Boozer-generated content

by JACK OATMON

I’m not really sure if it’s a distinguishing historical privilege or a prohibitive social curse, but having grown up and gone through one’s formative years concurrently with the popular development of the Internet does funny things to a person. Like anyone whose first kiss dates back to their first search criteria, I share that funny quirk which leaves me inexplicably reticent about discussing online matters in public. Like feeling the need to say the words “facebook” and “myspace” in the condescending irony voice for no good reason whatsoever, other than perhaps as a bizarre echo from the days when Internet use was catastrophically uncool. Or like being a little freaked out by blogs. And by extension, extra freaked out by musical terms like “blog house.” See? I just wrote it in scare quotes, without even thinking about it.

Regardless of my ridiculous, not to mention highly ironic, pretense about people documenting the gory details of their outings online, there are some interesting Montreal blogs that lend perspective on local youth and nightlife culture, which you might wanna check out.

thefriendattack.com is your archetypal photographic kissy-faced scenester narcissism fest. That may not sound too flattering, but the distinguishing characteristic is that the photographer is so approachable and thorough that the site has become a comprehensive trove of drunken foolishness, which I can virtually guarantee contains a few pictures of you or someone you know, if you poke around.

midnightpoutine.ca has some of the best local content I’ve come across. From arts and culture to restaurant reviews, politics, music and film, it’s a glib, bilingual, informed catalogue of any damn thing the writers notice each day, heavily favouring real, physical subjects rather than other online phenomena. It would make a fantastic recommendation for someone new to the city or a visitor looking for a taste of the local landscape and attitude.

pregnantgoldfish.wordpress.com is a mish-mash of street fashion snaps accompanied by the standard stream-of-consciousness insight about the subjects, featuring plenty of the usual suspects as well as some random encounters about town, which prove the most interesting of the collection.

superlaser.ca is a random aggregate of DJ mixes, mashups, party reviews, single leaks and prereleases with a smattering of semi-relevant links and clipart.

I know you’re cringing about the prospect of getting involved in any of this, but my counselor says it’s normal and that it happens to everybody, so once you’re done checking that out, come out of the digital closet for a taste of something that could very well end up on all four of those sites. That’s LA Riots at Coda on Friday night, which promises an earful of idiotically sneaker-shuffling, uptempo glitch remixes and a crowd of sweaty kids in colourful, ironically referential gear. Apart from that, remember the indie jam at Sala Rossa tonight, featuring an eclectic and engaging mix of local crews including Shapes & Sizes, Telefauna, Sister Suvi and the Luyas. On Saturday night, I suggest you catch Pas Chic Chic and Anemones at lab.synthèse (435 Beaubien W.). And Sunday is, of course, all about filthy rocker scoundrels Louis XIV opening for the decidedly tamer Editors and Hot Hot Heat at Club Soda.

Keepin’ it real on the ones and zeroes…
jack.oatmon@gmail.com