Devo in the dark

This past Sunday, I finally made my way down to Parc Jean-Drapeau for my first Osheaga festival experience. Given my aversion to banal indie pop and genuine fear of open-air music festivals, I have resisted previous Osheagas, but this year, there were two legendary bands at the top of the marquee that would have me grinning and bearing the porta-potties and placid festival fans—Sonic Youth and Devo.

Sonic Youth surprised by playing a set mainly picked from their new record The Eternal, but once they went into “The Sprawl” and “Cross the Breeze” from the classic Daydream Nation, my goosebumps were standing at attention. Shortly after and just a mere jog away from the main stage, Devo met every one of my expectations on the cozy Green Stage. Getting “Whip It” out of the way relatively early, they really saved the best for last, stuffing the back end of their set with gems plucked from their classic first two records. “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” and “Mongoloid” were attacked with fervor before the entire lighting system shit the bed, but even the shroud of darkness couldn’t dash stunners like “Smart Patrol/Mr. DNA” before the lights came back on for “Jocko Homo” and epic closer “Beautiful World.” Best show I’ve seen since, uh, Slayer the previous week.

After Devo’s mindblowing set, I made tracks to Katacombes to catch punk pioneers the Avengers. This was melodic punk at its best as Penelope Houston packed the set full of energy and reclaimed her crown as one of punk rock’s greatest singers. It was non-stop hits with “The American in Me,” “We Are the One,” “Open Your Eyes” and “Teenage Rebel,” and motorized cover versions of “Paint It Black” and “Money.” This was no nostalgia trip as Houston’s raw intensity and bellowing caterwaul were proof that punk rock can indeed age gracefully.

Two new slabs o’ wax (vinyl only!) this week that should really have you sticking the needle in the groove. First up is the Ottawa duo Holy Cobra, who release two psyched-out jammers on a self-titled seven-inch on the Telephone Explosion label. The a-side starts things off right with a sample of the Troggs’ Reg Presley before the band slash and smash through the three minutes and forty-seven seconds that makes up “Feed Yr Head.” Things slow down for the b-side trudging of “May You Be Free to Roam,” as the band digs their heels into some serious Chrome/Helios Creed soil. Who knew the sleepy burg of Ottawa could birth such snotty and noisy punk.

The real gleaming gem for me this week is the collaboration of ambient drone artist thisquietarmy (aka Eric Quach) with fellow dronester Scott Cortez (lovesliescrushing) under the moniker Meridians. On these two epic and minimalist tracks, released on a limited-edition 12-inch with a pressing of 500 on Three:four Records, the pair expertly explore the limits of space while inviting the listener into their dark and desolate soundscapes. Longtime readers of this column may notice that I’ve been fawning over thisquietarmy quite a bit lately, but with his amazingly prolific output and the results remaining this astonishing, it seems like Quach could soon become a major player in the overcrowded ambient underground.

A TIP OF THE ENERGY DOME…
JONATHAN.CUMMINS@GMAIL.COM