Together again,
naturally

by JOHNSON CUMMINS

Montreal bands of yesteryear have really been feeling the reunion itch these days, so for those of you who want to get all misty-eyed about the days of yore, this week provides not one but two reassemblies of Montreal greats who helped pave the way.

Tonight is a big one for sure, when the tyrants of teen trash turn into the tyrannosaurus rexes of retro reheating. The Gruesomes again share the stage with Montreal’s best live band, les Breastfeeders, and the new kids on the rock block, Sonic Avenues, tonight at Petit Campus. The garage keeps a rockin’ afterwards tonight with an afterparty at l’Escogriffe, hosted by garage/psychobilly unit the Hypnophonics. Unfortunately, Denmark’s Power Solo, who were also slotted on the afterparty bill, had to cancel, but they’ve promised to make up the date in August.

In other big reunion news, first-wave hardcore band Genetic Control (see article, p. 30) get back together at Katacombes on Friday. Make sure you show up early to catch the political punk fury of the Restarts from the U.K., along with Toronto’s G-Men and locals the Ruffianz. For those of you who miss out on this one, fear not, Gen Con are already planning a show for August, so keep yer peepers peeled here for an announcement.

Now that I’ve gotten a little ahead of myself, there are still some other shows happening tonight, beginning with a soirée of pure heaviosity with the detuned pummelling of the Great Sabatini, the post-punk of Kraken and the instrumental, doom-laden Squalor at Barfly. If you think Montreal has been a little behind the curve of heavy music, this show is mandatory.

If you miss the Faces/Band stylings of the now defunct Royal Mountain Band, you can now see half of the band, who have merged with two-thirds of Bullmoose, as Spoon River when they back up the Trews at Cabaret tonight.

The big news this week is that the eighth edition of the always amazing Suoni Per Il Popolo festival gets underway this Sunday. Although the month-long fest has always boasted amazing programming, this year’s line-up easily eclipses previous years with the scope of its eclectic and progressive programming. Things start off with a bang with Brooklyn’s improv group Excepter. Their latest record Debt Dept on Paw Tracks is chock full of tribal repetition, with unpredictable bleeps and ghostly voices showing up in the most unlikely spots. Making this a no-brainer is an all too rare performance from local psychedelic improv/composed band the Shalabi Effect, improv psychedelic warlords Intercom and the All Dressed Trio. At Casa del Popolo on Sunday night, you can check out free jazz legends Glen Hall, William Hooker and Dominique Duval. To check out some of Hall and Hooker’s previous associations, check out the awesome skronk with Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo on Oasis of Whispers, especially their take on Sonny Rollins’s “Blue Seven.” On Monday at Casa, you can check out the bottleneck blues dirges of Loren Conners with the dazzling finger-picking of outspoken ZZ Top and Phleg Camp fan Harris Newman. For more news on upcoming Suoni shows, make sure to check out next week’s column.

SUONI, HOW I LOVE YA…JONATHAN.CUMMINS@GMAIL.COM