Fests and all
the rest

by JOHNSON CUMMINS

Damn, it’s so close you can almost taste it. We are still one week away from this year’s Victo festival, so peep the quick picks I’ve listed elsewhere in this issue and get your pass now. Following soon after is the Suoni Per Il Popolo fest, which will last for the entire month of June. The curators have already announced their 2008 line-up and with such a solid spread, you will definitely want to cough up the loot to buy the pass that gets you in for the whole kit and caboodle. Here’s a quick taste of what you can expect: Nels Cline Singers, ex-Husker dude Grant Hart, former Fugazi singer Guy Piccioto, Sir Richard Bishop and a lot more. To see the entire list of confirmed performers, check out www.casadelpopolo.com/suoni/about.htm. The passes and tickets for individual shows are available now, so get to it.

While we’re looking ahead, don’t forget to snatch up tickets for what should prove to be the show of the summer, Japan’s infinitely awesome Boris with my new favourite band, doom popsters (I’m not kidding) Torche (see Discs for review) at la Sala Rossa on July 12.

Pretty mind-blowing stuff, huh? Well, this week might not be as heavy as Boris coming to town but there are definitely some great local shows that will help get you there. On Friday night, ex-Frenetic Malcolm Bauld launches Covered in Dust with guests the Details at Divan Orange. After checking out the tunes on his MySpace page, it seems Bauld has retained the urgency of a young Paul Weller that he expertly showcased with his previous band, but adds more twang and strum on his new record, with one foot firmly in folk, the other one planted in punk.

Also happening on Friday night is New York/Montreal band L.E.S. Stitches—featuring ex-Jerk Appeal and current U.S. Bombs member Curt Stitch—who will peel the paint with their sleazy, Lower East Side snarl at Katacombes, with

Marshall Law (their last show) and MTLHC stalwart Manic Manon pulling up the rear. If you miss the days of punk rock with no curveballs thrown, don’t miss this.

Further evidence that this week is definitely owned by the locals arrives on Sunday night when the Sunday Sinners show why they are easily one of our best bands as they open for the Heavy at la Sala Rossa. Word on the street is the Sinners’ long-completed new record, which is sadly still languishing in limbo, is a psychedelic masterpiece so, uh, try and download it off the Interweb or something.

A definite do-not-miss show has one of Montreal’s most loved punk-pop bands, the Nymphets—who’ve recently transplanted to NYC—and grossly unsung locals the O Voids, at l’Esco on Tuesday night. Pogo à gogo!

DELIVERING THE DIRT ON ALL THE SLUDGE SINCE
2004…JONATHAN.CUMMINS@GMAIL.COM