) and the Electric Tractor (RIP), Think About Life went very quickly from being a band in jest, to opening for Wolf Parade on their first U.S. tour, to signing to local label Alien8. Their full length is being mixed as we speak. I expect similar things from the Hot Springs in '06, especially given the rapid maturation of their sound. The front-persons for both of these bands (Graham Van Pelt and Giselle Webber) reside at the new Friendship Cove, and you'll be able to catch their respective solo acts—Miracle Fortress and Giselle Numba One—at Pop Montreal's year-end benefit show on Wednesday the 21st at the Main Hall. If you dig either of these bands, you'll probably also like Telefauna, who are busy carrying the freaky-synth pop funk torch. Check out Their 1st EP (best release title of the year).
Scores and Circuses - Alden Penner, Torngat, Shoot the Moon Montreal
Ex-Unicorn Alden Penner very silently released a very beautiful 7" this year, as well as a score for the independent film, The Hamster Cage. A lot of his new material isn't unlike Montreal's Torngat, who this year released La Rouge (and who also shares at least one member with Bell Orchestre). Torgnat makes beautiful instrumental music with lots of French horn and accordion; antique but innovative. Shoot the Moon's Where Strangers Live, released this year, dips in and out of these melancholy sounds as well.
The Dark Side - Dandi Wind, Les Angles Morts, Duchess Says, AIDS Wolf Montreal
If you like your music noisy, aggressive, industrial or dark in any shape, there's a wide spectrum of appealing beasts in Montreal to choose from. Go dissonant and messy with AIDS Wolf, arty and industrial with Dandi Wind, calculated, smart and clean with Les Angles Morts, or electro sexy with Duchess Says. Just don't play them all at once.
Lovers - Code Pie, Land of Talk, Hexes and Ohs, Statue Park Montreal
I don't care if it's laptop-pop, orchestral triumphs or gritty indie stuff; there's a lot of sexy music being made around these parts. Passion pleases in any form, really. If you love a good tried and true indie sound, try it sprinkled with urgent horns in Code Pie, or topped off with Liz Powell's sultry singing in Land of Talk. If adorable bleeps or brilliant buzzing is your thing, Hexes and Ohs and Statue Park have it covered.
Social Arts Club - We're Marching On, Oh Bijou, Germans Guelph / Toronto
I first caught wind of this collective out of Guelph when I caught We're Marching On open for Final Fantasy at the Casa del Popolo back in March. Between those boys and Oh Bijou lies everything I love about the next wave of great Canadian artists. Indie-pop collides with noise frenzy; orchestra intricacy meets rock n' roll authentcity. They've all got EPs floating around at shows and the like, all worth checking out.
Classic Rockers - The Adam Brown, Royal Mountain Band Montreal
Someone give these rock and roll heroes major record deals and an assload of radio play. Seriously, if accessible old fashioned rock and fucking roll (and I don't mean trendy, bad hair-cut, leather jacket no soul rock and roll; I mean down and dirty guitar-loving rockstars that are lovable because they love the simple joy of making that classic sound sound so good) is what people want, this right here is it.
Ships at Night & Youth Club Records - Timber, Plants & Animals, the Museum Pieces Montreal / Halifax
Two great little record label saplings with East Coast roots and branches spreading quickly. Pick any Ships at Night act and you're bound to find the same members onstage in some kind of formation or another, but each has something unique to contribute. It's like Neil Young had children with the whole Chicago post-rock scene of the late nineties. Strong musicianship and recording sensibilities abound. Youth Club's the Museum Pieces proceed similarly, and their Philadelphia is my favourite unsung Canadian release floating around right now.
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