Montreal Attractions

Montreal Radar: PennyFest Celebrates Montreal's Local Talent

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:09:50 -0400

[CDATA[It's hard to overlook the fact that Montreal is a fantastic music city. But with all the renowned international acts constantly filtering into the city, it's easy to forget that Montreal has a vital local music scene. The first annual PennyFest celebrates local musicians and presents them to the paying masses. The genres range from folk to pop to country with acts such as Courtney Wing, HuDost, Katie Moore, and Echo Hunters. But the real draw is Penny Lang, the folk singer-songwriter legend from whom the festival gets its name. She will headline all three days and bring in folkies from around the city and beyond. The festival takes place from tonight until Saturday at Centre St-Ambroise. ]]

Montreal Radar: Silver Jews Play La Sala Rossa

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 10:11:10 -0400

[CDATA[David Berman, after years of trying, finally seems to have shed the notion that Silver Jews are a Pavement side project. It might have something to do with the fact that Stephen Malkmus is no longer contributing to the band and Pavement broke up nearly 10 years ago, but it's still about damn time. Of course, it may also be due to Berman's growing reputation in his own right. His idiosyncratic vocal delivery and clever sardonic lyrics, which are so good as to have been often compared to Bob Dylan, have made him somewhat of a cult figure amongst indie rock fans. He's a reluctant live performer (as a musician, not a poet), so you should take any chance you have to see the Silver Jews live. Tonight is your chance. They're playing at La Sala Rossa ]]

Montreal Radar: Does It Offend You, Yeah? Yeah!

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 10:49:26 -0400

[CDATA[The first thing that anyone ever notices about this band is the name, Does It Offend You, Yeah?. Some people take it as a joke and some as an elaborate statement about the concept of censorship. But really it was just the first thing that was said on TV when they were deciding on a moniker (for those who are curious, it was uttered by Ricky Gervais on The Office). If you can get past the name, you'll be greeted by some catchy blog-approved electro-brit-rock. These guys are renowned for raucous live shows, so if you're on the fence based on their recorded output, go for the melee. The band plays tonight at Les Saints. ]]

Montreal Radar: MSTRKRFT Moves Piknik Electronik's Indie Dancers

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:15:36 -0400

[CDATA[I wanted to re-imagine Shakespearean plays with robots, ideally staging them under the stars: Robot Hamlet in the Park; Titus Roboticus; and Romeo and Juliet Electronic Boo-ga-loo. Naturally, some plot points would need alteration (i.e. Ophelia couldnt drown, but she could rust or get electrocuted; hmmm?). Unfortunately, due to lack of interest, my dream is not going to become a reality. Though I cant do robot plays in the park, I can do the robot while electronic music plays in the park. No, its not the same thing, but it is mildly compensatory. As Part of Monteal's stellar Piknik Electronik, MSTRKRFT will play at Parc Jean Drapeau this Monday night. It's like regular electronic music, but much more hip. Think Daft Punk filtered through an indie-kid sensibility. No word on whether the audience will dance or stand still with their arms crossed and nod their heads. ]]

Montreal Radar: Djab Presents I See The Light

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:20:50 -0400

[CDATA[Quebec clothing line Djab is venturing out into multi-media land this weekend. In conjunction with the limited edition Djab Escape Artist streetwear collection, the company is releasing a CD called I See The Light, a compilation full of electronic heavy hitters (Chromeo, Crystal Castles, MSTRKRFT et al). To coincide with the release, both Montreal locations of The Maison Simons will be featuring in-store performances this Saturday from noon to 4 pm from top local DJs A-Rock, Hatchmatic, and DJ Ezekiel. Special windows will be installed on the outside of the stores, allowing passerbys with headphones to plug in and listen to the compilation. It's like we're living in the future! ]]

Montreal Radar: The Cinematic Orchestra Score In Montreal

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 10:47:35 -0400

[CDATA[Like John Williams' crew, but without the fake shark tunes - well, perhaps they're not all the much like John Williams et al. UK outfit, Cinematic Orchestra is a sight to behold. Don't expect your regular drums, guitar, and bass set-up. Instead you'll be treated to turntables, saxophone, trumpet, piano, double bass, and, ummm, guitar and drums. It's a combination of jazz and electronic music that I, for one, didn't think possible. Imagine John Coltrane performing with a DJ. Does that really sound like something you'd want to miss? Cinematic Orchestra play Saturday at Club Soda. ]]

Montreal Radar: Doveman Reinvents the 80s As the 00s

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:58:52 -0400

[CDATA[26 year old Thomas Bartlett, a.k.a Doveman, has consistently stayed out of the spotlight despite being one of New York's most in-demand session keyboard players, touring with artists such as Glen Hansard, Martha Wainwright, David Byrne, The National, and Yoko Ono. Now Bartlett has stepped firmly into the frontman position with his sensitive recreation of the entire soundtrack to Footloose. If you've ever wondered what Footloose would sound like if it were performed by Bon Iver, you should check out this show Tuesday at La Sala Rossa. ]]

Montreal Radar: 18th Century Public Market

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:19:46 -0400
[CDATA[Some events as soon as you hear them just sound cool. For some (mainly the geeky), Pointe-à-Callière Museum's 18th-century public market is one of those events. The market at Place Royale, the exact location of Montreal's first public market, turns Old Montreal into a bustling period piece. Expect street performers, arts and crafts, and food to crowd the streets, as well as over 100 period figures and two military regiments. There's also a tribute to Samuel de Champlain. Needless to say, they've gone all out for this thing. The event takes place Saturday and Sunday. ]]

Montreal Radar: Montreal World Film Festival Spotlights International Cinema

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:11:07 -0400
[CDATA[It's Film Festival season, and Montreal has a big one. The Montreal World Film Festival which starts tomorrow, continues the focus on world cinema and emerging talent. After surviving its almost untimely demise at the tender age of 30, the Montreal World Film Festival (FFM) lives, and is arguably stronger than ever. Vive le FFM libre! Unlike the high-profile Toronto International Film Festival, FFM hardly includes any Hollywood films, so take your Oscar buzz elsewhere, pal. But thats not to say this festival does not include some very prestigious and important films. Far from it. This years sure-to-be-highlights include Paris 36, Ce qu'il faut pur vivre, and Nowhere Man. But it all starts off with a screening of the 1981 classic Chariots of Fire. Go if you can. ]]

Montreal Radar: Airbourne Gets Ready to Rock

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:59:52 -0400
[CDATA[This balls-to-the-wall pub rock band like Airbourne, but the Australian rockers are primed and ready to get people into the spirit. The band proved in their Montreal debut last April that they know how to get a crowd moving and on their feet. A lot of it has to do with rocking out with their proverbial cocks out. Shunning new and cutting-edge sounds, Airbourne instead go for the method tried and perfected by AC/DC: get some heavy riffs, a good song formula, some guitar solos, and people will respond (especially if they've had 6 or 7 beers). The band will attempt to bring down the walls Thursday at Le National. ]]