Heads, you win

Tasty tunes and tough choices at
the seventh edition of Pop Montreal

SUIT YOURSELF: Novillero

By RUPERT BOTTENBERG

As is always the case, the seventh edition of Pop Montreal is packed to bursting with shows. Great shows. Great shows that all too often are happening at the exact same time. Flip a coin, roll a 20-sided die or consult a Ouija board because you’ll have to choose one or the other. Here are a few painful examples of good acts in direct conflict with good acts—your call!

Thursday, Oct. 2, 1 a.m.: Novillero (with Young & Sexy, Hot Panda, Kellarissa, Neins Circa at Bar St-Laurent II) vs. 215: The Freshest Kidz (with Flufftronix, the Knux, Jeune Chilly Chill, Wongsifou & Drackq at Coda)

IT’S ALL GRAVY:
215: The Freshest Kidz

The recent third full-length, A Little Tradition, from Winnipeg’s superior-standard parka popsters Novillero only cements their rep for sharp, thoughtful, infuriatingly catchy songcraft, betraying their mod backgrounds without being entirely beholden to it. Canadian rock doesn’t get much better than this. Frisco-Texan duo 215: The Freshest Kidz, on the other hand, bust out their brand of energetic rap that’s both timeless and right on time. This duo of Buddy Leezle and Cerebral Vortex have a hard-on for our town too—check their track “Some Poutine,” a name-dropping tribute to late-night Plateau party peeps. Gotta love their pronunciation too—“poo-tang,” they call it.

Friday, Oct. 3, midnight: The Evaporators (with Pack A.D., Buttless Chaps, Wax Mannequin at Bar St-Laurent II) vs. Jordan Dare (with Teki Latex, Cherry Cola, DJ Mayday, Chocolat, Final Flash at Foufounes Électriques)

FACT COMPACTOR: Nardwuar the Human Serviette

When he’s not lobbing laugh-getters out of leftfield at his befuddled, high-profile interview subjects, Vancouver, B.C.’s Nardwuar the Human Serviette fronts a raucously fun garage rock outfit called the Evaporators, whose good-time tunes showcase Nardwuar’s encyclopaedic knowledge of rock, roll and arcane Canadian lore. He can no doubt toss out a few facts about Foufounes, Montreal’s original hub of punk-era underground arts and music, which celebrates a quarter-century this year. Out-of-towners would do well to check this CBGBs of the 514, and catch one of the city’s hardest-working and most reliable DJs. High-grade electro and stark batcave cool can be counted on when Jordan Dare mans the decks.

Saturday, Oct. 4, midnight: Bocce (with Pink Skull, Montag at Academy) vs. the Magic (with Fred, Automelodi, the Gertrudes at l’Escogriffe)

Maybe Beijing got the memo too late—Waterloo, ON’s Bocce have titled their latest EP …Should Be an Olympic Sport, and while lawn bowling wasn’t on the menu this past August, let’s just say that Bocce’s spectacular electronic rock, muscled up with some live drum thunder, will leave you juiced, goosed and ready to run circles around Usain Bolt. Guelph outfit the Magic, meanwhile, have tricks of their own. Led by Geordie Gordon of the Barmitzvah Brothers, the Magic’s lush, scintillating and adventurous pop carries over hints of the former while adding a dash of snappy electro to the mix.

Sunday, Oct. 5, midnight: Quest for Fire (with Lullabye Arkestra, Hard Drugs at Bar St-Laurent II) vs. Vivian Girls (with Tyvek, TV Ghost at Divan Orange)

With a name that suggests they’ve got a sweet one rolled but can’t find a light, Toronto’s Quest for Fire detour from the raucousness of the earlier bands (Deadly Snakes, Cursed, No No Zero) into a hazy realm of what they call “smoke-machine rock,” but you can jot down as gourd-twisting blooz-o-delic jams. Brooklyn’s Vivian Girls, for their part, are no strangers to Montreal, having played here twice in recent months, including an opening slot with TV on the Radio. This time ’round, they wrap up the Blue Skies/Pirates Weird Punk series with their short, sweet, messy bursts of gooey goodness.

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