by JOHNSON CUMMINS

Now that there’s a bit of a nip in the air, a lot of you will avoid the outside world and seek solace on the couch—and I can’t blame you, as my thin Irish skin can’t take it when Jack Frost puts the bite on. Thankfully, some great DVDs, released this week, might keep you from bugging out with cabin fever. The essential one for the hardcore head out there is the phenomenal Botch DVD 061502, filled out mainly with their last-ever performance, in their hometown of Seattle five yeas ago. Botch were way ahead of their time on brutal blasts like “St. Matthew’s Return to the Womb,” and hardcore has still yet to catch up with “Man the Ramparts.” Other bonus footage, like five songs from a Bellingham show, is barely worth a viewing, but the hilarious, drunken commentary from the band, five years later, really seals the deal here.

There are a couple of shows this week that will help make opening up your front door a little easier. Those sneaky devils in Starvin’ Hungry would not like you to know they are playing a surprise show at Barfly on Friday, so show up, love ’em and bum ’em out. Pssst—their new record, which should be dropping soon, is one of the best Montreal albums recorded last year, but keep it on the Q.T. or ol’ man Milchey’s hat size could get as big as that of the Dears’ Murray “Don’t call me Murphy” Lightburn. Speak of the devil, did anybody else piss themselves laughing when they read Murray’s quote about his reluctance to do interviews in last week’s Mirror? “I mean, Michelangelo never had to be interviewed.” I’ll tell ya, that Murray is too, too rich. Don’t change for me, buddy—next to Axl, you’re the funniest man in rock ’n’ roll.

The hot ticket this week would be on Saturday night at le National, with a local triple bill that is worthy of far more accolades than I can muster. Check it, the chaotic blast of Trigger Effect, the psych-pop of the Besnard Lakes (whom I will again go on record as saying are the most exciting band in Montreal) and, freshly back from their tour with Black Label Society, Priestess. Across town at the Ukrainian Federation on Saturday night, the fine folks behind Pop Montreal will hold a benefit to help fight global warming, under the banner of Save Frosty the Snowman, with Stars, Sam Roberts, Dishwasher, the Adam Brown and more pitching in. If that’s not enough, magic has also been promised.

’Tis the season to be giving, so if any of you have a little bit of extra Christmas cheer to spread around, there is nobody who needs it more than Pops’ Dans La Rue mission. Go to www.danslarue.org or phone (514) 526-5222 and give what you can, ’cause it’s getting cold out there.

I’VE GOT MUCOUS THAT JINGLE JANGLE JINGLES… jonathan.cummins@gmail.com

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