by JOHNSON CUMMINS

The big show this week for me would be the delightfully raunchy rock of Dirty Tricks at Zoobizarre on Friday night. If their EP’s are any indication, these guys perfectly meld all things John Reis (Rocket From The Crypt/the Hot Snakes) and even throw in a bit of Scandinavian rock for good measure. Opening will be Ohio’s the Luxury Pushers and Greg Cocaine. I’m sure Mr. and Mrs. Cocaine must be proud.

Also on Friday, down at one of the greatest bars in the city (and definitely one of the smallest), I Farm and Whiskey Trench are at l’Escogriffe. Expect a lot of elbows in the ribs, and be prepared to spill at least half of every pint. Friday at Casa del Popolo promises to be a good night with the sweet sounds of John Lennox and Angela Desveaux (the latter formerly of Sonny Best Band). They promise to serve up country and countrified soul, and I’m no betting man but I betcha play your cards right, you may even get a rare treat of some soul-ified country.

The Friendship Cove are barrelling out of the gate with another humdinger of a show on Friday, when the Field Register, Say It Stranger (ex-Hidden in Buildings) and Orillia Opry put on a benefit for the launch of a new magazine in town, Void.

The jangle-pop of Heroes and Villains goes toe to toe with the orch-pop sounds of Code Pie at Toc Toc on Saturday. The sets will be on the Q.T., as complaints from uppity neighbours of the venue have been rampant, so prepare for a mellow eve. Along for the quiet ride is T-dot’s the Visit. If the phrase “orch-pop” makes you break out in hives, check out www.codepie.com, download “Cement Truck” and be scared no more.

If you don’t want to keep it on the hush-hush, check out Sunny Duval at Quai des Brumes on Saturday night. He’s mainly known around town as a six-string slinger for hire (he just got back from a tour of France with les Cowboys Fringants), but his solo record Achigan proves he won’t be anyone’s sidekick for long.

Bassist/Chapman Stick player Sylvain Auclair teams up with Rhythm Activism’s Norman Nawrocki in a duo called Sann, who will be laying it down at Casa on Sunday night. Monday is a no-brainer when Rogue Wave, an act on Sub Pop (the currently hip label that used to be great, and then was shit for a long time, then fell off the radar, and now is getting a lot better), play the comfortable confines of the Green Room with Bad Flirt. Wednesday, catch the country twang of Lee Mellor and the Mudhounds with Montreal’s favourite tears-in-their-beer drunks the United Steel Workers of Montreal at Casa. If you are in the mood for a different twang altogether, don’t miss the foxy foxes I like to call Sam Shalabi, Gavin Sheenan and Jacob Chelkowski as they cook up a musical after-dinner theatre experience that could only be called Fart Me Now! With a title like that, chances of this show selling out are slim at best. Check these scat cats out at Zoobizarre.

YOU TURNED ME EVERY WHICH WAY BUT BEAUT… jonathan.cummins@gmail.com

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